Elegant cranberry infused champagne cocktail

**prep time** 30 mins **total time** 30 mins **makes** 6

This fruity cocktail is so pretty and great for serving at a Christmas get together or party. It’s also really flexible, if you don’t have cranberries, strawberries or peaches work the same. I think it’s always best to try and stick to what’s in season though.

You start by cooking the cranberries and sugar on a medium heat. This should bubble away nicely and after about 25 minutes it will turn into a syrup.

Now you just need a potato masher to mash up the fruit so it becomes nice and smooth.

Pour the syrup into a sieve and push through into a small bowl.

Now it’s time to make the drink! Pour the liquid into the bottom of 6 champagne flutes.

Pour the sparkling wine into a small jug first so that you can decant it slowly on to the side of the glass. Otherwise, and I learnt this the hard way, it drops in to quickly and mixes up with the syrup and loses the ombre effect! I used Champagne, but Prosecco or Cremant will also work and you’re unlikely to be able to taste the difference.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen cranberries
1 cup caster sugar
Bottle of champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine

METHOD

Add cranberries to a pan with sugar and cook over medium to high heat for 15-20 minutes until reduced to a syrup.
Using a potato masher, mash the cranberries that are still hole, to make a smoother consistency.
Seive the syrup into a bowl, saving the remaining cranberry preserve (this is the perfect festive jam for toast, or sauce to accompany a roast dinner).
Spoon 2-3 tbsp of the syrup into a champagne flute.
Decant the the champange/prosecco/sparkling wine into a small jug and tipping the flute to the side, carefully and slowly pour it into the glass, avoiding directly pouring onto the syrup, so that it doesn't mix and creates a beautiful ombre effect. Toast and enjoy!