Easy Sparkling Cranberry Orange Cocktails

Christmas has come and gone and I’m terribly distraught about it. No longer is it acceptable for me to blast Christmas music so loud there’s a constant ringing of Jingle Bells in my ears. Or to sing Amy Grant’s Breathe of Heaven like I have the voice of an Angel. Or to be captivated by every single cheesy Lifetime Christmas movie that’s on.

Nope folks, all of that fun stuff is over.

BUT the one thing that lingers on well after Christmas?? The parties. Late December through January still has a steady stream of get-togethers and celebrations since New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and there wasn’t enough time to fit in all the holiday parties between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What are your plans for New Year’s? Going to a big fancy party at a hotel or bar? A house party? A nice quiet dinner with friends? Or are you just staying in with a bottle of bubbly and counting down the seconds until midnight right from your couch?

New Year’s Eve is one of those funny holidays where there’s so much anticipation, typically followed by a whole lot of disappointment. I used to be all about finding the best party and didn’t bat an eye when paying over $100 a head for an open bar of cheap well drinks you had to stand in line for an hour to get. It was crowded, some people were extremely over served, and by the end of the night it was impossible to find a cab and you were left standing outside a closed bar, just praying you could get ahold of someone, anyone that could take you home to your warm bed.

Those days are gone for me. Now that I’m an official grownup and all, I’ve found I enjoy myself much more by getting all dressed up, and going to a nice quiet dinner with friends, or just Kevin and I. We have a delicious meal, a few drinks and then ring in the New Year at home with a little bubbly for me and whiskey for him.

If you do happen do be staying home, or going over to a friend’s please make this bubbly little treat. It’s light, fruity and festive – the perfect combination for a holiday cocktail. I recently made this for a crowd of ladies at a baby shower I helped my Sister-In-Law and Mother-In-Law throw, and it was a big hit.

I don’t really care for super sweet cocktails so I prefer to use a dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio as well as a brut champagne, but if you prefer things more on the sweet side you could substitute a Riesling or a spumante sparkling wine. What I really love about this cocktail is it’s seriously perfect for a crowd since it’s just a dump, stir and garnish kind of drink – which is always helpful when you have a group of people to serve.

Have a lovely weekend all!