Cranberries have been coloring American autumns for centuries—long before they ever appeared on a Thanksgiving table. Indigenous peoples along the Northeast coast valued the tart little berry for food, dye, and medicine, often mixing it with dried meat and fat to make pemmican, an early high-energy snack bar. When European settlers arrived, they quickly adopted cranberries into their seasonal cooking, charmed by their vibrant hue and natural pectin, which made the berries ideal for sauces, relishes, and preserves. By the 19th century, cranberry farming had become a full-fledged industry in states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Oregon, transforming swamps into bogs and turning a once-wild fruit into a holiday staple.
Today, cranberries are practically synonymous with the American holiday season, showing up in everything from classic cranberry sauce to cocktails, baked goods, and festive garnishes. Their bright, cheerful color pops beautifully in wreaths and centerpieces, and their tangy flavor cuts through rich, buttery holiday meals—bringing balance to the Thanksgiving plate. Beyond aesthetics and taste, cranberries pack a nutritional punch, offering antioxidants and natural acidity that lifts both savory and sweet dishes. Whether you’re muddling them into a festive spritz or stringing them into vintage-style garlands, cranberries remain an essential part of the sensory landscape of fall and winter celebrations—one of the few ingredients that truly tastes and looks like the holidays.
Did you know Oregon is one of the cranberry powerhouses of the U.S.? Nestled along the southern coast, centered around the town of Bandon, Oregon, about 128 farms grow these ruby-red gems across roughly 2,800 acres of sandy bogs—producing more than 60 million pounds of cranberries a year! That’s over 600,000 barrels of tart, jewel-toned berries worth more than $21 million annually. Even though Oregon’s cranberry acreage is small compared to places like Wisconsin and Massachusetts, our state ranks third in the nation for cranberry production—proving that good things really do come in small, flavorful packages.
Cranberry Cheers
When the days turn crisp and the evenings come early, just about everything seems to glow a little brighter—candles on the mantel, the sheen of a polished cocktail glass, the ruby sparkle of cranberries simmering on the stove. Fall and winter are the seasons of gathering—of crowded Thanksgiving tables, cozy fireside chats, and sparkling holiday parties. During peak entertaining season, nothing sets the tone quite like a thoughtful selection of drinks and dishes made with seasonal flavors like the iconic crimson cranberry.
At New Deal, the Fall and Winter holiday season is synonymous with our Tart Cranberry Cocktail Syrup—a vibrant, jewel-toned syrup that delivers a perfect balance of bright tartness and subtle sweetness. It’s the kind of ingredient that instantly gives cocktails polish and elegance, and it works just as beautifully in food recipes, too. Far from the cloying sweetness of commercial mixers, this syrup captures the true essence of the bog—bright, tangy, and deeply complex. Paired with our lineup of craft spirits, from classic vodka and gin to apple brandy, coffee liqueur, and special-release holiday blend, you have everything you need to build a holiday menu that feels festive, welcoming, and unmistakably Oregon.
Read on to explore how to weave New Deal craft spirits and cranberries into a tapestry of recipes that cover every occasion from Thanksgiving dinner to New Year’s Eve toasts. We've got tasting notes, serving ideas, and perfect pairings to help you craft your coziest, most delicious gatherings all season long.
Be My Guest
A chic, modern holiday welcome cocktail
The name says it all: Be My Guest is the ultimate welcome cocktail to hand to someone as they take off their coat. The drink is bright, flavorful, and delightfully aromatic, making it an ideal opener for a long evening of eating and celebrating. Greet your guests with a tray of this sparkling welcome cocktail that’s super easy to make. Simply combine chilled Prosecco, Pear Brandy, and Tart Cranberry Syrup in a champagne flute and garnish with lemon. The aromatic pear brandy hits the nose first, followed by the crisp bite of the sparkling wine and the cranberry finish. Effervescent and celebratory, it's clean, crisp, and festive without being overly sweet. This cocktail is best for Friendsgiving feasts or holiday cocktail-hour warm-ups. Pairs beautifully with light appetizers: think shrimp cocktail, oyster shooters, Dungeness crab dip, and a shaved fennel and citrus salad.
Harvest Cranberry Punch
The big-batch hero your holiday party needs
Maybe you’re considering what to put on the punch table? Perhaps our Harvest Cranberry Punch is just the thing! It’s bursting with bright flavor and comes together in just a few minutes. When you have a house full of relatives, this ruby-hued blend is a "set it and forget it" solution that looks stunning as a centerpiece. The bourbon provides a caramel and vanilla backbone that anchors the tartness of the cranberry. It’s tangy, slightly oaky, and dangerously drinkable. Add an ice ring and cranberries for a fun pop of holiday color, and you’ll have a real showstopper on your hands. Serve at holiday office parties, large family gatherings, and open-house style holiday celebrations. Because punch is forgiving and versatile, it pairs with almost anything!
Apple Brandy Cosmo
Orchard fruit meets holiday sparkle
In our festive twist on a Cosmopolitan, the Apple Brandy Cosmo uses Apple Brandy for depth, orchard-fresh sweetness, and caramel warmth. Combined with orange liqueur and unsweetened cranberry juice, it becomes a seasonal showstopper—bright, crisp, and beautifully autumnal. It pours a blushing pink. The nose is all orchard fruit—crisp apples and citrus. The taste is softer and warmer than a traditional Cosmo, with the brandy adding a layer of fruit-forward complexity that screams "fall." Perfect for Thanksgiving Day cocktail hour, fall and winter wedding receptions, or holiday open houses. Pair with Fall classics like turkey & cranberry chutney crostini, a pear brie puff pastry tart, or maple-glazed salmon.
Cranberry Mule
A seasonal twist on a Moscow Mule
Take everything you love about a classic mule—ginger heat, lime zip, vodka’s clean bite—and give it a festive twist with a generous pour of Tart Cranberry Syrup. The result? A ruby-pink sparkler served over crushed ice in the iconic copper mug. The Cranberry Mule is refreshing, bright, and slightly spicy. The cranberry syrup adds depth and color without weighing the drink down. Serve with Game Day spreads, Thanksgiving afternoon snacks, or at a casual workplace holiday happy hour. The ginger in a mule plays well with bold flavors, indulgent party foods, and salty snacks. Think cheddar-and-caramelized-onion tart, sausage rolls, herb-roasted turkey sliders, or spinach artichoke dip.
The Wild History of Oregon's "Red Gold"
Oregon's cranberry story kicks off with Indigenous peoples harvesting the crimson, waxy berries along the fog-kissed coast of southern Oregon, where native cranberries once grew wild and were gathered by native tribes and early explorers looking for a fresh-and-tart Vitamin C-rich snack to fend off scurvy. Over time, what started as wild harvesting turned into a full-blown commercial venture when a gold-rush prospector named Charles McFarlin settled in Coos County in 1885 and planted his own McFarlin variety of cranberry cuttings brought from Massachusetts. For decades, harvesting was a back-breaking job done by hand, often by Native laborers, who used special combs to scoop the berries from the vines.
By the early 1900s, harvesting cranberries was a family affair. In Tillamook County, women and children would spend September and October "camping out" and picking berries by hand. The scene was run by the "cranberry king" of Tillamook County, W.C. King, who turned harvesting into a surprisingly pleasant gig. He'd set up lines across the fields to keep the pickers organized. The pay? A cool 50 cents per bushel. King boasted his best pickers could haul in about three bushels a day.
Despite this early boom, Oregon's cranberry industry hit tough times during the Great Depression: by the 1930s, many bogs had been abandoned, and by 1941, only about 75 acres of commercial cranberry vines remained in Oregon. However, Oregon cranberries proved to be resilient and by the mid-1940s the industry gained new traction when Ocean Spray invited Oregon to join their national cooperative and proceeded to build a large cranberry juice production facility outside Bandon, Oregon, in Coos County.
To this day, Bandon is the unofficial cranberry capital of Oregon. In addition to Ocean Spray's commercial presence, visitors can cruise the “Berry Byway” from Port Orford to Bandon, stop by a family-run cranberry farm for fresh berries, jam, juice, or enjoy locally-made cranberry-infused ketchup, BBQ glaze, cranberry ciders, cranberry rum shots, cranberry sweets, and a dream for cheese fans: cranberry-walnut cheddar or cranberry–honey fromage blanc.
If you find yourself at the Southern Oregon Coast in the Fall, expect lively parades, a cranberry-eating contest, and full-blown harvest celebrations at the annual Bandon Cranberry Festival, which celebrates its 80th occurrence in 2026. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, a football game, and the crowning of the Cranberry Court.
Oregon's storied cranberry legacy continues in earnest: roughly 3,000 acres of cranberry beds thrive in the sloping terrain of Coos and Curry counties, with growers producing around 40 million pounds of berries each year—about 7 % of U.S. output.
The long, temperate growing season on the southern coast gives Oregon's berries a sweeter taste and super-deep pigmentation, making them the cranberry industry's top choice for achieving that perfect flavor and crimson color. Each fall, fields burst into color as growers harvest either the “wet way”—flooding the bogs so ripe cranberries float to the surface—or the “dry way,” using machines to gently lift berries. Wet harvest cranberries are processed into juices and sauces, while dry harvest berries are used for whole cranberries sold fresh or frozen. Popular Oregon varieties include Stevens—the state’s favorite—McFarlin, and Early Black. From October’s ocean mist to the splash of crimson bogs, Oregon’s cranberry coast is where farming meets artistry—and every berry tells a juicy local story.
Farmhouse Cosmo
Country-chic, modern, and deeply satisfying
In our Farmhouse Cosmo, we employ a type of fruit syrup, called a shrub, that is a powerhouse in the home bartender’s arsenal: splash it into sparkling water for a sophisticated, thirst-quenching soda, or use it to add a complex, sweet-tart backbone to cocktails that completely transform the drinking experience. Shrubs are one way to preserve a fruit's peak flavor long after the season has ended. When cranberry shrub is combined with vodka, orange liqueur, and allspice dram in our Farmhouse Cosmo, your guests will love the savory, tangy note that is both incredibly appetizing and a functional digestif. This cocktail is a savory, complex masterpiece, with the allspice dram adding that holiday-in-a-glass festivity. This is definitely a foodie's cocktail! Pair with your most decadent holiday entrees, like apple & sage pork loin, roast duck, butternut squash soup, savory tarts, or a charcuterie plate featuring cured meats and aged Gouda or alpine-style cheeses.
Cranberry Shrub
Mastering the art of the shrub is akin to capturing the fleeting soul of the season in a bottle, creating a drinking vinegar that balances the lush sweetness of ripe fruit with the bracing bite of acid. To craft this old-world elixir, simply macerate your peak-season produce—whether it’s summer strawberries or autumn pears—with sugar to extract their vibrant nectar, then whisk in a high-quality vinegar to stabilize and sharpen the flavors.
- Add 12 oz whole cranberries and 6 oz water to a crockpot. Cook on low for 2 hours.
- Alternatively, simmer in a stockpot on the stove until cranberries are mushy.
- While the cranberries are cooking, make 24 oz simple syrup using this recipe as a guide.
- Once the cranberries have finished cooking, remove from crockpot or stovetop and let cool slightly.
- In a large pitcher or half-gallon mason jar, add your cooked cranberries, plus 24 oz apple cider vinegar and 24 oz simple syrup.
- Stir to combine, cover, and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and transfer the mixture into a sanitized glass bottle or jar. Cover tightly.
- If kept in the fridge, the shrub should be good for 1-2 years.
Gleaming the Cube
A fall-to-winter Old Fashioned riff
Let's say you prefer aged spirits: You’ll definitely want to try Gleaming the Cube. This festive Old Fashioned combines our Distiller’s Reserve Bourbon or Rye with bitters and cranberry syrup for a drink that has all the right moves. For the whiskey lover who thinks they’ve tried everything, this is a revelation. On the palate, the spicy notes of the rye or the sweetness of the bourbon are amplified by the cranberry’s acidity, creating a drink that tastes like autumn in a glass. And why not make a whole batch for your friends? Easily multiply the recipe, transfer to a bottle kept on ice, and pour over a large ice cube when ready. Great for serving at holiday dinner parties, White Elephant gift exchanges, or any evening holiday celebration that could use a polished signature cocktail. Pair with roast chicken, savory bread puddings, delicate cheeses like Tomme, or alongside a slice of pecan pie or dark chocolate truffles.
Improved Centennial
Like raiding your mother's baking chocolate stash
Let's consider the unconventional combination of cranberry and chocolate. If you're a fan, we think you'll love this 20th Century cocktail riff we call the Improved Centennial. Robust dark chocolate notes combine with bright and bitter flavors for a perfectly balanced cocoa cocktail. You’ll love how the cranberry syrup provides brightness, the Mud Puddle Bitter Chocolate Vodka adds rich chocolate notes, the Cocchi Americano Bianco’s “bite” gives a bitter orange depth, and the Angostura ties it all together. This slow sipper is the perfect accompaniment to deep, late-night conversations among friends and family. Serve at fall and winter book club nights, late-night gift-wrapping dates, or while you're prepping holiday side dishes. Pairs well with mushroom-brie turnovers, herbed fingerling potatoes, and flourless chocolate cake.
N/A Holiday Spritz
A stunning non-alcoholic option
Holiday hosts know: great gatherings include great zero-proof options. The N/A Holiday Spritz brings all the sparkle without the alcohol. It’s fun, fizzy, and festive while also being delightfully zero-proof. It looks just as festive as the alcoholic versions, with a bubbly, ruby-red hue. The high-quality cranberry syrup ensures it tastes like a grown-up drink, not a kids' soda. It is crisp, palate-cleansing, and not overly sweet. Perfect for inclusive hosting, daytime office holiday parties, or fall and winter baby showers. For food pairings, try pomegranate-glazed meatballs and fresh greens salad with citrus vinaigrette.
Couldn’t Help But Wonder
A chic, Cosmo-adjacent winter sipper
We Couldn’t Help But Wonder if we could work our house-made Tart Cranberry Syrup into a fabulous Cosmopolitan. We tried a few things, and just like that, we arrived at this delicious recipe. This modernized Cosmo, where we swap our Tart Cranberry Syrup for the cranberry juice, retains that beautiful pink hue but offers a depth of flavor that commercial cranberry juice can't match. It’s a tart, dry, refreshing nod to the pop-culture icon that made the Cosmo famous, but with a craft twist. Great for serving at a girls' night-in, a Thanksgiving dinner afterparty, holiday date night, or a sophisticated pre-dinner aperitif. Pairs well with beef tenderloin, blue cheese & spiced walnuts, and dark chocolate truffles.
Ginger Rosemary Cranberry Sauce
Not all cranberry magic belongs in a glass. Canned cranberry sauce has had its day. This year, bring something vibrant to the table. Our Ginger Rosemary Cranberry Sauce, made with fresh cranberries, warming Ginger Liqueur, aromatic rosemary, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, is your new must-make side dish. It’s glossy, jewel-toned, and the ideal balance of tart, sweet, spicy, and herbal. This sauce elevates every plate it touches, even weeknight roasted chicken. That said, this cranberry sauce is classic Thanksgiving Dinner fare, where the spicy, warming heat of ginger cuts through the richness of turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Also lovely paired with pork tenderloin and spread on leftover turkey sandwiches, or as a surprising, yet delightful companion to a cheese board filled with sharp cheddar or creamy brie.
Winter Perks
A cozy coffee-cranberry creation
Both fresh and rich with warming notes of coffee and cocoa nibs, Winter Perks will warm you on even the coldest of days. You’ll love how the spiciness of the rye is balanced by lively fruit preserves and tart cranberry juice. In this complex, layered cocktail, you'll get the roast of the coffee, the spice of the rye, and the fruitiness of the cranberry juice, combined with raspberry jam, all in one sip. It’s rich, dark, and warming. The perfect "nightcap" for a winter dinner party or snowy evening spent baking cookies, an après-ski warm-up, a pick-me-up after a long day of holiday shopping, or to accompany Christmas morning brunch. Pairs well with cinnamon rolls, flourless chocolate torte, or cranberry chocolate chip biscotti.
Cranberry 75
A sparkling, celebratory classic remade for the holidays
A holiday twist on the classic French 75, the Cranberry 75 combines Portland Dry Gin 33, cranberry syrup, and bubbles for a drink that is pure celebration. Effervescent, tart, lightly herbal, and beautifully pink, it practically begs to be sipped during moments of clinking glasses. The juniper in the gin provides a botanical base that elevates the juicy cranberry and fizzy sparkling wine combination into something refined. Perfect for Thanksgiving aperitif hour, Christmas morning brunch, bridal showers, and for midnight toast at elegant New Year’s Eve gatherings. It’s light enough to drink several, but special enough to mark the moment. The acidity and bubbles cut through rich, buttery dishes like smoked salmon on potato pancakes, brie and cranberry puff pastry, fresh oysters, or blinis with crème fraîche and caviar.
Sleigh Ride
A magical winter confection
Root beer fans rejoice! The decadent mix of Mud Puddle Bitter Chocolate Vodka, root beer syrup, and unsweetened cranberry juice sounds unusual, but trust us, it works. The bitter chocolate vodka and root beer syrup create a nostalgic, soda-fountain float-like flavor profile, while the cranberry adds a fruitiness that keeps it from becoming too heavy. It’s dark, mysterious, and utterly indulgent. Guests with a sweet tooth need look no further! It's the perfect drink for holiday parties, tree-lighting gatherings, cookie swaps, and post-dinner sipping. Serve this solo as dessert, or alongside a plate of gingerbread cookies.
Old Saint Nick
A holiday G&T that even santa can't resist
Sometimes, amidst the heavy eggnogs and rich wines, you need a palate cleanser. In the Old Saint Nick, a seasonal variation on a classic Gin & Tonic, we swap out the more typical London Dry style, commonly used in G&Ts, for our barrel-rested Old Tom Gin. The barrel-forward gin's sweeter, maltier profile plays nicely with the tonic’s bitterness and the cranberry syrup's tartness. Plus, a beautiful contrast of red berries and green mint makes this look like Christmas in a glass. Wondering what you should leave out for Santa this year? We’d suggest skipping the milk and cookies and putting out an Old Saint Nick. Who wouldn’t want to take five with an Old Tom Gin and tonic?
Let the Cranberry Cheer Begin
From the mist-shrouded bogs of the Southern Oregon coast to the warmth of your home bar, the cranberry remains the ultimate symbol of seasonal gathering, reminding us why they’ve endured for centuries: they’re bold, bright, versatile, and capable of transforming even the simplest recipe into something memorable. Whether you’re crafting a sparkling welcome drink, shaking up a round of Cranberry 75s for a midnight toast, mixing up a fireside Old Fashioned, or simply greeting guests with a sparkling spritz, we invite you to embrace the tart, complex versatility of the "red gold" of the Pacific Northwest. Let cranberries be your signature this season—a thread of color and cheer that ties together every gathering from the first frost to the final New Year’s cheers. Grab a bottle, gather your loved ones, and raise a ruby-hued glass to traditions both old and new—cheers!