Merry and Bright Citrus Christmas Cocktail Recipe

Submitted by nicole on Sat, 11/12/2016 - 13:10

This post is a collaboration with my friends at Tropicana and Megan Media. All opinions are mine alone.

‘Tis the season to make merry, and I’ve created the perfect cocktail to help you do that: The Merry and Bright, a delicious holiday cocktail full of fabulous seasonal flavors.

Citrus Christmas Cocktail in a tall glas garnished with a stir stick strung with popcorn and fresh cranberries. Text overlay reads "Merry and Bright Christmas Cocktail." Fresh lemons, oranges, and cranberries surround the cocktail glass.

Did you know that citrus comes into season starting now? Not in the summer, when you might typically think of lemonade. It’s at its very best and freshest right now and for the next couple months. That’s what inspired me to make a holiday cocktail using Tropicana Tangerine Lemonade as a fabulous citrus mixer.

Ingredients for a Citrus Christmas Cocktail, including vodka, amaretto, cranberry juice, tangerine lemonade, and club soda.

Merry and Bright Citrus Cocktail Recipe:

1 jigger (1.5 ounces) vodka
½ jigger (3/4 ounce) amaretto liqueur
splash cranberry juice
4 ounces Tropicana Tangerine Lemonade
4 ounces club soda or lemon-lime soda

Merry and Bright Citrus Christmas Cocktail in front of a bottle of Tropicana tangerine lemonade.

Merry and Bright Citrus Christmas Cocktail garnished with fresh cranberries and popcorn on a stick, on a black chalkboard background. Fresh oranges, lemons, and cranberries surround the glass.

The Tropicana Tangerine Lemonade is absolutely delicious all on its own, full of bright citrus flavor. The splash of cranberry gives the drink its gorgeous color and a little extra layer of flavor. And trust me on the combination of Amaretto and citrus juice--it’s absolutely magical.

Merry and Bright citrus Christmas cocktail garnished with a drink stirrer threaded with popcorn and cranberries, and edible snow-like rim on the glass, on a black chalkboard background surrounded by fresh oranges, lemons, and cranberries.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over ice. Or, if you don’t want to water down the drink with ice, but still want to keep everything nice and chilly, you can use frozen cranberries instead of ice cubes. I like to float a few cranberries in the drink either way, just because they’re pretty.

What’s your favorite cocktail to toast the holiday season?