Recipe: Very Berry Vodka

Thanksgiving is around the corner and I'm at my parents' house getting ready to cook up a storm with my sisters.

But first -- a cocktail! I wanted to create something that features ingredients you probably already have around the house, especially during this holiday season. If I can find all of these things in my parents' kitchen, then you probably can too!

I created this recipe to celebrate the cranberry and also make it a little bit more tolerable if you are already overwhelmed by it's presence in your kitchen. I have never been a huge fan of cranberries, but add some sugar and other fruit and it becomes a Thanksgiving dish I look forward to!

There is a pomegranate tree and lemon tree at my parent's house, so I had to throw those in, too. You can find these at your local grocery store as they are both in season.

WHAT YOU NEED

a few lemons
vodka (We're using Paradox Vodka)
a can of cranberry sauce (or whatever you have left over from Thanksgiving)
whole cranberries
pomegranate seeds
brown sugar
blender
saucepan
jigger
measuring cup
glasses
water
ice cubes

NICE TO HAVE

Peak Ice Works Sphere Ice Cube Tray (my parents do not have this; I happened to have it on me)
cocktail shaker
strainer
cocktail glasses
vegetable peeler

CRANBERRY SAUCE ICE CUBES

cranberry sauce
water

First, make some cranberry sauce ice cubes! We LOVE the Peak Ice Works Sphere Ice Cube Tray which makes nice round cubes.

Just fill the tray with your left over cranberry sauce or blend a can of cranberry sauce with some water and then fill the trays.

I didn't have a funnel, which is helpful when filling the top of the sphere cube holes, so I improvised by putting the mixture in a ziplock baggy and carefully (hah I spilled!) pouring into the hole.

Put the tray in the freezer for about 3 hours and then get ready to make your drink!

If you don't have a sphere ice cube tray, you can use a normal ice cube tray.

VERY BERRY SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup cranberries
water
brown sugar

Combine pomegranate seeds and cranberries put in blender. Fill with enough water to cover the fruit. Blend. Strain into a measuring cup and measure. Add to saucepan. Measure out the same amount of brown sugar so you have a 1:1 ratio of fruit mixture to sugar, then add that sugar to the same saucepan.

Simmer until the sugar is dissolved in the fruit mixture. Let cool. Now for drink making . . .

VERY BERRY VODKA

3/4 oz lemon juice
1 1/2 very berry simple syrup
1 1/2 Paradox Vodka (We're using a locally-made vodka -- distilled right here in Arizona!)
1 cranberry sauce ice cube sphere
lemon peel for garnish