Elevate Your Holidays: The Cranberry Boulevardier Cocktail with Homemade Shrub

Discover the Cranberry Boulevardier Cocktail, a brilliantly festive and flavorful twist on the sophisticated classic. Crafted with an easy-to-make homemade cranberry shrub, this boulevardier offers a perfect balance of tangy, bright, and rich notes. It’s the quintessential drink to serve before any special holiday meal, setting a joyful and elegant tone for your celebrations this season!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Breckenridge Distillery! As always, all opinions and the recipe are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

The air is buzzing with excitement, adorned with twinkling lights and the scent of pine. Yes, the holiday season is officially upon us, bringing with it a palpable sense of joy and anticipation. This time of year invites us to gather with loved ones, share laughter, and, for us adults, indulge in the sophisticated pleasure of a perfectly crafted holiday cocktail. There’s something truly magical about sipping a special drink that perfectly encapsulates the festive spirit.

Embracing the Holiday Cheer with Festive Cocktails

The holidays transform everything. From the decorations that brighten our homes to the infectious cheer that fills the streets, it’s a season unlike any other. This renewed sense of magic often brings us back to the pure, unadulterated joy of childhood. As adults, we still chase that feeling, but now we have the added benefit of enjoying finely crafted beverages that complement the merriment. A thoughtfully prepared cocktail isn’t just a drink; it’s an experience, a signal that the celebration has truly begun.

Forget the mundane; the holidays call for something special, something that sparkles as brightly as the season itself. This year, we’re elevating our holiday spirits with a drink that is both sophisticated and wonderfully festive: the Cranberry Boulevardier. It’s a drink that promises to be the talk of your holiday gathering, offering a unique blend of tradition and seasonal innovation.

Understanding the Boulevardier: A Timeless Classic

Before we dive into our cranberry-infused creation, let’s appreciate the classic Boulevardier. This iconic cocktail originated in the glamorous Parisian bar scene of the 1920s, a cousin to the famous Negroni. While the Negroni features gin, the Boulevardier distinguishes itself with a base of whiskey, typically rye or bourbon. It combines whiskey, Campari (an Italian aperitif with a distinctive bitter profile), and sweet vermouth in a sultry, rich concoction.

The classic Boulevardier is known for its deep amber hue and a complex flavor profile: a harmonious blend of the whiskey’s warmth, Campari’s bittersweet notes, and vermouth’s herbal sweetness. Each sip delivers a smooth, sophisticated experience, often concluding with a pleasant “whiskey bite” that leaves a lasting impression. It’s a cocktail for those who appreciate depth and character, a truly elegant choice for any discerning palate.

The Heart of the Cocktail: Choosing the Right Bourbon

For our Cranberry Boulevardier, the choice of whiskey is paramount. While traditionally made with rye, I’ve found that a quality bourbon brings an unparalleled smoothness and depth that truly elevates this festive version. My personal favorite, and the star of this recipe, is Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon. And I promise you, it’s not *just* because it’s a local gem!

Breckenridge Distillery’s bourbon boasts an unreal flavor profile. It’s remarkably rich and bold, standing out significantly from other bourbons I’ve sampled. Its smooth character, coupled with just the right amount of a pleasant bite, makes it the perfect accompaniment for the bitter notes of Campari and the sweetness of vermouth. This bourbon provides a robust foundation, allowing the other flavors to shine without being overwhelmed. It grounds the cocktail, ensuring a balanced and deeply satisfying drinking experience that is essential for a holiday treat.

Crafting Your Own Festive Cranberry Shrub

What truly transforms this Boulevardier into a holiday masterpiece is the addition of a homemade cranberry shrub. If you’re new to shrubs, they are essentially drinking vinegars – a delightful syrup made from fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Shrubs add a vibrant, tart, and complex sweetness to cocktails, making them incredibly versatile and unique.

Our cranberry shrub is incredibly easy to make and infuses the cocktail with the quintessential flavors of the season. Fresh or frozen cranberries are simmered with sugar, water, and warming holiday spices like cloves and ground cardamom. This gentle cooking process extracts all the juicy, tart goodness from the cranberries and marries it with the aromatic spices. Once strained, apple cider vinegar is added, which not only preserves the shrub but also provides that signature tangy kick, balancing the sweetness and adding a bright acidity.

The tangy brightness of this homemade shrub is a game-changer. It cuts through the richness of the bourbon and the bitterness of the Campari, creating a beautifully balanced and incredibly festive drink. The subtle spice notes from the cloves and cardamom enhance the overall holiday feel, making each sip a warm and inviting experience. Plus, preparing it yourself allows you to control the quality and intensity of the flavors, ensuring a fresh and natural taste that store-bought alternatives simply can’t match.

Assembling Your Cranberry Boulevardier

Creating this magnificent holiday cocktail is straightforward. Once your cranberry shrub is ready (and remember, it can be made well in advance and stored in the refrigerator for several months, making holiday entertaining a breeze!), the cocktail itself comes together in minutes. You’ll combine the Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon, the homemade cranberry shrub, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass. The key to a perfectly chilled and smooth Boulevardier is to stir, not shake, these ingredients over ice for about 30 seconds. Stirring gently dilutes the drink just enough, integrates the flavors beautifully, and maintains its elegant clarity.

Presentation Matters: Serving Your Holiday Boulevardier

A cocktail as special as the Cranberry Boulevardier deserves an equally impressive presentation. Serving it in a chilled coupe glass not only adds to its elegant appeal but also helps maintain its ideal temperature. The broad, shallow bowl of the coupe showcases the drink’s beautiful cranberry-kissed hue, inviting guests to savor every detail.

For garnish, a simple twist of orange or lemon peel is perfect. The citrus oils released from the twist add an aromatic dimension that complements the cocktail’s flavors. You could also float a few fresh cranberries or even a tiny sprig of rosemary for an extra festive touch. The visual appeal is as important as the taste, making this drink a feast for both the eyes and the palate.

I absolutely adore serving these cocktails right before a significant holiday meal. They serve as an exquisite aperitif, gently whetting the appetite without being overly filling. It’s a sophisticated way to kick off a feast and transition guests into the celebratory mood.

Enhance Your Meal: Food Pairings for Your Cranberry Boulevardier

The balanced complexity of the Cranberry Boulevardier makes it incredibly versatile for food pairings, especially during the holiday season. Its tangy and slightly bitter notes cut through richness, while its underlying sweetness complements savory dishes beautifully.

• Cheeseboards and Charcuterie: This cocktail is a dream companion for a diverse cheese and charcuterie spread. The fruitiness of the cranberry shrub and the acidity of the vinegar refresh your palate between bites of rich cheeses, savory cured meats, and briny olives. Try it with aged cheddar, creamy brie, or a pungent blue cheese.
• Holiday Appetizers: Think mini quiches, savory tarts, or even small bites with roasted root vegetables. The cocktail’s robust flavor stands up well to a variety of pre-dinner nibbles.
• Roasted Meats: While typically an aperitif, the Boulevardier’s depth could even accompany lighter roasted meats like turkey or chicken, especially if they are prepared with fruit-based glazes or herb marinades. The cranberry notes will resonate with traditional holiday flavors.

Each pairing creates a delightful dance on the palate, making your holiday meal an even more memorable culinary journey.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, be sure to explore other festive recipes on the blog, designed to make your holiday season deliciously memorable!

Essential Tools for Your Cranberry Boulevardier

To craft this cocktail with the elegance and precision it deserves, a few key tools will make all the difference. For serving, a beautiful pair of coupe glasses instantly elevates the presentation, giving your drink a sophisticated, classic look. When mixing, a cocktail mixing glass paired with a long-handled cocktail spoon is ideal for achieving the perfect chill and dilution without aeration, resulting in a smooth, clear drink. Finally, for the star of the show – your homemade cranberry spice shrub – a sturdy saucepan will be essential for simmering the ingredients to perfection. These simple tools ensure your Cranberry Boulevardier is not only delicious but also visually stunning.

Cranberry Boulevardier Recipe

A holiday take on the classic Boulevardier, made with bourbon and a homemade easy peasy cranberry shrub!

Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

Cranberry Shrub

• 1 cup water
• 2 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 8 cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Cranberry Boulevardier (per cocktail)

• 2 oz. Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon Whiskey
• 3/4 oz homemade cranberry shrub
• 1/2 oz. Campari
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 orange or lemon peel, for garnish

Instructions

1. To make the cranberry shrub: Combine water, cranberries, sugar, cloves, and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer gently until the cranberries are visibly soft, which should take approximately 8 minutes.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean mason jar. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the cooked cranberries, extracting as much juice as possible without forcing any solids through the strainer.
3. Stir the apple cider vinegar into the strained cranberry mixture. Cover the mason jar and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and ready to use. This homemade cranberry shrub can be stored in the refrigerator for several months, making it a convenient make-ahead component for holiday entertaining.
4. To make the cocktail: In a mixing glass or an empty cocktail shaker, combine the Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon Whiskey, homemade cranberry shrub, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Add a generous amount of ice to the mixing glass.
5. Stir the ingredients continuously for about 30 seconds. This process chills the cocktail and provides the perfect amount of dilution, ensuring a smooth and well-integrated flavor profile.
6. Strain the mixed cocktail into a pre-chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a fresh orange twist or a lemon peel to add a fragrant citrus aroma. Serve immediately and enjoy the festive spirit!

Cheers to a joyous and delicious holiday season!