Fresh Cranberry Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. Cranberry's natural acidity gives this syrup a longer shelf life than most fruit syrups. Keep refrigerated.

Fresh cranberries naturally burst and release their juice during simmering — there is no need to crush or press them beforehand. The natural pectin in cranberries gives the finished syrup a slightly thick, velvety body that is pleasant in cocktails. Because cranberries are intensely tart, a slightly higher sugar ratio (one and a half to one rather than one to one) produces a better-balanced syrup. An orange zest strip added during simmering is a classic pairing that enhances the cranberry's natural complement to citrus.

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are native to the bogs of eastern North America, where Wampanoag and other northeastern Indigenous nations consumed them as food, used them medicinally, and traded dried cranberries as a valuable commodity. Pilgrim settlers documented cranberry use in the early colonial period, and commercial cultivation in Massachusetts began in the early 19th century — the first commercial cranberry bog was established by Henry Hall in Dennis, Massachusetts, around 1816. The Cape Cod and New Jersey regions became the center of the North American cranberry industry. In cocktail culture, cranberry is most associated with the Cosmopolitan — the iconic vodka, Cointreau, lime, and cranberry juice cocktail popularized in the 1990s partly through Sex and the City — though bartenders distinguish between fresh cranberry syrup (more complex, tart, and vivid) and commercial cranberry juice (sweeter, thinner, less interesting).

A cranberry-orange syrup, made by adding the zest of one orange and two tablespoons of fresh orange juice to the simmering cranberries, creates the classic holiday flavor pairing used in seasonal cocktails from Thanksgiving through New Year. A cranberry-rosemary syrup adds two sprigs of fresh rosemary during simmering for a sophisticated herbal note that works beautifully in gin cocktails. For a spiced cranberry syrup, add one cinnamon stick, three whole cloves, and a star anise for a mulled-wine-inspired variation suited to bourbon and rum.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Cranberry juice and preparations can interact with warfarin (blood thinners) — those on anticoagulant therapy should consult a physician.