Amaretto Cranberry Bliss Cocktail
Our delightful Amaretto Cranberry Bliss Cocktail has a unique and appealing flavor profile that is truly enticing. This festive cocktail is surprisingly subtle, slightly tangy, and very smooth.
Need a unique cocktail recipe for entertaining, any holiday, or just to enjoy with someone special? Our Bliss cocktail is a delicious and very drinkable variation of the original Amaretto Cranberry Kiss, but beware…this elegant cocktail is so smooth that it will sneak up on you if you are not careful!! It’s not too sweet and is very quick and easy to prepare in larger quantities for parties. Interested in reading more in our blog about how we adapted the original Amaretto Cranberry Kiss cocktail into the Bliss?
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 4/4/22
AMARETTO CRANBERRY BLISS COCKTAIL
Ingredients
Instructions
- With the center blade of a 2 in 1 Zester, peel off 4 long strips from the peel of an orange, as a garnish for each glass. Then with a reamer or juicer, squeeze 3 ounces of juice from the same orange.
- In a large measuring cup or pitcher, add 4 ounces cranberry juice, 8 ounces vodka, 2 ounces Amaretto, and the 3 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice. Stir well to combine, cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Fill a large cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes.
- Remove cocktail mixture from the fridge and stir well. Pour into a cocktail shaker until it's ⅔ full. Cover and shake vigorously. (Depending on the size of your shaker, you may have to do this step in two batches.
- Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with an orange spiral, toss in a fresh cranberry or two, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use classic size martini glasses (about 4.5 to 5 oz glasses) for this cocktail, as it can sneak up on you and pack a punch! Chill your martini glasses in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Garnishes are optional, but they make all the difference in making this cocktail very festive.
- This cocktail is a variation of an Amaretto Cranberry Kiss, which is much sweeter and tends to have an overwhelming amount of Amaretto liquor. Our Amaretto Cranberry Bliss Cocktail has more subtle flavors that don’t overpower your palate. We used 100% juice Cranberry Juice for this recipe, but if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, you can certainly use full sugar Cranberry Cocktail Juice.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
206.37Fat (grams)
0.14Sat. Fat (grams)
0.02Carbs (grams)
11.27Fiber (grams)
0.08Net carbs
11.20Sugar (grams)
10.48Protein (grams)
0.26Sodium (milligrams)
3.97Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Crust
STEP 1a
With the center blade of a 2 in 1 Zester, peel off 4 long strips from the peel of an orange, as a garnish for each glass.
STEP 2
In a large measuring cup or pitcher, add 4 ounces cranberry juice, 8 ounces vodka, 2 ounces Amaretto, and the 3 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice. Stir well to combine, cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
STEP 3
Fill a large cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes.
Note: We used a classic cocktail shaker for the photos in this recipe.
STEP 4
Remove cocktail mixture from the fridge and stir well. Pour into a cocktail shaker until it's ⅔ full. Cover and shake vigorously.
STEP 5
Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with an orange spiral and a fresh cranberry. Enjoy!
Note: To make this lovely spiral, grab both ends of the strip of orange peel and twist in opposite directions, like you are twisting off a candy wrapper.
Notes:
Use classic size martini glasses (about 5 oz. glasses) for this cocktail, as it can sneak up on you and pack a punch! Chill your martini glasses in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Garnishes are optional, but they make all the difference in making this cocktail very festive.
This cocktail is a variation of an Amaretto Cranberry Kiss, which is much sweeter and tends to have an overwhelming amount of Amaretto liquor. Our Amaretto Cranberry Bliss Cocktail has more subtle flavors that don’t overpower your palate. We used 100% juice Cranberry Juice for this recipe, but if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, you can certainly use full sugar Cranberry Cocktail Juice.
How To Video
Amaretto Cranberry Bliss Cocktail Recipe - How to make this delightful cocktail in 5 easy steps!
Blog Comments & Tips
Beware, this cocktail recipe is surprisingly addicting!
If you love entertaining like I do, this is a great make ahead cocktail that can be mixed in a pitcher, refrigerated, and then shaken as soon as your guests arrive. Or, just cozy up in front of the fire and enjoy this unique cocktail.
In our Bliss recipe, we used Ocean Spray cranberry 100% juice blend. Of course, if you like your drinks more on the sweet side, you can always replace it with cranberry juice cocktail. The cranberry juice blend we used has no added sugar, which cuts down on the sweetness, while still giving that slightly tart flavor. We also used fresh squeezed orange juice and then drastically adjusted all the quantities to make it less of an “in your face” kind of cocktail! To make it a little fancy, add an orange twist and toss in a fresh cranberry or two as a garnish. It’s sure to impress!
Around the holidays, we somehow ended up with two very large bottles of Amaretto and Disaronno. Although I like the flavor of Amaretto on desserts and occasionally, as a Pousse-café (digestif, after dinner drink, etc.), it’s not usually my liquor of choice. So, I found myself with yet another dilemma of what to do with an overabundance of an item!
Although I have a crazy sweet tooth, I am really more of a purest with my cocktails. I have a deep appreciation for good wine and champagne and mostly order one of those two options while dining out (pre-pandemic). Even when in the presence of a talented mixologist, I would find myself ordering a vodka martini, single malt scotch, or maybe a vesper. So…needless to say, the concept of using a super sweet liqueur in an aperitif, was especially challenging for me.
After pouring through a lot of cocktail recipes that appeared to be insanely sweet and overpowering on the flavor profile, I came across the Amaretto Cranberry Kiss, that I thought the Pimp My Recipe Test Kitchens could adapt. The original variations of that recipe have overwhelming amounts of Amaretto and cranberry juice, which wasn’t very appealing to me. So we went to work and came up with a softer, more drinkable cocktail, our Amaretto Cranberry Bliss!
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating, and/or following and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to chill your martini glasses for at least 20 minutes before serving this delicious cocktail.
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