Lidia Bastianich's Apple Cider Cranberry Spritz Is The Perfect Holiday Mocktail

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the holiday season arriving in full swing, most of us will take any excuse to indulge in a festive recipe that's been bookmarked for just this moment — especially when it comes to holiday drinks. Take hot chocolate for example. While it's a comforting beverage even during the scorching heat of July, a splash of Kahlua or Baileys in the mix can get you into the Christmas spirit quicker than anything else can. 

Then there's mulled wine, which makes not only a fantastic holiday libation, but also an instant seasonal fragrance for your home. Italian-American cooking expert Lidia Bastianich, for example, has a method for vin brûlé on her website, and it comes together with just a handful of holiday spices, a couple of bottles of red wine, and a dash of brandy. However, some wintry evenings call for a beverage that's free of alcohol yet full of cozy flavors. Luckily, Bastianich's apple cider cranberry spritz is the perfect holiday mocktail for when you want a celebratory drink without any booze.

Sharing her non-alcoholic apple cider cranberry spritz recipe on Instagram, Bastianich said she enjoys the refreshing mocktail for its fall-appropriate flavors. Per the chef's website, you first need to marinate 2 cups of lightly crushed cranberries in some sugar for half an hour. Next, freeze up a batch of ice with two sugared cranberries tucked inside of each cube. When it's time to make the drink, mix apple cider, the leftover juice from macerating the cranberries, and sparkling water. Finish each glass with a couple of cranberry ice cubes, and line the rim with an apple slice.

Bastianich personally likes this spritz with lunch and dinner and plans on making a batch for Thanksgiving — as do her fans, based on their comments. While the mocktail is a welcome holiday recipe, her followers do think that the drink would fare equally well with a generous splash of prosecco, hard cider, or even vodka, for that matter, in place of the sparkling water. With or without booze, Bastianich's apple cider cranberry spritz is sure to be a stunner at any Thanksgiving dinner table.