Spiced Cranberry & Hibiscus Mocktail

This ruby red mocktail is crisp and refreshing, making it the perfect drink for anyone is looking for an alcohol free tipple. Sweetened only with spices, it’s a great option if you are trying to avoid too much sugar. The hibiscus makes a lovely liver tonic and is soothing on a sore throat, so it is perfect if you are on a bit of a health kick. It’s also a great way to introduce kids to “grown-up” drinks without alcohol.

This is made by the cold brew method, which means you combine all the ingredients and let them infuse in the fridge overnight. I have given a speedier hot brew option in the notes below if you are in more of a hurry.

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Spiced Cranberry & Hibiscus Mocktail

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Prep Time 5

Passive Time 1

Total Time 12

Course Drinks

Servings people

Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Low-sugar, Nut-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

350 ml Cranberries (unsweetened juice)
2 Hibiscus Tea Bag
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 pods Cardamom
1 Star Anise

To Serve

350 ml Sparkling Water
Ice
Rosemary (fresh sprigs)

Instructions

Pour the cranberry juice into a jug, add the hibiscus tea bags, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise. Cover, and chill in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours), to allow the flavours to infuse. You can discard the hibiscus tea bags and spices once infused.
To serve, add ice to glasses, half fill the glasses with the infused cranberry juice and top them up with sparkling water. Add a fresh rosemary sprig to garnish.

Notes

I used Biona cranberry juice in this recipe which we all agreed was delicious and did not need any sweetening, but if you like a sweeter drink add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup. Most other commercial cranberry juices are already sweetened with sugar, grape juice, apple juice or artificial sugars, so the overall taste will be sweeter if you use one of them.
You can use a quicker “hot brew” method by heating the cranberry juice in a saucepan, adding the hibiscus tea bags and the spices and simmering for 5 minutes. Then leave to infuse for 15 more minutes. Discard the tea bags and spices before serving.
You can serve the infused cranberry juice warmed through like a mulled wine or switch the fizzy water and ice for boiling water to make a warm comforting drink.
Stores in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.

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