Cranberry Moonshine

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If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably know that I am all about making fun, delicious moonshines in all sorts of flavors. Today I am super excited to share one of the most festive batches we’ve made yet- Cranberry Moonshine!

mason jar full of cranberry moonshine with cranberries in it. Lights in the background.
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Spunky Cranberry Moonshine

This cranberry moonshine makes a great group gift. I like to hand out flavored moonshines for Christmas gifts for my husband’s employees because I can make a large batch all at once, and they are so beautiful!

For this recipe you will need

  • Cranberry juice – cranberry juice has a super sharp flavor that pairs well with the alcohol and makes this moonshine give drinks a sharp hit.
  • White sugar – you need sugar to balance out the intensity of the cranberry flavor.
  • Fresh Cranberries – fresh cranberries give this moonshine a beautiful look and a fresh intensity.
  • 190 proof grain alcohol – I use everclear for this moonshine. It mixes well with the intensity of the cranberries.

How to make Cranberry Moonshine

  1. Bring all the ingredients except the alcohol to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Don’t let it heat for a long time or else the fresh cranberries will split into cranberry sauce.
  2. Cover and remove from the heat, let it cool. Sterilize your jars and prepare them while you are waiting.
  3. Mix the alcohol into the cooled mixture. Label it into the prepared jars, label them with the date, and let them sit for 2 weeks to 6 months.

Tips and Tricks

Tip 1 – We’re not actually sealing/canning the jars- just bringing all of the ingredients except the alcohol to a boil, letting it cool, and then adding them to sterile jars with Everclear. It is important to use Everclear for this recipe since it has such a high alcohol content. This helps keep everything from going bad!

Tip 2 – It’s best to make the moonshine ahead of time and let it sit, as the moonshine will sweeten and become more flavorful over time.

Tip 3 – Remember this moonshine is HIGHLY alcoholic- do not drive after drinking. It is not worth the risk- let’s keep the holidays happy! Please also keep well out of the reach of children. This is such an alcoholic drink it could be very dangerous if ingested by a child.

FAQs

What can I mix this with for cocktails?

This makes for delicious cocktails when mixed with sprite, ginger ale, or tonic.

Can I substitute another alcohol for Everclear?

Yes but make sure its 190 proof so the mixture keeps well.

Check out some of our favorite recipes to enjoy alongside your drink!

Click here to see my other Easy Drink recipes

mason jar full of cranberry moonshine with cranberries in it. Lights in the background.

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Cranberry-infused moonshine in a mason jar.
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Cranberry Moonshine

This tart delicious cranberry moonshine is the perfect holiday gift!
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword cranberry, cranberry alcohol, cranberry moonshine, holiday drinks, moonshine, Thanksgiving moonshine
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 14 days
Total Time 14 days 30 minutes
Servings 30
Calories 808kcal
Author Courtney ODell

Ingredients

  • 2 gallons cranberry juice
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 1 package cranberries fresh
  • 1 liter bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol Everclear

Instructions

  • Bring ingredients EXCEPT everclear to a boil.
  • Cover and remove from heat. Let cool.
  • Get sterile jars ready.
  • Mix everclear into cooled juice mixture.
  • Ladel into jars, let sit for 2 weeks or up to six months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 808kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Sugar: 45g

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

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27 Comments

    1. Do you mean frozen whole cranberries? You can use whole frozen ones or you can rehydrate dry cranberries in warmed moonshine. You don’t want to heat the moonshine so hot that it burns off the alcohol but it needs to be warmed then add the dry cranberries. Hope this helps!

    1. I would be very cautious using a slow cooker since it may cause the fresh cranberries to bloom which would make a lovely cranberry moonshine sauce but not necessarily what you are wanting.

  1. This looks delicious! I’m disappointed that your other moonshine recipes are no longer available on your site. They were my favorite and I visited yearly to make them at Christmas time. ?

    1. The site was hit wiith a bug that wiped out some of our old recipes. We’re working hard on recovering them!

  2. I made this over the holidays, bottled it in some fancy red bottles and gave it as gifts. People LOVED IT, I’m still getting requests for more. 4 bottles of 151 proof vodka, 4 gal of cranberry juice and 20 Bright red bottles LATER STILL getting requests.