spiced cranberry pomegranate sparkler

we're in the thick of it, y'all - the most wonderful time of the year. and i really, truly mean that. people get excited about spring and summer, but i'll never truly understand how these seasons compare to fall and winter. the clothes, the events, the holidays, the food.

to celebrate thanksgiving (which deserves a lot more holiday focus than it gets), susannah of feast & west and meghan of cake 'n knife hold an annual blogsgiving dinner. it's a lot like a virtual potluck; we blogger folk whip up something tasty and share it for blogsgiving.

if you know me, you know i'm all about the cocktails. forget beer. make me something magical with a liqueur i can't pronounce, and you have me. this particular cocktail doesn't have a fancy liqueur, but it does have some delicious flavor medleys going on, plus a little champs for sparkle and festivity.

spiced cranberry pomegranate sparkler

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 stick cinnamon
cranberry juice
champagne or prosecco

first, make your pomegranate-cinnamon syrup. bring pomegranate juice to a boil, add cinnamon stick, and simmer for 10 minutes. remove from heat and let cool completely.

to assemble cocktail, add 1 part pomegranate cinnamon syrup and 2 parts cranberry juice to your cocktail shaker with ice. shake well. pour into champagne saucer glass, then top with champagne. cheers!

thanksgiving is all about friends, family and delicious food. to celebrate the holiday, susannah of feast & west and meghan of cake 'n knife are hosting blogsgiving dinner. over 60 bloggers are sharing recipes this week!

stop by each blog to gather ideas for your own thanksgiving meal. we'll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner, but you can see the entire menu in part 1 and part 2 of the recipe round-up.

quick & easy holiday cocktail with ruby red

disclaimer: ok y'all, i am not sponsored by deep eddy vodka, it's just that good. really. so hey deep eddy, send me some bottles & i'll make more cocktails, ok?

my parents took a trip to austin, texas a few months ago, and brought back a few bottles of this stuff - deep eddy's ruby red grapefruit vodka. and then they got excited. and ordered, like, six more bottles. the stuff is made in austin, and they just opened up a brand spankin' new distillery. deep eddy pool is the oldest spring fed pool in austin, hence the namesake.

so when i went to austin a few weeks ago, i was on the look out. all the bars in austin carry it. my cousin and i were in c-boy's (picture the 80's in bar form) and a much older gentleman ordered my cousin and i "ruby red & water".

"ruby red? huh? like, deep eddy's? grapefruit vodka?"
"oh, we just call it ruby red."

this vodka is so, so smooth and delicious. it's quite refreshing, and can be enjoyed year round! super yummy in summer, but also very festive for a pretty holiday drink. i'd even throw a splash or two in champagne (and i probably will at my christmas dinner party in a few weeks!).

for a simple cocktail that'll really let ruby red shine through, whip this up:

• 2 parts deep eddy grapefruit vodka
• 1 part (or a little splash more, depending on your tastes) club soda
• juice of 1/4th a lime (or, again, a little more if you're like me)

could it be easier? toss in your lime, get a cute class + a cute red straw & you've got a gorgeous drink ready for holiday parties. this vodka compliments so many flavors, so if you pick a bottle up, be sure to experiement! deep eddy also does a sweet tea and cranberry vodka that are on my list to try.

enjoy!!

valentine raspberry fizz

throw raspberry into anything and i'm a fan. and prosecco too, of course. instead of wine or basic prosecco on valentine's day, throw a raspberry twist in for a delightful pink drink!

• 2-3 raspberries (optional)
• 1 ounce raspberry liquer/chambord
• 2 ounces prosecco or champagne

drop your raspberries gently in the bottom of your champagne flute. pop your prosecco/champagne and pour on top, then drop your chambord. quick & simple! yum!