Purple Haze Cocktail

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The purple haze is a fun and popular mixed drink. It's an easy one to mix up and there are many variations to try. Whether you're in the mood for a refreshing highball, a casual lowball, a fancy martini, or a quick shot, there's a purple haze for you.

Essentially, "purple haze" is a popular name for a variety of purple-colored mixed drinks. Typically, the recipes include vodka with a fruit liqueur and possibly a splash of soda. You can also find recipes that contain absinthe or sambuca and some that resembled a purple Long Island iced tea.

To narrow down your options, we'll stick with four common recipes. This beverage even comes with its own soundtrack, so queue up some Jimi Hendrix, and let's start mixing.

A Cranberry Purple Haze Recipe

There are not many purple-colored liqueurs in the bar so a little color chemistry is required to get the drink's signature color. In this recipe, we'll add a raspberry liqueur such as Chambord to cranberry juice to produce a deep purple. The drink is sometimes called the vampire.

It's one of the more pleasant purple haze recipes because it builds on the popular vodka-cranberry base that is the Cape Cod. The liqueur adds a sweetness that intensifies the drink's fruitiness. It's a simple addition that can break up a routine.

Some might find this a little too sweet, but you can instantly make it more refreshing by adding a splash of soda. Ginger ale is the perfect option, though almost any clear soda will do the trick.

Purple haze cocktail with blackberries and mint garnish

The Spruce Eats

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka

  • 1/2 ounce black raspberry liqueur

  • 2 ounces cranberry juice, or more to taste

  • Mint sprig, for garnish

  • Blackberries, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for purple haze drink gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Pour the vodka and black raspberry liqueur into a cocktail shaker with ice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice.

    Purple haze cocktail being poured through a strainer

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Top with cranberry juice.

    Purple haze cocktail topped with cranberry juice

    The Spruce Eats

  6. Garnish with a mint sprig and blackberries, if desired. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Variations

  • Lemonade Purple Haze: Pour 1 1/2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce Chambord into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with equal parts lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.
  • Purple Haze Martini: Shake 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce blue curaçao, and 1/2 ounce grenadine in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime twist.
  • Purple Haze Shooter #1: There are two popular purple haze shot recipes. One follows the vodka-Chambord-soda combination used in the lemonade recipe above. Simply mix equal parts of the three ingredients and fill a shot glass or two.
  • Purple Haze Shooter #2: This second purple haze shot is noticeably different. In this recipe, you will mix grape and peach schnapps with rum. The three ingredients mix up for a pretty tasty shooter. To make the shot, shake and strain 1 ounce grape schnapps (e.g., Grape Pucker) with 1/2 ounce each rum and peach schnapps into a chilled shot glass.

How Strong Are the Purple Haze Drinks?

The purple haze drinks vary greatly in style and the amount of alcohol they contain. If you're looking for a softer drink, the lemonade recipe is probably the way to go. The martini and shooter will be your strongest versions. Here's how they weigh in:

  • Lemonade Purple Haze: 15 percent ABV (30 proof)
  • Cranberry Purple Haze: 19 percent ABV (36 proof)
  • Purple Haze Shot: 23 percent ABV (46 proof)
  • Purple Haze Martini: 26 percent ABV (52 proof)
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
172 Calories
0g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 172
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 24mg 122%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 130mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)