Ingredients
- .5 oz Triple Sec
- .5 oz Cinnamon Schnapps
- .75 oz Vodka
- 6 oz Cranberry Juice
Instructions
Combine Ingredients:
- Pour 0.5 oz of triple sec, 0.5 oz of cinnamon schnapps, 0.75 oz of vodka, and 6 oz of cranberry juice into a heat-resistant container.
Heat Gently:
- Heat the mixture gently until warm. Be careful not to boil.
Pour:
- Pour the heated mixture into an Irish coffee cup.
Top with Whipped Cream:
- Top with whipped cream.
Garnish:
- Garnish with a tall cinnamon stick.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Red Rudolph is a 2010s Christmas-bar cocktail, named for the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer character. Vodka, orange triple sec, cinnamon schnapps and cranberry juice in a tall glass over ice. The cranberry-and-cinnamon pairing is the holiday signature; the orange triple sec adds the festive aromatic.
It sits in the Christmas-cocktail family with the Snowball, the Mistletoe Margarita and the Cranberry Cosmo. All four lean on a holiday-coded ingredient like cranberry, cinnamon or eggnog. The Red Rudolph separates itself with the cinnamon schnapps, which gives the cocktail its warm-spiced finish.
Best ordered at a Christmas party or a December dinner, not at a craft cocktail bar. The novelty name and the deep red colour are the marketing; the cranberry-and-cinnamon flavour is the substance.
What it tastes like
Sharp cranberry up front, soft orange through the middle, warm cinnamon on the finish. The vodka stays in the background and lets the cranberry and the cinnamon do the flavour work. Reads like a Christmas-cake highball, festive without being cloying.
Around 7 percent ABV in the glass once topped with cranberry. Three quarters of an ounce of vodka and an ounce of total liqueur in six ounces of cranberry juice means the cocktail drinks long and easy, perfect for a holiday gathering and easy to pour by the pitcher.
The technique
Combine three quarters of an ounce of vodka, half an ounce of triple sec and half an ounce of cinnamon schnapps in a tall highball glass with ice. Top with six ounces of cold cranberry juice. Stir gently with a bar spoon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a few fresh cranberries.
The cranberry juice must be cold and unsweetened for the cocktail balance. Sweetened cranberry cocktails (cranberry juice cocktail) push the drink too sweet; pure cranberry juice or cranberry-blend juice works better. Stir gently to keep the cocktail from going flat; cinnamon schnapps loses its character if shaken too hard.
Drink Buddy Exclusive
Tell us what's in your cabinet.
Our Cocktail Builder takes whatever bottles you've got and hands you every drink you can actually make tonight.
Open the Builder →Get the Drink Buddy newsletter
One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.
Plus the recipes we drop before they hit the site. Zero spam.
Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The cranberry juice
- Use
- Pure cranberry juice or a 100 percent cranberry-blend juice, cold.
- Skip
- Cranberry juice cocktail, which is heavily sweetened. Wrong sweetness curve.
- Why
- Cranberry juice is the volume and the colour. The sharp tartness of pure cranberry balances the sweet liqueurs; cranberry juice cocktail is too sweet and pushes the cocktail toward a candy-like profile.
The cinnamon schnapps
- Use
- Goldschlager, Hot Damn, or Fireball cinnamon whisky.
- Skip
- Cinnamon syrup. No alcohol, wrong texture.
- Why
- Cinnamon schnapps is the warm-spiced finish that gives the Red Rudolph its holiday signature. The cinnamon-and-cranberry pairing is what separates the cocktail from a standard cranberry vodka; without it the drink is a Cape Cod with extra orange.
The orange triple sec
- Use
- Cointreau or any 40 percent ABV orange liqueur.
- Skip
- Curacao for the colour; the blue tint clashes with the cranberry red.
- Why
- Triple sec adds the festive orange aromatic and a small sweetness lift. Cointreau at 40 percent ABV holds its character against the cranberry; cheaper triple sec brands at 20 percent ABV go too sweet too fast.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Red Rudolph, in a highball
- Three quarters of an ounce of vodka, half an ounce of triple sec, half an ounce of cinnamon schnapps, six ounces of cold cranberry juice, stirred in a tall highball with ice.
The shaken build
- Red Rudolph, shaken
- Same ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for five seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Drinks shorter and stronger; closer to a Cosmopolitan with cinnamon.
The pitcher build
- Red Rudolph, by the pitcher
- Multiply the ingredients by six and combine in a pitcher with ice. Stir gently. Pour into highball glasses at service. Garnish with a cinnamon stick in each.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Fireball cinnamon whisky. Slightly different flavour with the whisky note; holds the warm-spiced character.
A small splash of orange juice plus a teaspoon of simple syrup. Loses the liqueur warmth, holds the orange aromatic.
Cranberry juice cocktail with a small squeeze of fresh lime to cut the sweetness. Different balance but works in a pinch.
A clean white rum or a silver tequila. Both shift the cocktail away from the standard but hold the long-pour character.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Red Rudolph cocktail?
Three quarters of an ounce of vodka, half an ounce of triple sec, half an ounce of cinnamon schnapps and six ounces of cold cranberry juice, stirred in a tall highball glass with ice.
Why is it called a Red Rudolph?
Named for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The deep red colour from the cranberry juice matches the reindeer's nose; the cocktail is a Christmas-bar build from the 2010s holiday-cocktail menu wave.
How strong is a Red Rudolph?
Around 7 percent ABV in the glass once topped with cranberry. Three quarters of an ounce of vodka and an ounce of total liqueur in six ounces of juice means the cocktail drinks long and easy.
What does it taste like?
Sharp cranberry up front, soft orange through the middle, warm cinnamon on the finish. Reads like a Christmas-cake highball, festive without being cloying.
Can I batch it for a party?
Yes, easily. Combine the vodka, triple sec, cinnamon schnapps and cranberry juice in a pitcher with ice. Stir gently. Pour into highball glasses at service. Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and fresh cranberries.
What is the best cinnamon schnapps?
Goldschlager for the gold-flake visual or Hot Damn for the more affordable option. Fireball cinnamon whisky also works and adds a faint whisky note.
Can I use sweetened cranberry juice?
Possible but not recommended. Cranberry juice cocktail is heavily sweetened and pushes the Red Rudolph too sweet. Use pure cranberry juice or a 100 percent cranberry-blend juice for the proper cocktail balance.
What other cocktails are similar?
A Cape Cod, a Cranberry Cosmopolitan, a Mistletoe Margarita and a Sleigh Ride. All four lean on cranberry juice for the holiday colour and the seasonal flavour.
More Like This
More drinks in the same family when the night calls for them.
