This is such a simple pear vodka cocktail! We are upgrading a classic cranberry vodka and using pear vodka, which adds a lovely, fruity sweetness. It’s also perfect for the holidays!

This upgraded vodka cranberry made with pear vodka is one of my favorite holiday cocktails. It’s pretty, easy to make for many, and it feels special thanks to the pear vodka. Our recipe below shares how to make one cocktail, but check the notes for my tips for making this in a pitcher to serve a crowd!

This is one of many cocktail recipes on Inspired Taste. A few more you might enjoy is this lemon drop martini (I love the lemon sugar), our classic cosmopolitan, and another crowd-friendly cocktail, the mimosa!

Key Ingredients

• Pear Vodka: Use good-quality pear vodka (we like Grey Goose La Poire). Feel free to substitute for other flavored or infused vodkas, such as citrus, orange, and peach.
• Cranberry Juice: The most common option is “cranberry juice cocktail,” which adds some sugar. You can also find unsweetened cranberry juice, which is much more tart. Use what you love, but keep in mind that if you use unsweetened juice, you may need to add a sweetener to the cocktail to balance it out.
• Triple Sec: This orange-flavored liqueur adds a subtle sweetness and a hint of citrus that complements the tart cranberry. You can make this cocktail without it, but if you have it on hand, try it.
• Lime: I love squeezing a wedge of lime into the glass and think it brings everything together.
• Pear Slices and Mint: These are optional, but if you plan to serve this during the holidays, they make the cocktail look extra special.

Cranberry Pear Vodka Cocktail

This is such a simple cocktail recipe! We are upgrading a classic cranberry vodka and using pear vodka, which adds a lovely, fruity sweetness. I use a bottled cranberry cocktail, which has a bit of sugar added. If you use unsweetened cranberry juice, you might need a bit of sweetener to balance the cocktail.

Makes 1 cocktail

You Will Need

1 ½ ounces pear vodka

4 ounces cranberry juice

1/2 ounce triple sec

1 lime wedge

Ice

Fresh pear slices and fresh mint for garnish

Directions

1Fill a highball glass with ice.

2Add the pear vodka, triple sec, and cranberry juice.

3Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink and drop it in. Garnish with pear slice and fresh mint.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Cranberry juice: 100% cranberry juice is usually unsweetened, so you may need some sweetener (see note below). Cranberry juice cocktail usually has a bit of sugar added.
• Make sweeter: If you prefer a sweeter drink, add a teaspoon of simple syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup. This lemon ginger syrup would also be pretty delicious.
• Make a pitcher serving 6: Combine 6 ounces pear vodka, 2 cups (16oz) cranberry juice, 2 ounces triple sec, and the juice of 1/2 a lime in a pitcher. Stir well, taste, and adjust with a sweetener or more lime. Serve over ice.
• Nutrition facts are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 cocktail
/
Calories
218
/
Total Fat
0.2g
/
Saturated Fat
0g
/
Cholesterol
0mg
/
Sodium
3.7mg
/
Carbohydrate
22.5g
/
Dietary Fiber
0g
/
Total Sugars
19.9g
/
Protein
0g

AUTHOR:

Adam Gallagher

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This cranberry orange scones recipe is a keeper! They turn out light and flaky, with fresh orange zest and dried cranberries.

My Mom makes a lot of scones. She inherited her love from her Mom, and I can only imagine it goes back from there. Now, here I am sharing our favorite recipe with you! You can top these with bit of sugar, or add my delicious orange glaze.

Scones are really easy to make. If you’ve made homemade biscuits, you’ll recognize many of the steps in our recipe below. For more scones recipes, see our classic scones, blueberry scones, blackberry lemon scones or these pumpkin scones.

Key Ingredients

• Cranberries: I use dried cranberries in my photos, but you can absolutely use fresh or frozen cranberries in these scones. If you opt for fresh cranberries, keep in mind that they are more tart, so you might want to add a touch more sugar to the dough (I’ve shared tips below the recipe).
• Orange: I use plenty of orange zest to infuse the dough with a bright citrus flavor. For more orange flavor, try my optional orange glaze, which you’ll find in the recipe below.
• Flour: I stick to all-purpose flour for my scones. It consistently yields light and flaky results.
• Baking powder: This adds a little extra lift and lightness to the scones. I also use baking powder when making this strawberry shortcake!
• Butter: I always use very cold butter when making these. The cold butter creates steam in the oven, resulting in that delightful flaky texture we all love.
• Heavy cream: I’m partial to cream scones because they tend to be lighter and more tender than those made solely with butter.
• Honey: I love the subtle sweetness honey adds to these cranberry orange scones. For an extra special touch, try using orange blossom honey! Feel free to substitute with sugar.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

Tips for Making the Best Cranberry Orange Scones

Tip 1: Use chilled ingredients. Using cold ingredients is really important when making scones. The butter should be chilled and hard, and you want to use the cream straight from the refrigerator.

To make scones, you will “cut in” very cold butter. I use a pastry blender, but cold hands or a food processor will work. The goal is to distribute small pieces of butter throughout the flour. As the scones bake, these little bits of butter create steam pockets that make the dough rise, resulting in a light and tender texture (the same happens in my butter pie crust recipe and these biscuits).

Tip 2: Add fresh orange flavor. You can add orange flavor in two ways to these scones. First, add a generous amount of orange zest to the dough itself (similar to how we add lemon zest to these blueberry scones). Second, you can make our orange glaze. It’s optional, but it’s really easy! Stir powdered sugar and fresh orange juice together, then drizzle the glaze over the baked and cooled scones.

Tip 3: Don’t overwork your dough. When making these, gentle handling is key! Overworking the dough develops gluten, which can make your scones less fluffy and tender. That’s why I skip the biscuit cutter and lightly pat the dough into a circle before cutting them into 8 triangles.

Tip 4: Sprinkle sugar on top (optional). Transfer your triangles of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving a little room (they will spread slightly), and then brush them generously with cream. For a beautiful, shiny, textured top, sprinkle coarse sugar over the cream and bake.

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