We taste-tested 4 manufacturers of cranberry juice cocktail you are more likely to discover at your native grocery store. To discover the perfect one, we sampled every with out understanding which model was which. Our winner is Langers Cranberry Juice Cocktail, however we additionally topped one runner-up.
I at all times preserve a bottle of cranberry juice cocktail available. This sweet-tart beverage turns out to be useful for all kinds of drinks, whether or not you are consuming it straight, mixing it into punch for a cocktail party, making Cosmopolitans, mixing up nonalcoholic spritzers, or whipping up a vodka-cranberry. The query is: Which model is value shopping for?
To discover the most effective cranberry juice cocktail, our editors taste-tested 4 broadly obtainable manufacturers. Rather than tasting unsweetened cranberry juice, we opted for cranberry juice cocktails, which generally include cranberry juice focus, water, and a sweetener. We chilled and poured every into cups, then sampled them in random order with out understanding which model was which. We then tabulated the outcomes and topped an general winner, in addition to one other worthy contender that we would be completely satisfied to maintain at residence.
The Criteria
An ideal cranberry juice cocktail ought to be each tart and candy. It ought to be tangy sufficient to make you pucker, nevertheless it should not be intensely bitter or astringent. (If it’s, you will have picked up 100% cranberry juice.) It ought to be clear and scarlet—not murky or brown. It must also be pleasantly candy with out being cloying, and it should not style bitter or synthetic.
Serious Eats / Jessie YuChen
Overall Winner
Lang Senger Cranberry Juice Cocktail
This cranberry juice cocktail edged out our runner-up, because of its barely tangier taste—probably the results of added citric acid. “I just like the cranberry taste right here! It makes you pucker somewhat,” wrote our senior social media editor, Kelli. Our affiliate editorial director, Megan, and our editorial director, Daniel, loved the tartness of cranberries. “On the sweeter aspect, however balanced,” wrote our visuals editor Jessie, who thought the flavour was nice. Our affiliate culinary editor, Laila, discovered it a contact too bitter, however appreciated the cranberry-forward profile.
Runner-Up
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
This cranberry juice cocktail shared the same taste profile with the winner, though some tasters discovered it to be a bit diluted-seeming. “Very skinny. But I suppose that is what you need?” wrote Kelli. “Sour, candy, kinda watery,” wrote Jessie. Others thought it had a noticeable tartness, however preferred it general. “This is the tartest of the bunch, however I actually do not thoughts that,” wrote Megan. “Noticeable astringency, which I like,” stated Laila, who additionally noticed that it had fewer apple-forward notes than the remainder of the line-up.
Serious Eats / Jessie YuChen
The Contenders
- Lang Senger Cranberry Juice Cocktail
- Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
- Simply Cranberry Cocktail
- Tropicana Cranberry Cocktail
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
Most cranberry juice cocktails are made with filtered water, cranberry juice focus, sugar, and pure flavors. Other widespread elements embody ascorbic acid and/or citric acid. Ascorbic acid, which is the chemical time period for vitamin C, helps protect each taste and coloration by stopping oxidation and browning, whereas additionally including delicate tartness. Citric acid, which happens naturally in citrus fruits, brings sourness and provides the juice a sharper, extra speedy tang. Vegetable concentrates, usually derived from carrots and beets, are typically used to provide the drink a extra vibrant, interesting coloration.
Cranberry juice focus is produced by pasteurizing and lowering recent, filtered cranberry juice right into a thick, syrupy liquid. It’s usually frozen for storage, then thawed, diluted with water, and sweetened to make a juice cocktail.
Our winner, Langers Cranberry Juice Cocktail, is made with filtered water, cranberry juice focus, pure flavors, and citric acid. Our runner-up, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, is made with ascorbic acid somewhat than citric acid and consists of vegetable focus for coloration. Overall, our editors most popular Langers for its tangy, vibrant taste—although the variations between our winner and runner-up have been fairly minor.
Our Testing Methodology
All style exams are carried out with manufacturers fully hidden and with out dialogue. Tasters style samples in random order. For instance, taster A could style pattern one first, whereas taster B will style pattern six first. This is to forestall palate fatigue from unfairly giving anybody pattern a bonus. Tasters are requested to fill out tasting sheets, rating the samples in accordance with varied standards. All knowledge is tabulated, and outcomes are calculated with no editorial enter to offer probably the most neutral illustration of precise outcomes attainable.
