Christmas is just around the corner and, for weeks, we’ll be sharing our favorite holiday main courses, the best gifts to give to the person who insists they have everything, and how to DIY festive decorations for your home. But today, we’re sharing our go-to Christmas co*cktail recipes for office parties and family gatherings.
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Our 31 Best Christmasco*cktails
1. Simple Holiday Mulled Wine
The ultimate holiday party drink is a big batch of mulled wine. This one uses a never-fail combination of apple cider and red wine for the base, then whole spices like cinnamon sticks and star anise, honey, and the zest and juice of an orange are added to the mix. Let it simmer in a big pot on the stove (or in a slow cooker!) throughout the party until there isn't a single drop left.
2. Pom Fizz
A glass of champagne always feels on-brand during the holiday season, but give it a winter spin with pomegranate syrup, aka Pomegranate molasses (boiled down pomegranate juice), and a few fresh arils for garnish.
3. co*ckney Champagne co*cktail
Think of this as our take on a French75 co*cktail. This recipe, which calls for gin, champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup, serves one but you can easily scale it up for a crowd.
4. "Spirits" of the Holidays Eggnog
We didn’t think eggnog could get boozier or more delicious, but leave it to recipe developer Chef Lisa to come up with the best-ever eggnog recipe. Eggs, heavy cream, and half-and-half are dressed up with the warmth of apple brandy, light rum, and freshly grated nutmeg.
5. Champagne co*cktail
Accessorize a glass of champagne with a dash of bitters, a sugar cube, and a lemon twist for garnish. It’s not a lot of work, but the impact is big.
6. Red Wine Sangria
Life is what you make it, and so is sangria. Our go-to recipe calls for a combination of red wine, Cognac, Grand Marnier, sparkling water, and an assortment of fruit, but we encourage you to use whatever’s in season. Instead of sparkling water, add some cava! Instead of Cognac, use brandy or skip it altogether! The world is your oyster.
7. Spiced Pear Bourbon Collins
Sure, you have to acquire St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur for this holiday co*cktail. But for one, it’s well worth it and two, it’s actually admittedly quite easy to find. The floral aroma and sweet flavor are a match made in co*cktail heaven for the other ingredients: bourbon, honey syrup, lemon juice, and rosemary.
8. Negroni Sbagliato Punch
Come for the beautiful ice ring studded with whole spices and pomegranate arils and stay for the festive fruit flavor in every sip of this bubbly beverage.
9. Spiced Bourbon co*cktail With Pomegranate Syrup
A season-ready sipper starring bourbon and a few classic cold-weather favorites, like cinnamon, pomegranate, and fresh rosemary.
10. Vegan Eggnog
Vegan eggnog may seem like an oxymoron, but all it takes is soaked cashews, Medjool dates, and coconut milk to fill the void of a dozen eggs and cream. The usual assortment of warm spices, a little bit of maple syrup, and brandy or rum (if you’re feeling up for it!) makes this dairy-free drink dazzle.
11. Pear Vodka Martini
This holiday drink is the closest we’ll get to having a partridge in a pear tree at the Christmas party, but it’s a delicious second place. A duo of pear vodka and pear nectar team up to make a co*cktail that even martini skeptics will love.
12. Mulled Wine Sparkler
“Instead of simply infusing wine with traditional mulling spices, I like to make this bubbly twist: First, boil a thick co*cktail syrup using mulling spices, sugar, and red wine. After that, all you have to do is add it to a glass with Prosecco, plus a strip of lemon peel, and you've got yourself a refreshingly festive drink,” writes Posie (Harwood) Brian, the brains behind this Christmas party drink.
13. Italian Sparkler: A Gin Amaro co*cktail
There’s something about bitter amaro and crisp, grassy gin that work in tandem together, like the fall of snow followed by peace on earth (or more likely, the sound of screeching tires and crackling branches).
14. Maple-Cardamom Old Fashioned Bitters
Bourbon has a reputation for being the spirit you sip as the leaves change in the bitter cold. And while it has so much potential beyond just that vibe, today we’re celebrating it in all its warm, spiced, sweet glory.
15. Sparkling Cranberry Gin Punch
This Christmas punch brings together good-quality gin, iced tea, port wine, cranberry syrup, and sparkling wine for a merriment of festive flavors.
16. Holiday Milk Punch
Although “punch” may imply that this is a big batch co*cktail, the recipe only makes one rum and brandy co*cktail. That being said, you may as well double or triple the recipe, because your party guests will be requesting this signature co*cktail all night long.
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17. Bourbon Cocoa Cider
When you want to be the hostess with the most-ess, introduce this co*cktail at a holiday party. Start by making homemade apple cider (we’ll walk you through the process) and then add good-quality bourbon, creme de cacao, and a few dashes of aromatic bitters.
18. Holiday Whisky Sour
For the perfect holiday co*cktail recipe, team up a good-aged whiskey with Drambuie —a liqueur made from aged Scotch whisky, rare Scottish heather honey, and aromatic herbs and spices.
19. Winter Spritz
Equal parts Campari, blood orange juice, and hard apple cider take a twirl together for the perfect Christmas co*cktail.
20. Black Russian
“That enticing combination of vodka and coffee flavor is how the quintessential, classic Black Russian was born. And it couldn’t be simpler to make, with just two parts vodka, one part coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlúa, and a maraschino cherry on top makes it look oh-so-pretty (but if you don’t have any cherries, that’s all good too),” writes Food52’s recipe editor Jill Baughman.
21. Irish Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate spiked with stout beer, whiskey, and Irish cream liqueur is a Christmas drink that no one will turn down (especially Santa Claus). Take it a step further by adding a miniature candy cane to each mug for a merry garnish.
22. Holiday Sparkler
Think of this co*cktail as a more festive version of a mimosa: Instead of OJ, combine equal parts triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice with Prosecco for a holiday punch that will get any party started (and keep it going).
23. Sparkling Scotch Highball
Any good-quality single malt whiskey is the starpower behind this bubbly brandy and cider co*cktail for Christmas.
24. Plum Wine Spritzer
A good co*cktail doesn’t always need half a dozen hard-to-find ingredients to wow. This one only calls for two ingredients total (plum wine and sparkling seltzer) but the bubbly concoction is still magical.
25. White Russian
This classic, creamy co*cktail only calls for three ingredients—vodka, plus equal parts Kahlúa and heavy cream. It looks like a glass of freshly fallen snow and will warm you from the inside out.
26. Sesame Boulevardier
John deBary infuses sesame into Averna Amaro before combining it with pineapple liqueur, sweet vermouth, and Tennessee whiskey, giving the classic boulevardier a bright and warming remix.
27. Dirty Chai Toddy
Perfect for your post-dinner hang or an early morning treat, we love this hot, bold, spice-forward beverage. The best part? This recipe will teach you how to make Chai from scratch.
28. Gin Martini
The perfect companion for shrimp co*cktail, oysters, and clams, if you’re making a seafood-heavy Christmas feast, a classic martini belongs at your table.
29. Cold Brew Negroni
A batchable co*cktail you can wake up to on Christmas morning. Of course, there’s no reason a Cold Brew Negroni can’t also be your nightcap on Christmas Eve.
30. Mid-Winter Margarita
We believe that margaritas make everything better—and this grapefruit-forward winter version is the perfect way to bring a familiar favorite into the holiday fold. If you’re having guests over, we recommend batching this one—it’s a crowd pleaser.
31. Crimson Bulleit Punch
Recipe developer Oui, Chef puts it best, “This elixir has everything I look for in a holiday punch, a delicious ruby red color, the effervescence of champagne, a hint of ginger spice, and enough sweetness (but not too much) to coax this rather potent punch down with ease.”
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