Holiday Cocktails: Cranberry Sparkler and Cranberry Caipirinha

If your family is like my family, you'll need a drink or two to get you through the holiday coming up this week. (OK...just kidding. Please drink responsibly, and, of course, never drive after drinking.)

Here are a couple of tasty drinks that are made "Thanksgivingy" with the addition of cranberries. (Who says they're just for sauce?) If you want to try these recipes, head to the liquor store. You'll need a couple of specialty liquors.

Cranberry Sparkler

1/4 cup Stolichinaya Cranberi Vodka

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Rose's lime juice

Splash of club soda

Serve over ice with cranberries and lime.

Cranberry Caipirinha

Caipirinhas are classic Brazilian cocktails, and this one is particularly tangy with the addition of muddled cranberries.

10 fresh cranberries, halved

1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup (or 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar)

2 lime wedges

1/3 cup cachaca (a Brazilian liquor made from sugarcane juice)

Ice

Fill a rocks glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker muddle/mash cranberries with simple syrup (or water and sugar) and one of the lime wedges.

Add cachaca and handful of ice and shake well. Strain into rocks glass and garnish with remaining lime wedge.

Cheers!