Enthral and subdue even the fiercest tempers with this warm and soothing Mulled Cranberry Port. The Mary Sanderson cocktail is the perfect calming potion!
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Are you often overlooked? Do you feel underappreciated? Then meet Mary Sanderson. She’s devoted, caring, has a keen sense of smell, and knows a thing or two about being taken advantage of. Despite being overshadowed by her sisters she always has their backs, whether they’re hexing domestic animals or sniffing out small children to boil for the elixir of eternal life.
Mary’s powerful calming potion has the strength to tame the most explosive fury and the most abject despair – something she has had to do many times! Fire up your cauldron, toss in some spices, and brew up this soothing tonic that is sure to settle any disputes
Ingredient Notes
Cranberries: Tart and with a hint of bitterness, these ruby jewels are the perfect contrast to the sweet Port wine. Brew up a batch of Brandied Cranberries to accent this potion and charm your fiercest enemies!
Port wine: Fortify your soothing elixir with a generous amount of this sweet, fortified wine. I generally prefer to use a tawny Port but you could use a ruby Port as well. No need to break out an expensive bottle, it will be lost among all of the other flavours.
Brandy: Add a splash of this potent liquor to your cauldron to increase the power of this potion.
Orange slices: Bright orange and packed with healing properties, a few slices of this juicy citrus fruit will brighten up your brew.
Spices: Infuse your tonic with the intoxicating aromas of spice. Cinnamon sticks, star anise, and whole clove will elevate your elixir and mellow out any mood!
How to make the Mary Sanderson Cocktail
Brandied Cranberries
Steeped in brandy and infused with spices, these delightfully tart berries are the perfect adornment for your calming potion! This recipe will make more brandied cranberries than you need, but there are many other ways to enjoy these delicious jewels! Try over ice cream, serve with goat cheese for a fun appetizer, or use in place of traditional cranberry sauce.
To make Brandied Cranberries, combine the water, sugar and cranberries in a saucepan. Add the orange rind, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and whole cloves and stir. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Don’t walk away and leave the cranberries or they may overcook and turn into cranberry sauce!
When the cranberries come to a simmer, stir gently and cook for about 3 minutes. Look for the cranberries to begin to burst and just start to soften. If they still feel hard, then cook for another minute. When they begin to burst and soften, remove from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes and then add the brandy.
Transfer brandied cranberries along with the liquid and spices to a large jar and cool completely before storing in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight and then it’s ready to use!
Make the cocktail
In a large saucepan combine the cranberry juice, orange slices, and all of the spices. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat then turn down to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer on very low for 15 minutes to infuse with the spices.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the sugar, port wine, and brandy. Stir to combine until the sugar is dissolved. Reheat the mixture over medium heat just until hot. Avoid bringing to a boil or it will burn off some of the alcohol.
To serve, spoon a tablespoon of brandied cranberries into a mug and then top with the hot Mulled Cranberry Port. Garnish with more cranberries on a skewer if desired, and enjoy!
More Sanderson Sisters Cocktails
If you’re looking for more bewitching brews, then check out the Winifred Sanderson cocktail for a potent immortality potion and the Sarah Sanderson cocktail for an intoxicating love potion!
The Mary Sanderson Cocktail
Ingredients
Brandied Cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 340 g package fresh cranberries* see note
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 inch strip orange peel
- ½ cup Brandy
The Mary Sanderson Cocktail
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 3-4 slices fresh orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 8 whole cloves
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups Port wine
- 2 oz Brandy
Instructions
Brandied Cranberries
- In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and fresh cranberries. Add the orange rind, cinnamon stick, star anise, and whole cloves and stir. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- When the cranberries come to a simmer, stir gently and cook for about 3 minutes. Cook the cranberries just until they begin to burst and soften. Be careful not to overcook the cranberries or they will breakdown into a sauce. After 3 minutes if they are still a bit hard, cook for another minute.
- When they begin to burst and soften, remove from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes and then add the brandy. Transfer the cranberries along with the liquid and spices to a large jar and cool completely before storing in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight and then it’s ready to use.
The Mary Sanderson Cocktail
- In a large saucepan combine the cranberry juice, orange slices, and all of the spices. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat then turn down to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer on very low for 15 minutes to infuse with the spices.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the sugar, port wine, and brandy. Stir to combine until the sugar is dissolved. Reheat the mixture over medium heat just until hot. Avoid bringing to a boil or it will burn off some of the alcohol.
- To serve, spoon a tablespoon of brandied cranberries into a mug and then top with the hot Mulled Cranberry Port. Garnish with more cranberries on a skewer if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
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