Cranberry-Lime Natale Sparkler
’Tis the season for a Cranberry-Lime Natale Sparkler. A little sweet, a little tart, a lot festive!
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Granita
- 2 limes, zest + juice (about 1/4 cup juice)
- 1 ¾ cups cranberry juice
- 6 tablespoon simple syrup
- pinch kosher salt
- 6 tablespoon simple syrup
Cocktail
- Prosecco, sparkling grape juice or lemon-lime soda
- fresh or sugared cranberries, fresh lime wheels or twists, sugared rim, optional garnishes
Instructions
Simple Syrup
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat + allow to cool.
Granita
- Combine zest + lime juice with cranberry juice, and a pinch of salt. Add 6 tbsp of simple syrup (more if you prefer it sweeter) and stir.
- Pour the juice mix into an 8" x 8" metal pan. (If you double the recipe, you will need to use a 9" x 13" pan instead.) Place the pan into the freezer so it lays flat.
- After 30 minutes, use a fork to scrape the surface of the granita to break up the frozen bits that have begun to form. Repeat this every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
Assemble the Cocktail
- Fill a champagne flute or other glass ¼ to ½ full with granita. Top it off with Prosecco or your sparkling beverag of choice.
- Garnish with fresh or sugared cranberries, a twist or wheel of lime, or a sugared rim.½
Notes
To make sugared cranberries, coat them with some of the simple syrup then roll them in sugar. Allow to set.
To sugar the rim, run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass and dip it in sugar.
If you prefer your cocktail on the sweeter side, feel free to add simple syrup, a 1/2 tsp at a time, to taste.
Leftover granita can be stored in a freezer-safe container until the next use.
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