Poinsettia Cocktail Recipe | Cranberry Champagne Drink

Name: Poinsettia
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Winter
Ingredients: 90 ml Champagne or Prosecco, chilled; 45 ml cranberry juice; 15 ml triple sec (or Cointreau); 1 orange twist (optional, to garnish)

Method

Chill a champagne flute in the freezer for a few minutes if you have time.

Pour the triple sec and cranberry juice into the flute.

Top slowly with chilled Champagne or Prosecco, tilting the glass to keep the bubbles intact.

Stir once, very gently, with a bar spoon to combine without losing the fizz.

Garnish with an orange twist if using and serve immediately.

How to serve

Glassware: Champagne flute
Serve temperature: Cold
Garnish: Orange twist (optional)

The Poinsettia takes its name from the crimson, star-shaped flower that has become shorthand for Christmas across much of the English-speaking world, itself named after the American diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the plant back from Mexico in the 1820s. The cocktail is newer and far simpler: cranberry juice and a splash of orange liqueur under a top of Champagne, built to be the drink you hand someone within thirty seconds of them arriving.

A mimosa with more structure

Where a mimosa is just juice and wine, the Poinsettia adds triple sec as a bridge between the tart cranberry and the dry sparkling wine. That extra layer of orange keeps the drink from tasting thin, and it is the difference between a proper cocktail and a dressed-up glass of juice. Use a dry Champagne or a good Cava rather than a sweet sparkling wine, since the fizz needs to cut through the cranberry rather than pile more sweetness on top of it.

Serving a crowd

Pour the cranberry juice and triple sec into flutes ahead of time and line them up on a tray. The Champagne only needs adding at the last moment, which makes this one of the easier festive drinks to serve to a room full of people at once. Tilt the glass as you pour to protect the bubbles, and resist stirring hard, one gentle turn of the spoon is enough.

Variations

Swap the cranberry juice for pomegranate juice for a rounder, less tart finish.
A few drops of rosemary or thyme-infused syrup add a herbal edge that suits a dinner-table version rather than a brunch one.
Use a blood orange liqueur in place of plain triple sec for extra colour and a slightly bitter orange note.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a Poinsettia and a Mimosa?

A Mimosa is just orange juice and Champagne. The Poinsettia swaps the juice for tart cranberry and adds a splash of triple sec, which gives it a drier, more structured flavour and its distinctive deep red colour.

Can I make a Poinsettia in a large batch?

Yes. Mix the cranberry juice and triple sec in the ratio above and refrigerate. Top individual glasses with Champagne just before serving so the sparkling wine does not go flat.

What Champagne or sparkling wine works best?

A dry Champagne, Cava or Prosecco all work well. Avoid anything sweet, such as a demi-sec, since the drink already gets sweetness from the cranberry and triple sec.

Is there a non-alcoholic version?

Replace the Champagne with a dry alcohol-free sparkling wine and use a splash of orange juice in place of the triple sec. The cranberry juice stays the same.

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