Woo Woo Cocktail
The Woo Woo is a bright, fruity vodka cocktail made with peach schnapps and cranberry juice. It is easy to shake, easy to sip, and ready in about 5 minutes.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 1 cocktail
- Difficulty
- Easy
Prep 5mCook 0mAmericanDrinks
The Woo Woo is a simple 1980s-style bar drink with three main ingredients: vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice. It tastes tart, sweet, and peachy, with a pretty pink-red color.
You can serve it straight up in a chilled cocktail glass or over ice in a rocks glass. A squeeze of lime is not always included, but it helps balance the sweetness and makes the drink taste fresher.
This is a shaken cocktail, which means the ingredients are mixed with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shaking chills the drink quickly and gives it a light, lively texture.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
6 items · 1 cocktail
- 1 1/2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 3 ounces cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
- Ice, for shaking
- Lime wedge or orange slice, for garnish, optional
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Chill the glass
Place a coupe, martini glass, or rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes while you gather the ingredients. A cold glass helps the cocktail stay crisp.
2. Fill the shaker
Add a generous handful of ice to a cocktail shaker. The ice should fill the shaker about halfway so the drink chills fast without becoming watery.
3. Add the spirits
Pour the vodka and peach schnapps over the ice. Measure carefully with a jigger or small measuring cup so the cocktail stays balanced.
4. Add the juices
Pour in the cranberry juice cocktail and fresh lime juice. The lime is optional in some versions, but it cuts the sweetness and brightens the cranberry flavor.
5. Shake until cold
Close the shaker tightly and shake for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the outside feels very cold. Shaking means moving the shaker firmly back and forth to chill and mix the drink.
6. Strain and serve
Strain the cocktail into the chilled glass. For a casual version, strain it into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
7. Garnish simply
Add a lime wedge or orange slice if you like. Serve right away, while the drink is cold and fresh.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: You can mix the vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and lime juice up to 8 hours ahead and chill it in the refrigerator. Shake each serving with ice just before serving.
- Storage: A mixed Woo Woo is best served right away. If you have extra, cover and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, then shake with fresh ice before drinking.
- Swap the juice: Cranberry juice cocktail gives the classic sweet-tart flavor. Unsweetened cranberry juice is much sharper, so use less or add a small splash of simple syrup if needed.
- Make it lighter: Use 2 ounces cranberry juice and top the strained drink with 1 to 2 ounces chilled club soda for a slightly less sweet, bubbly version.
- No shaker? Use a clean jar with a tight lid. Shake well, then strain through the lid or a small sieve.
- Batch for a small gathering: For 6 cocktails, combine 9 ounces vodka, 6 ounces peach schnapps, 18 ounces cranberry juice cocktail, and 3 ounces lime juice. Chill, then shake individual portions with ice.
Cook's note
Use cranberry juice cocktail, not 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, if you want the familiar Woo Woo flavor served in many bars. Fresh lime juice is a small addition, but it makes the drink taste cleaner and less candy-like.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
What does a Woo Woo taste like?
It tastes fruity, sweet, and tart. The peach schnapps gives it a clear peach flavor, while cranberry juice adds color and a sharp berry note.
Can I make a Woo Woo without lime juice?
Yes. The classic three-ingredient version uses vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice. Lime juice is added here to balance the sweetness, but you can leave it out.
Should a Woo Woo be served up or over ice?
Both are common. Serve it up in a chilled coupe or martini glass for a neater cocktail, or over fresh ice in a rocks glass for a more relaxed drink.
Can I use white cranberry juice?
Yes. White cranberry juice makes a paler, slightly softer-tasting Woo Woo. The flavor will still work well with vodka and peach schnapps.
How strong is a Woo Woo?
This recipe uses 1 1/2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce peach schnapps, so it is similar in strength to many mixed drinks. The juice makes it taste easygoing, so sip slowly.
05Per serving
Nutrition facts
Nutrition Facts
1 cocktail
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
- Total Fat0 g
- 0%
- Saturated Fat0 g
- 0%
- Cholesterol0 mg
- 0%
- Sodium2 mg
- 0%
- Total Carbohydrate18 g
- 7%
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- 0%
- Total Sugars16 g
- Protein0 g
- 0%
- Vitamin D0 mcg
- 0%
- Calcium4 mg
- 0%
- Iron0.1 mg
- 1%
- Potassium35 mg
- 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
05Keep cooking
You might also like
DrinksHurricane Cocktail
This New Orleans classic is bold, fruity, and rum-forward, with passion fruit, citrus, and grenadine balancing the drink’s strength. Serve it over plenty of ice in a hurricane glass, or use any tall glass you have.
DrinksClassic Champagne Cocktail
A classic Champagne cocktail is simple, elegant, and easy to build right in the glass. A sugar cube, bitters, and chilled sparkling wine make a festive drink with a bright lemon finish.
DrinksGrasshopper Cocktail
Cool, creamy, and minty, the Grasshopper is a classic after-dinner cocktail that tastes a little like melted mint-chip ice cream. It is easy to shake at home with equal parts crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream.
DrinksToffee Apple Sour Cocktail
This cozy apple sour shakes bourbon, cloudy apple cider, lemon, and toffee syrup into a bright cocktail with a soft, silky foam. It tastes like a fairground toffee apple, but the lemon keeps it fresh rather than sticky-s