064 / 75 · Pour, crunch and give
Cranberry–Rosemary Rooibos Cooler
1500 ml finished cooler; 6 portions of 250 ml · Active 35 min · Cook 15 min · Total 2 hr 45 min
Print recipe · PDFA short rosemary steep gives cranberry a resinous edge without leaving a woody sprig in the glass. Rooibos makes a rounded base, and maple softens the sharpness. The finished drink is measured and chilled at home, so the host only has to pour.
Add the rosemary late
The tea steeps for eight minutes, but rosemary only joins it for the last three. That gives control over the herb note without increasing the number of ingredients. All the leaves are removed before the juice is added.
Keep the bottle simple
The cooler does not depend on ice cubes or a garnish to reach its stated yield. Serve the chilled liquid as measured. Keep a small serving bottle on ice and leave the rest in the cooler instead of letting a large open pitcher warm on the table.
Ingredients
- 650 ml water for brewing
- 6 g loose food-grade rooibos tea
- 3 g fresh rosemary leaves, washed
- 750 ml pasteurized unsweetened cranberry juice
- 75 g pure maple syrup
- 30 ml lemon juice
- Up to 150 ml cold drinking water for the final 1500 ml volume
Set out
Kettle or saucepan, Heatproof 2 L jug and cover, Digital scales, Fine sieve, Shallow heatproof cooling container, Ice-water bath, Food thermometer, Sealed 1.5–2 L food bottle, Ice-packed cooler, Six 300 ml glasses
Allergens
No major US allergen identified in the base ingredients. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Bring 650 ml water to a boil and pour over the rooibos in the heatproof jug. Cover and steep 8 minutes. Add all the rosemary for only the final 3 minutes. Strain thoroughly and discard both tea and rosemary.
- Stir in all the maple syrup while the infusion is warm. Add cranberry juice and lemon juice. Measure and add only enough of the reserve cold water to bring the finished drink to 1500 ml.
- Transfer to the shallow heatproof container and stand it in an ice-water bath. Stir with a clean spoon for about 15 minutes, keeping bath water out of the drink. Refrigerate promptly for at least 2 hours until 40°F (4°C) or colder.
- Transfer all the cold cooler to a clean closed food bottle. Shake gently before pouring six 250 ml portions. Keep the bottle cold; no ice, fruit wedge or herb sprig is part of the finished recipe.
Bring it
Carry the closed cold bottle upright, with a clean pouring cap, and bring the six glasses if the host has not agreed to supply them. Put the bottle back under cold control between pours. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or colder in an ice-packed cooler and at the gathering. Count all time out of cold control during packing, transport and display together: no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
Finish at the gathering
Ready to pour. No host kettle, blender, ice in the drink or garnish preparation is required. A bowl of ice around the bottle is useful external cold holding, not part of the recipe yield.
Make it yours
Use the ruby cooler at a winter supper or an all-year housewarming. Its herb note works beside savory food, so the same six portions can be poured early in the gathering instead of presented as dessert.
Ingredient labels
Check packaged tea, juice and syrup for added ingredients or processing statements. No major allergen is intentionally added, but shared-equipment certification is not claimed.
A useful detail
Allow 10 minutes to measure, 15 to boil, steep and strain, 15 for the ice bath, 120 to chill and 5 to bottle:165 total. Frequent stirring and bottling are part of the 35 active minutes. If refrigeration takes longer than 2 hours to reach 40°F, the packing time extends.
Another way
- Use 750 ml pasteurized unsweetened red-grape juice in place of cranberry juice and reduce maple syrup to 40 g; measure the final drink to 1500 ml as before.
- Replace 3 g rosemary with 3 g washed fresh thyme leaves, still steeped only for the final 3 minutes.
Keep it well
Refrigerate in a clean closed bottle at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 2 days. Do not ferment, seal hot for pantry storage or assume cranberry acidity preserves the mixture. Shake before serving.