From Thanksgiving through New Years, there is one universal aspect of holiday cheer that everyone can look forward to: the holiday cocktails. All the sparkly parties, glittery decorations and chilly weather just beg for something sweet and undoubtedly filled with calories to warm you from the inside out. So, whether you are the host for your Christmas shindigs or just a party hopper this holiday season, it’s imperative that you know how to utilize the Christmas bar cart properly. Here are 15 Christmas cocktails that will make you the official bartender this year. We’re going to cover all the classic flavors, from peppermint to eggnog to spicy cinnamon. Dust off your cocktail glasses and get your taste buds ready for some serious holiday cheer.
Pomegranate Margarita
Via: lemonblossoms.com
Thank goodness that pomegranates are in season during the winter months. They bring a little pucker to any holiday drink, as well as that gorgeous wine red shade that will match perfectly with the rest of your red and gold Christmas décor. This cocktail focuses on mixing tequila and pomegranate juice for flavors that are sweet, salty and everything in between. Just add a squirt of lime juice and some salt to finish it off. For those watching the waistline this season, you can almost call this cocktail “healthy,” due to the fruit juice content (so, no worries here!). Make sure you pull out your gold-flecked cocktail glasses for this one because they’ll look even more glittery with that gorgeous background. Also, we suggest freezing some pomegranate seeds into your ice cubes to keep things pretty and punchy as the cubes melt.
Peppermint Champagne Cocktail
Via: freutcake.com
Are you planning a Christmas girls night filled with wrapping, music and Christmas treats this December? You’ll definitely want to uncork the champagne bottle to make this fizzy peppermint dream. Literally, all you need are three ingredients for this cocktail. Simply pour together white crème de cocoa and champagne and serve with a candy cane garnish. They even instruct you on how to get that classy, crushed candy cane rim. Just imagine sitting around the table in your candlelit dining room with all your girlfriends (each wearing their cozy knit sweater) one snowy evening, wrapping gifts in fancy paper and drinking these impossibly feminine cocktails. Now that’s definitely a Christmas party we want to go to. In fact, that’s a Christmas party we’ll plan ourselves!
Cinnamon Rosemary Old-Fashioned
Via: saltedplains.com
Some people manage to stay cool and classy, even at Christmas. Instead of freaking out over a peppermint cocktail dunked in glitter, they’re probably asking for something basic. That’s when you whip out this recipe. Old-fashioned drinks have been on the bar menu basically forever, so just about everyone knows how to make one. Whip up your cinnamon rosemary simple syrup beforehand, so when you have those cool and classy people over for your holiday party, you can hand them this drink that is cool and classic like them (but with a very subtle holiday twist). They’ll thank you as much as their classiness allows and then go home and try to recreate it themselves (because cool and classy people only freak out behind closed doors).
Eggnog Cocktail
Via: theadventuresofbobandshan.com
In case you grew up drinking eggnog straight out of the carton like us, the classic holiday eggnog concoctions are supposed to have a little alcoholic kick to them. This cocktail is the real deal when it comes to eggnog, so we hope you have your nutmeg handy. With some bourbon, milk, winter syrup, eggs and spices, you can create a frothy winter cocktail that that everyone will trade their sugarplum dreams for. Even grandma will ask for seconds! Fair warning, eggnog-making is basically an art, so you probably want to try this out before the night of the party. We don’t want to end up with a failed attempt like in While You Were Sleeping.
Holiday Fruit Punch
Via: sweetphi.com
There are two absolutely beautiful things about this holiday punch. The first is that those sugared cranberries are just gorgeous as garnish for this golden liquid. The second is that this recipe is actually non-alcoholic! That’s right—for those who are hosting families with kids and underage teens this holiday season, this mixture of 7UP and fruit juice will be a big hit for everybody. For the grownups’ enjoyment, keep some vodka or champagne on the side, so they can give their punch a little extra punch if they choose. You might even find this recipe delicious enough to make for an all-adult Christmas soirée. And please, don’t forget to add the sugared cranberries. Pomegranate seeds or not, those cranberries really do help make this drink a smashing success. Those kids at your party will feel so grown up when their glass looks exactly like dad’s drink.
Christmas Coffee Cocktail
Via: eclecticeveryday.com
Usually at Christmas parties, you have a difficult decision come up after you’ve finished the delicious Christmas dinner. Do you have another cocktail or a coffee? You know that after you have one, you won’t want the other, so which do you choose? Sometimes, it comes down to the company. Mother-in-laws might require more Christmas cheer. Kids probably require a cup (or two) of peppermint creamer-filled coffee. Now, no matter who’s at your party, you can have both at the same time! With espresso and flavored liqueur, your cup can give you the best mix of energetic relaxation ever. You’ll feel high on a Christmas miracle when you get to the bottom of your cup. We guarantee there will be no whipped cream left either.
Bourbon and Honey Ginger Pear Cocktail
Via: bourbonandhoney.com
Here’s a cocktail that promises to warm you up, no matter what holiday it is! With flavors of sweet honey, mild pear, tart ginger and warm bourbon, you’ll want to mix up this drink every day of the week. Make your ginger pear syrup to keep on hand so whenever it’s snowy outside and you have nowhere else to go, you can put on your coziest socks and watch the flakes fall with a chic cocktail in hand. You will also impress every single guest that comes to your home this holiday season when you hand them a glass of this tasteful, yet mild, drink. We promise that you’ll have to hand out recipe cards with the ginger pear syrup recipe to everyone, so don’t make it a trade secret.
Butterscotch Martini
Via: livinglocurto.com
How do you feel about serving liquid gold at your Christmas party? We hope you aren’t skeptical but if you are, you won’t be after you make this martini. Four simple ingredients and you’ll have a unique cocktail that will have everyone asking for seconds and thirds. All you need is vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, cream soda and Sprite. Grab your cocktail shaker and just shake and pour, baby! You’ll find yourself hoping that your guests will drink conservatively so you can satisfy your own butterscotch craving once everyone goes home. In fact, you might even invest in a Christmas cocktail shaker, sporting a tree or a reindeer or an ugly sweater pattern, just so you have all the goods to make this drink a new Christmas Eve tradition.
Cherry Red Wine Spritzer
Via: runningtothekitchen.com
Brunch during the holiday season is the best brunch of the year. Suddenly, there are no reservations about the cinnamon crumble coffee cake and delicately iced cranberry scones. While we’re throwing carbs around, you’ll want to serve a cocktail that at least seems light and fresh. This one is it. With a little cherry juice, red wine and seltzer, it will make the perfect pair for any Christmas quiche or tart you could possibly bake. Even your dear old grandmother won’t object to a glass of this simple Christmas goodness. Why is it that filling a cup with ice just makes the cocktail seem lighter and healthier? It’s a good strategy, especially for Christmas. No one has to know exactly how many calories they’re drinking, right? We won’t tell if you won’t.
Jack Frost Cocktail
Via: homemadehooplah.com
Yes, it’s a blue cocktail. If you decorate your home in silver and frosty white for Christmas, you’ll want to serve up these delicious drinks that will match your decor. You’ll wow your guests with the blue hue, while becoming the talk of Instagram for the month. That’s a win-win for you. There are several ingredients involved for this wintery drink, but it will be worth it just for your guests’ faces when you bring them out on a tray. Just think of them as the piña colada of winter and suddenly they won’t seem so hard. They also make a great option for using up the shredded coconut that you bought to use for snow on your gingerbread house. Here’s your Hostess Of The Month Award.
Cranberry Ginger Bourbon Fizz
Via: cakenknife.com
It’s kind of interesting how so many flavors seem to change so much for the holidays. It’s like all the cooks make a pact to turn up the food a notch. Everything just gets so intense! An herb-filled dish becomes even more savory and salty, a sweet dessert is covered in melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and there’s shrimp cocktail on every holiday buffet table. So, why not do the same for your Christmas drinks? This particular recipe uses the tart flavors of cranberry and ginger, combines them together in a fit of bourbon and simple syrup, and presents you with a concoction that will make your taste buds a bit trippy. Maybe that’s why they call it a Fizz… This cocktail will definitely be a nice break between all your rich appetizers and chocolate-covered sweets.
Peppermint Martini
Via: smirnoff.com
While it’s a shame to admit, not everyone’s Christmas is as jolly and filled with cheer as we would like. You still have to deal with the daily commute, daily traffic and daily work load. Then there’s still the house, the pets and the laundry to think about. And add to those the invitations to holiday parties and the present-buying stress and the “Why are you still single?” from all your loving (yet annoying) family members. Some days, even during Christmastime, you need something a little stronger than spiked eggnog. That’s where this peppermint martini comes in. It’s basically peppermint vodka and Irish cream liqueur mixed together (exactly what you want to be drinking while you watch a sappy holiday Hallmark movie after a hard December day).
Pineapple Holiday Mocktail
Via: slapdashmom.com
Can we just ask, why are people afraid of pineapple? Maybe it’s because our great grandparents went through a “pineapple on everything” phase. Or maybe it’s because pineapple is a taste that doesn’t compliment many things. But, we think it’s mainly because many people have never learned to even cut one. Here’s a holiday punch that will change all of that. Mix together triple sec, grenadine, lime sparkling soda and pineapple juice and you’ll have a grownup-looking mocktail that the whole family can enjoy. It’s the perfect safe option to serve at a holiday party with your nieces and nephews. Also, feel free to keep a little vodka on the side for those adults who were looking forward to a bit of a kick. It’s simple, it’s fruity and it will look great in that punch bowl you got from your great aunt three Christmases ago.
Chocolate Hazelnut White Russian
Via: twinspiration.com
Public service announcement: you can use Nutella in this cocktail. Seriously! You’ll also be excited to know that the flavor comes from coffee creamer, so not only will you get wonderfully sweet cocktails on Friday night, you’ll get wonderfully sweet coffee on Saturday morning. Go ahead and stock up on International Delight because this recipe will be on rotation. Decorate the rims of your cocktail glasses in Nutella and sugar first. Then, mix your vodka and Irish crème liqueur together and pour over ice. Lastly, add the sugar cookie creamer and chocolate hazelnut creamer and you’ll find that you don’t need any other Christmas presents this year. Bonus points if you serve these cocktails with the mini sugar cookies, like the recipe suggests. They’ll make a great addition to your coffee, too!
Spiced Cranberry Sangria
Via: jessiskitchen.com
Maybe you’re looking at all these holiday cocktails and you’re still thinking that you’d prefer a good glass of wine to any peppermint concoction. Have we got the cocktail for you! This recipe revolves around a bottle of red wine. You add a little spiced pear liqueur, a little orange juice and a little cranberry juice to the pitcher with your wine. Then, add your fruit and let it marinate in the fridge for a day. You’ll come out with a cocktail that will satisfy your wine tendencies while keeping your cocktail-preferring guests happy, too! And for those who opt for something with fizz, let them add some sparkling water to give their taste buds that desired pop. It’s the multipurpose, people-pleaser holiday cocktail.
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