This raspberry cranberry mocktail is sweet and deeply fruity from the raspberry syrup and cranberry juice, and the sour sugar rim makes it taste like the best raspberry candy.
I wanted to make a mocktail that actually tasted like something, not just sweet juice in a glass. The raspberry simple syrup does most of the work and it brings that deep berry sweetness and the beautiful color, and the cranberry juice adds just enough tartness and body to keep it interesting without taking over.
I use cranberry juice cocktail here rather than 100% pure cranberry juice, which is important. Pure cranberry is very harsh and tannic and will make the whole drink taste medicinal. The cocktail version is sweeter and brighter.
My favorite part is the citric sugar rim. It’s what sells the whole sour candy angle because that first sip through the sweet-sour coating is genuinely addictive and takes the drink somewhere much more interesting than just a regular raspberry juice drink.
Key ingredients and why
- Raspberry simple syrup. This brings the berry sweetness and that beautiful deep pink color. Homemade is always better here and the flavor is more vibrant and natural than anything from a bottle.
- Cranberry juice cocktail. Not 100% pure cranberry. The cocktail version is sweeter and more fruit-forward, which is exactly what you want here.
- Fresh orange juice. Brings more citrus forward without adding too much bite.
- Fresh lime juice. Just enough to lift everything without making the drink tart. Always fresh, never bottled.
- Citric acid. This goes in the rim only, not the drink itself. Mixed with sugar it gives you that sharp, sour candy coating on every sip.
- Fresh raspberries. Muddled in the cocktail itself and for garnish.
How to make it
- Mix the sugar and citric acid together on a small flat plate.
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip into the mixture to coat.
- Muddle 5 rasperries in a cocktail shaker. Add the raspberry syrup, cranberry juice, lime juice, orange juice a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake hard for 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Fill the rimmed glass with ice and strain over the cocktail.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries and raspberry candies.
Tips
- Make the rim mixture ahead. The citric sugar keeps in a small sealed jar for weeks. Make a big batch and it’s ready whenever you want it.
- For a crowd, mix the raspberry syrup, cranberry juice, lime juice, and citric acid in a large jug and refrigerate. Pour over ice and top with soda water to order.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. If it’s too tart, add a little more raspberry syrup. If it needs more edge, add more lime juice or a teeny tiny bit of citric acid.
Related recipes
If you love fruity mocktails, my raspberry rose mocktail is another great one! And my raspberry mojito mocktail uses the same raspberry syrup with fresh mint for something lighter and more refreshing.
For more berry drinks, the blueberry mojito mocktail and strawberry lemonade mocktail are both worth trying.
Raspberry Cranberry Mocktail
Ingredients
Citric Sugar Rim
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp citric acid
Mocktail
- 5 fresh raspberries
- 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail not 100% pure cranberry juice
- 1 oz orange juice fresh
- 1/2 oz raspberry simple syrup
- 1/2 oz lime juice fresh
- ice
Garnish
- fresh raspberries on a cocktail pick
Instructions
Prepare the rim
- Mix the sugar and citric acid together on a small flat plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip into the citric sugar mixture to coat.
Build the drink
- Fill the rimmed glass with ice.
- Muddle the raspberries in a cocktail shaker until broken down.
- Add the cranberry juice orange juice, raspberry syrup and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the prepared glass over ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries or raspberry candies on a cocktail pick.
Notes
- Cranberry juice: Use cranberry juice cocktail, not 100% pure cranberry juice. Pure cranberry is too harsh and tannic for this drink.
- Rim mixture: The citric sugar rim keeps in a small sealed jar for weeks. Make a big batch and it’s ready whenever you need it.
- Soda water: Optional. It lightens the drink slightly but won’t make it noticeably fizzy in a short glass.
- Adjusting: Add more raspberry syrup if you want it sweeter, or a little more lime if you want more tartness.
I hope you love this as much as I do!