Description
A festive and refreshing Sparkling Christmas Slush Drink combining tart cranberry juice, tangy lemonade, and bubbly Cherry 7Up, perfect for holiday gatherings and easy to prepare ahead of time.
Ingredients
Scale
Syrup Base
- 4 cups water
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
- 5 cups 100% cranberry juice (or cranberry juice cocktail)
- 2 (24-oz) cans frozen lemonade
- 3 cups orange juice
Rim Garnish
- 1/4 lemon or orange (for rimming glasses)
- Colored sugar (optional for rimming glasses)
To Serve
- 6 liters Cherry 7Up (Three 2-liter bottles)
- Fresh cranberries (for garnish)
- Orange slices (for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the syrup base: In a large pot, combine 4 cups water with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Heat over high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add juices and lemonade: Remove from heat and immediately add 5 cups cranberry juice, 2 cans frozen lemonade (add frozen without thawing), and 3 cups orange juice. Stir until the lemonade freezes slightly dissolve into the mixture.
- Freeze the mixture: Pour the combined juice mixture into two 9×13 inch casserole dishes or any wide, shallow dishes. Cover and freeze until solid, which takes at least 3 hours and can be stored for up to 1 week.
- Prepare glass rims: Pour colored sugar into a small bowl or plate. Rub the rim of each glass with the 1/4 lemon or orange slice to moisten, then dip the rims into colored sugar to coat. Set aside to dry; if possible, do this an hour before serving or even the night before for convenience.
- Serve the slush: Before serving, use a fork to break up the frozen slush into chunks and spoon into each glass.
- Add the soda: Pour Cherry 7Up over the slush in each glass to fill.
- Garnish and enjoy: Add fresh cranberries and orange slices to garnish each glass as desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- If 100% cranberry juice is unavailable, cranberry juice cocktail works fine.
- Using 8-ounce portions, this recipe yields about 24 servings. Filling glasses more generously with more 7Up yields about 16 servings.
- Serving is best assembled last minute for the perfect texture.
- Alternatively, the remaining slush and 7Up can be mixed in a punch bowl set over ice for self-serving, though the slush melts faster this way.
