Bars & Breweries, Holidays, Recipes

The 12 Drinks of Christmas

Last updated on Nov 1, 2022
Michale LeRoy

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to spread some cheer than with festive cocktails? As a restaurant or bar owner, offering a special Christmas cocktail menu can attract customers and add a touch of holiday spirit to your establishment. From classic favorites like eggnog and mulled wine to creative concoctions like spiked hot cocoa and horchata, there are endless possibilities. Get inspired to update your seasonal menu with this list of holiday cocktails.

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Christmas Cocktails

Our Christmas alcoholic drinks are delicious any time of year, but they'll add some festive flair to your drink menu during the cold winter months. This list of holiday cocktail recipes has something for everyone, from chocolate lovers to eggnog fans. Find your new favorite winter cocktail below!

Click below to see our Christmas cocktail recipes:

1. Blue Christmas Cocktail Recipe

If you're looking for a unique holiday drink with a stunning presentation, try our Blue Christmas cocktail. You'll be anything but blue after one sip of this brightly colored drink.

blue colored cocktail with gold sugar rim

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Rim two rocks glasses using lemon wedge and dip into gold sanding sugar.
  2. In shaker filled with ice, combine raspberry syrup, Curacao, vodka, and rum. Shake to chill.
  3. Place one large ice cube in each glass.
  4. Strain drink into both glasses and top with lemon seltzer.
  5. Garnish drinks with lemon curls or wedges and serve.

2. Ano Nuevo Horchata Recipe

Try this sophisticated twist on a Dalgona coffee recipe! You may have seen whipped coffee on social media, but our non-dairy version is spiked with tequila and has the festive flavor of a classic horchata drink.

layered dalgona coffee cocktail

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons coarse sanding sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 ounces Kahlua
  • 4 ounces tequila
  • 3 ounces dark agave syrup
  • 4 Tablespoons hot water
  • 4 Tablespoons espresso powder
  • 4 ounces almond milk, ice cold

Directions

  1. Combine sugar and cinnamon on plate or glass rimmer.
  2. Wet rims of two highball glasses and dip into sanding sugar mixture.
  3. In shaker filled with ice, combine nutmeg, Kalua, tequila, and dark agave. Shake to chill.
  4. In large glass, combine hot water and espresso powder. Using milk frother, whip coffee to form stiff peaks.
  5. Fill glasses with ice. Strain equal amounts of tequila mixture into each glass.
  6. Pour 2 ounces of almond milk into each glass.
  7. Top almond milk with whipped Dalgona coffee mixture and serve immediately.

3. Winter Sea Breeze Recipe

The winter sea breeze is a bubbly, refreshing cocktail with grapefruit juice and a hint of mint. Try offering this festive drink instead of mimosas at your holiday brunch.

Christmas cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounces grapefruit juice
  • 2 ounces tonic water
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Cranberries
  • Mint leaves

Directions

  1. Mix vodka, grapefruit juice, and tonic water in a cocktail shaker.
  2. Fill a glass with ice and pour in drink mixture.
  3. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and mint, then serve.

4. Red Stag Dirty Shirley Recipe

Red Stag bourbon meets cherry syrup and a bubbly splash of lemon-lime soda in this holiday cocktail. It's the grown-up version of the Shirley Temple!

Christmas cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ounces grenadine
  • 1 1/2 ounces Red Stag black cherry bourbon
  • 5 ounces lemon-lime soda
  • Splash of maraschino cherry syrup
  • Maraschino cherries

Directions

  1. Pour grenadine, cherry bourbon, soda, and maraschino cherry syrup into glass filled with ice and stir.
  2. Garnish with maraschino cherry and serve.

5. Peppermint Hot Cocoa Recipe

This rich beverage has the ideal ratio of chocolate to peppermint, making it the perfect drink to enjoy after dinner or on a cool night while relaxing by the fireplace.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces prepared hot cocoa
  • 1 ounces peppermint schnapps
  • Marshmallows

Directions

  1. Prepare hot chocolate per mix directions.
  2. Pour hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps into glass or mug and stir.
  3. Toast marshmallows over range or with a butane torch.
  4. Garnish with torched marshmallows and serve.

6. Winter Sangria Recipe

This holiday sangria is full of apples, cranberries, and raspberries. Our recipe yields 1 pitcher of sangria that you can chill overnight and serve the next day at your catered brunch or holiday party.

Christmas cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup triple sec
  • 1 bottle dry white wine
  • 2 apples, cubed
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 pint red raspberries
  • Simple syrup to taste
  • 12 ounces Sprite
  • Rosemary sprigs

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients except Sprite and rosemary sprigs in pitcher.
  2. Refrigerate mixture until it’s chilled and you’re ready to serve it.
  3. Add Sprite to pitcher just before serving.
  4. Garnish each glass with rosemary sprig and serve.

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7. Cinnamon Candy Apple Recipe

Red and green are layered into a festive shot that looks as good as it tastes! Start the fun early and warm up your guests by serving this sweet and spicy shot.

Cinnamon Candy Apple

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounces sour apple schnapps
  • 3/4 ounces cinnamon whiskey or tequila
  • Red food coloring

Directions

  1. Pour sour apple schnapps into shot glass.
  2. Color cinnamon liquor with red food coloring.
  3. Layer cinnamon liquor over schnapps by pouring it slowly over back of a spoon. Serve immediately.

8. Mulled Wine Sangria Recipe

We combined the fruity flavor of a classic sangria with the fragrant spices of mulled wine. Warm up your holiday guests with this mulled wine sangria recipe.

Mulled Wine Sangria

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1/4 cup triple sec
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1 pear, sliced
  • 3 mandarin orange slices
  • Handful of cranberries
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • Sugar to taste
  • Lemon-lime soda or club soda (optional, for sparkle)

Directions

  1. Pour brandy, triple sec, fruit, and all but 1 cup of red wine into pitcher and stir, then set aside.
  2. In saucepan, combine orange juice, spices, and remaining red wine. Bring mixture to simmer.
  3. Add granulated sugar to simmering mixture if you desire a sweeter beverage.
  4. Simmer mixture for 10-15 minutes, then strain liquid through a cheesecloth and strainer to remove whole spices.
  5. Add this mixture to pitcher and refrigerate it overnight.
  6. Pour sangria into individual wine glasses and serve.
  7. If you want to add sparkle and sweetness, top mixture off with splash of 7 Up or Sprite. Or use club soda to add sparkle without any extra sweetness.

9. Whipped Caramel Hot Cocoa Recipe

Topped with a dollop of whipped cream, this hot and steamy drink is perfect for cuddling up after a long day in the bitter cold!

Whipped Caramel Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces prepared hot cocoa
  • 3/4 ounce whipped cream-flavored vodka
  • 3/4 ounce caramel vodka
  • Whipped cream
  • 1 ounce dark chocolate, for garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare hot cocoa and pour it into glass mug.
  2. Stir whipped cream vodka and caramel vodka into hot cocoa.
  3. Prepare dark chocolate shavings by using a chocolate shaver or vegetable peeler.
  4. Top mixture with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings and serve.

10. Salted Caramel Martini Recipe

Nothing beats the flavor combination of sweet and salty, all wrapped up in a beautifully decorated holiday martini!

salted caramel martini

Ingredients

  • Chocolate syrup
  • Caramel syrup
  • 2 ounces Bailey's caramel liqueur, plus extra for garnishing
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 ounces salted caramel vodka
  • 1 ounce chocolate vodka
  • 1 ounce dark creme de cocoa
  • 1/2 ounce half and half
  • 1 ounces salted caramel syrup

Directions

  1. Line interior of martini glass with chocolate and caramel syrups, and place it in freezer until syrups harden.
  2. Rim glass with extra Bailey's caramel liqueur and kosher salt.
  3. Shake salted caramel vodka, chocolate vodka, dark creme de cocoa, half and half, salted caramel syrup, and 2 ounces of Bailey's caramel liquor in cocktail shaker and pour into garnished martini glass.

11. Chambord Kir Royale Recipe

Ring in the New Year the right way with our Chambord Kir Royal cocktail recipe! Make a special toast this season with the refreshing taste of raspberry and a spritz of your favorite champagne.

Chambord Kiss Royale

Ingredients

  • 1/4 ounce Chambord
  • Champagne
  • Lemon twist

Directions

  1. Pour Chambord into flute glass.
  2. Top Chambord with champagne.
  3. Garnish with lemon twist and serve.

12. Eggnog Cocktail Recipe

One of the most traditional holiday beverages is now featured as an elegant eggnog cocktail. Rimmed with classic spiced cookies, this dessert beverage makes the perfect finish to your holiday dinner.

Eggnog Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces full-fat eggnog, plus extra for garnishing
  • Spiced cookies, crushed
  • 2 ounces spiced rum
  • 1 ounce vanilla vodka
  • 1 ounce dark rum
  • 1/2 ounce eggnog syrup
  • Cinnamon sugar
  • Freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

  1. Wet rim of glass with extra eggnog and dip into crushed spiced cookies.
  2. Mix spiced rum, vanilla vodka, dark rum, eggnog syrup, and 4 ounces of eggnog in cocktail shaker.
  3. Pour mixture into rimmed glass.
  4. Garnish with cinnamon sugar and nutmeg and serve.
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Count down the 12 days of Christmas with these classic holiday drinks and put your patrons in the holiday spirit. Get ready for the holiday season and update your beverage menu with any of our festive drinks and cocktails topped with eye-catching garnishes.

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