Recipes · Health Shot
Cranberry Ginger Shot
Reader ratingsA tart, ruby-red shot of unsweetened cranberry and fresh ginger with just enough honey to take the edge off.
Cranberry has long been a North American folk remedy for urinary complaints.
Safety
- Cranberry does not treat an active urinary infection (a Cochrane review found no trials showing that). Burning, urgency, fever, back or side pain, or blood in your urine need a clinician promptly.
- Cranberry juice raised urinary oxalate and calcium-oxalate stone risk in a trial of 1 L a day. If you form calcium-oxalate kidney stones, ask your doctor before drinking cranberry shots regularly.
- If you take warfarin, check with your prescriber: cranberry raised INR in a small crossover study (though a recent review suggests moderate amounts are probably safe), and ginger can add to blood thinners too.
- Contains honey, so not for infants under 12 months. A shot is a small extra, not a substitute for a meal.
Why it’s good for you
Cranberries are rich in proanthocyanidins, the compounds studied for stopping bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall, and ginger’s warmth balances the tartness without refined sugar.
Evidence
Moderate evidence
Some human trials or consistent observational data; not yet settled.
A 2023 Cochrane review of 50 trials (8,857 people) found cranberry products reduced symptomatic urinary tract infections by about 30% overall, including in women with recurrent infections (about 26%) and in children, but showed little or no benefit in older adults in care homes or pregnant women. Individual juice trials disagree: a 24-week trial in 373 women found a cranberry beverage cut clinical infection episodes, while a trial in 319 college women found 8 oz of 27% cranberry juice twice a day did not prevent recurrence. A homemade 2 oz shot has no standardized level of the active compounds (proanthocyanidins), so it is not equivalent to the products tested.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the ginger and chop it into 1-inch pieces. Juicer: run it through the juicer. No juicer: blend it with 1/2 cup cold water for 60 seconds, then pour through a nut-milk bag or fine sieve and press the pulp hard.
- Stir the ginger juice, cranberry juice and honey together until the honey dissolves, then add cold water to make 12 oz (1 1/2 cups) — about 1/2 cup after juicing, just a splash after blending.
- Taste: it should be tart with a warm finish. Add honey a teaspoon at a time if you need more sweetness.
- Pour into a sealed glass bottle and shake. Serve cold, one 2 oz shot a day.
Tips
- Check the label for "100% cranberry juice" — "cranberry juice cocktail" is mostly sugar and water.
- Prefer fresh? Blend 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries with 3/4 cup water, strain, and use in place of the bottled juice. Expect it to be very tart, so add extra honey.
- Keeps 4 days in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge; shake first. Freeze in ice-cube trays for longer.
- Top a shot with sparkling water for a ruby spritzer.
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