Smoked Vodka Cranberry

PHOTOS + VIDEO BY MARIA MIGUEL + BIBIANA NUNES

Cranberries will likely be on your table at some point during the fall season, so why not in your glass? With this cocktail, I’m upping the ante on the classic vodka cranberry by making the juice, infusing it with rosemary, and smoking it!

If you don’t want to make your own cranberry juice, use store bought. Just be sure it’s 100% cranberry and UNsweetened. If you don’t have a Breville Smoking Gun®, see alternate directions below.

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part 1

homemade cranberry juice

• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries

• 1 cup water

1. Place the cranberries and water in a blender.

2. Blend on high until completely pureed.

3. Refrigerate overnight to infuse - or at least a couple hours if you can’t wait that long.

4. Strain the solids, leaving you ~1 cup of juice.

part 2

for the rosemary simple syrup

• ½ cup raw sugar

• 6 sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnish

• ½ cup water

1. In a medium saucepan, muddle the sugar and rosemary sprigs with a wooden spoon.

2. Add water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until all sugar is dissolved.

3. Remove from heat, let stand at room temperature covered for 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

4. Strain syrup into a bowl and discard the solids.

part 3

smoke your glass!

1. Prepare your serving glass by covering it tightly with plastic wrap, leaving a small opening.

2. Add a pinch of rosemary to the Breville Smoking Gun®, put the end of the tube in the glass via the opening, turn it on and fill your serving glass with rosemary smoke.

3. Remove the tube and immediately seal the glass with the plastic wrap completely.

   To smoke your glass without using a smoking gun: place a small amount of rosemary on a fire-safe surface and, using a stick lighter, burn it just until you start to see smoke. Immediately invert your serving glass to cover the smokey rosemary and let sit for a few moments to absorb the flavor while you make the cocktail.

part 4

for the cocktail!

• 2 oz cranberry juice

• 1 oz Vodka

• 1 oz rosemary syrup

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, and shake until chilled.

2. Pour into smoked glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig

(Making the cocktail in a shaker like I do in this video adds ~1 part water. If you’re making a batch in a punch bowl, keep in mind you’ll need to add 1 part water)

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