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This Christmas martini is festive, refreshing, and tastes like Christmas in a glass! Made with vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, tangerine juice, and cinnamon, it comes together in just 5 minutes and has the prettiest cranberry-orange color.
I love a holiday cocktail that looks special without being complicated, and this one does exactly that. Shaking a cinnamon stick right in the cocktail gives it that subtle holiday spice, and sugared cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest make it beautiful enough for any Christmas party.
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“Nice cocktail for the holidays. Premixed into a cocktail shaker & placed in freezer to chill. Not necessary to add ice.”
— Allyson
If you’re planning your holiday drinks, you can find even more in my Christmas cocktail recipes
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Martini
Easy to garnish: Sugared cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest instantly dress it up.
Easy: Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes.
Festive: Cranberry, citrus, and cinnamon taste perfect for Christmas.
Beautiful: That gorgeous red color doesn’t need any artificial coloring.
Great for entertaining: Make one or two at a time, or prep a larger batch for a holiday party.
Christmas Martini Ingredients
Vodka: Use a good-quality vodka you enjoy. Regular vodka lets the cranberry, citrus, and cinnamon flavors shine. You can also use vanilla vodka if you want a little extra warmth and sweetness.
Cranberry juice: I use sweetened cranberry juice, such as Ocean Spray, for this recipe. If you love cranberry cocktails, try my cranberry martini, too.
Orange liqueur: Cointreau, Triple Sec, or Grand Marnier all work. It adds sweetness and another layer of citrus flavor.
Tangerine juice: I love tangerine juice in this martini because it’s sweet, bright, and a little softer than regular orange juice. You can use orange juice if that’s what you have.
Cinnamon stick: This is what gives the cocktail its subtle Christmas spice. The cinnamon stick goes directly into the shaker with the other ingredients.
How to Make a Christmas Martini
1. Add the ingredients: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 3 ounces sweetened cranberry juice, 1/2 ounce orange liqueur, 1 ounce tangerine juice, and 1 cinnamon stick.
2. Shake: Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. This gets the martini really cold and helps the cinnamon flavor come through.
3. Strain: Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Serve it straight up or add ice if you prefer.
4. Garnish: Finish with sugared cranberries, fresh rosemary, orange zest, or a dehydrated orange slice.
Eden’s Recipe Tips
Shake it for the full 30 seconds. You want the cocktail really cold, and shaking the cinnamon stick with the drink gives it that subtle holiday spice.
Ice is totally optional. I know martinis aren’t traditionally served over ice, but I love how it looks in this one, and it keeps the drink extra cold and refreshing.
Make two at once. Double the ingredients and shake two cocktails together when you’re entertaining.
Don’t skip a pretty garnish. Sugared cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest make this cocktail look SO festive without much work.
Adjust the sweetness to your taste. If you want it sweeter, add a small splash of simple syrup or my cranberry simple syrup.
Make Christmas Martinis for a Crowd
This is an easy cocktail to prep ahead for a Christmas party. For 8 martinis, combine:
- 12 ounces vodka
- 24 ounces sweetened cranberry juice
- 4 ounces orange liqueur
- 8 ounces tangerine juice
Combine the liquid ingredients in a pitcher or sealed container and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
For the best flavor and texture, I would still shake individual servings with ice and a cinnamon stick before straining them into glasses. This also keeps the cinnamon flavor from becoming too strong while the batch sits.
For each cocktail: Measure about 5 ounces of the premixed cocktail into a shaker with ice and a cinnamon stick, shake for 30 seconds, then strain and garnish.
Christmas Martini Garnish Ideas
The garnish is half the fun with a Christmas cocktail. I love using sugared cranberries, a rosemary sprig, and orange zest because the red, green, and orange look beautiful together.
You can also use a cinnamon stick, mini candy cane, or dehydrated orange slice.
You don’t need all of them. Even one simple garnish makes the cocktail feel festive.
Christmas Martini FAQs
I make this recipe with sweetened cranberry juice, such as Ocean Spray. That’s important because 100% unsweetened cranberry juice is much more tart and will change the balance of the cocktail.
Yes. I prefer tangerine juice because it’s sweet and bright, but regular orange juice works if that’s what you have.
Yes. Combine the vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and tangerine juice ahead of time and keep the mixture chilled. When you’re ready to serve, shake each cocktail with ice and a cinnamon stick, then strain and garnish.
Yes! Gin works really well with cranberry and citrus. It will give the martini more botanical flavor than vodka, so expect the finished drink to taste a little different.
More Christmas Cocktails
If you’re planning a holiday party, try my peppermint martini and gingerbread martini, or browse all of my Christmas cocktail recipes.
If you make this Christmas martini, leave a star rating and comment below. I love hearing what you’re making for the holidays!
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Christmas Martini
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounce vodka
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- 1/2 ounce orange liqueur
- 1 ounce tangerine juice
- 1 small cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 3 ounces sweetened cranberry juice, 1/2 ounce orange liqueur, 1 ounce tangerine juice, and 1 cinnamon stick.
- Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, until very cold.
- Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Serve straight up or over ice, if desired.
- Garnish with sugared cranberries, rosemary, orange zest, or a cinnamon stick and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nice cocktail for the holidays. Premixed into a cocktail shaker & placed in freezer to chill. Not necessary to add ice.