This drink is a vibrant, non-alcoholic option perfect for holiday gatherings or any celebration. Made with a spiced fruit base and topped with orange-flavored sparkling water, it’s a refreshing drink that brings festive cheer to your table. Cranberry, lemon, or lime sparkling waters work equally well, so add your own personality to the drink.
The spiced pear cranberry base can be scaled up for larger gatherings and prepared in advance, making it a host’s dream. This festive holiday drink also doubles as a kitchen potpourri while it is steeping.
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: To elevate the presentation, rim glasses with turbinado sugar and garnish with fresh cranberries, pear slices, or cinnamon sticks. This drink is as beautiful as it is delicious, offering a healthy and festive alternative for your holiday celebrations!
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 orange
1 clove
1 star anise, plus more for garnish, optional
1 cinnamon stick, plus more for garnish, optional
8 ounces pure pear juice, no sugar added
8 ounces unsweetened cranberry juice
Juice of half a lemon
Orange flavored sparkling water
Turbinado sugar for garnish, optional
Pear slices, for garnish, optional
Fresh cranberries, for garnish, optional
Instructions
1 Using a vegetable peeler, remove 5 strips of orange peel and pierce one strip with a clove. Set aside the remaining four peels and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent drying. Using a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the orange clove peel, star anise, cinnamon stick, pear, cranberry and lemon juices. Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Remove the orange clove peel, star anise and cinnamon stick. Transfer to a heat proof pitcher or glass jar and cool completely.
2 To serve, rim four highball glasses with turbinado sugar, if using, and fill glasses with ice. Pour ½ cup of the cooled spiced pear-cranberry juice in each glass and top with sparkling water. Garnish with orange peels, star anise, cinnamon stick, sliced pear or cranberries, if desired.
