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Cocktail History
The Poinsettia Cooler is a Christmas cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in her book Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season. It was inspired by and named for the seasonal flower indigenous to Central America that dons holiday displays at Christmastime. As a nod to the poinsettia’s origin, the recipe uses tequila as a base and pairs the agave spirit with tart cranberry juice, a tangy homemade shrub, and lime juice to make one zesty and beautiful drink perfect for the holidays.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Tequila Reposado: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with blue agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged from two to twelve months. We used Casamigos Tequila Reposado because it has a light and sweet agave flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Ritual Zero-Proof Tequila Alternative in place of the tequila.
Cranberry Juice: This is the liquid juice of a fresh cranberry. We used Simple Organic Cranberry Cocktail.
Cranberry Shrub: This is a syrup made with cranberries, aromatics, sugar, and vinegar. We made ours using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Poinsettia Cooler features tangy vinegar and sweet agave aromas, and it has a well-balanced flavor that consists of tart cranberry, sour shrub, aged agave, and citrus with just enough sweetness to round it out on the finish.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We were skeptical of this recipe, but how delicious it was ended up blowing us away. The vinegar’s ability to mingle with the other tart ingredients helps everything stand out without being overbearingly sour. Please add the Poinsettia Cooler to your Christmas cocktail shortlist, and even consider switching the spirit up for some other fun variations.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Given the portions used in this drink, I didn’t expect it to be balanced or tasty at all, but I was incredibly surprised at how much it was. The cranberry lends its tartness to the mix while the vinegar in the shrub takes the tart flavor up to eleven, but somehow there’s still enough sugar to balance it all back out. While I do think three entire ounces of tequila for one drink is a little too much indulgence for my taste, I did have a hard time sharing this drink with Kendall. Good thing we accidentally served it up instead of on the rocks the first time and had to make another.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My lips puckered up with just one taste of this refreshing cocktail. As Alex mentioned, the cranberry shrub is really the linchpin in this recipe; it wouldn’t be the same without its tangy vinegar flavor because it balances the tart and somewhat bitter cranberry so well. Tequila was also a good choice for a base spirit, in my opinion. It adds an interesting agave twist, but I did wonder what gin would taste like as well. If you want a light, cool drink at the holidays, add this to the menu. It’s really great, and the shrub gives it a wonderfully weird, thirst-quenching effect!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand.
Add tequila, cranberry juice, cranberry shrub, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with cranberries.
Ingredients
Directions
Add tequila, cranberry juice, cranberry shrub, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with cranberries.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Ritual Zero-Proof Tequila Alternative in place of the tequila to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Cranberry Cocktails
If you like this cranberry-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Bandon Bronco: A vodka cocktail made with cranberry syrup, cranberry juice, lime juice, ginger beer, a lime slice, and cranberries
Nucleus Mimosa: A sparkling wine cocktail made with orange juice, cranberry juice, and a lime slice
Poison Apple: A rye whiskey cocktail made with cinnamon syrup, cranberry juice, apple cider, lemon juice, and apple slices
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, a mint sprig, and cranberries
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