Starting with Thanksgiving, cranberries claim their place of honor straight through the holiday season – and rightfully so. The cranberry is one of three fruits – along with the blueberry and the Concord grape – native to North American soil that are grown commercially, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’Association.

Today, cranberries are grown in northern U.S. states with Wisconsin producing the most – almost 57 percent – followed by Massachusetts at 28 percent. Those stats come from The Cranberry Marketing Committee, which has information on bogs and marshes, harvests, recipes and all things cranberry.

While cranberries get centerpiece treatment on holiday tables, cranberry dishes and juices also are enjoyed year round. And just as Native Americans and Pilgrims, early day whalers and mariners recognized their healthful attributes, so do today’s Americans as noted in an NPR report, “Bow Down to the Medicinal Power of Cranberries.”

As you plan your turkey dinner and bring out the family recipes for cranberry relishes, sauces and muffins, don’t forget the colorful beverages cranberry juices, drinks and cocktails make.

Martha Stewart suggests Cranberry, Tangerine Pomegranate Punch that can be made with or without champagne. And she offers the tip that alternating red and white cranberry juices and drinks makes for a particularly festive holiday tray.

We at Sip & Savor hope you’ll enjoy some of the cranberry beverages our American member companies produce and, as you do, reflect on the unique role cranberries play in our heritage.