Spread Holiday Cheer with These Festive co*cktails (2024)

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is...a delicious co*cktail! Scroll through this list for timeless holiday classics like Eggnog and Hot Buttered Rum; boozy versions of hot chocolate; and new riffs on classics like our Cranberry Ginger Mimosa and a Negroni that tastes like a Christmas tree. We’ve also included decadent after-dinner drinks and punches for a crowd.

Looking for non-alcoholic co*cktails? We’ve got those! And if you want to focus on evergreen classics like the Martini and Manhattan, take a look at the two dozen classic co*cktails every home bartender should know how to make.

Here are 30 festive co*cktails that are sure to be a hit at your next holiday party.

Eggnog
You won’t go back to store-bought after trying this delicious recipe with your choice of rum, bourbon, or brandy. Beating the egg yolks and whites separately before recombining them makes for an extra-luscious texture.
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Boozy Hot Chocolate
When hot chocolate cravings strike, skip the powdered stuff and make this recipe with high-quality semisweet chocolate and milk. Spike with your spirit of choice (we recommend aged spirits like a dark rum or añejo tequila).
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Cranberry-Ginger Mimosa
This simple recipe might become your go-to drink for Christmas brunch. Just top cranberry juice and ginger beer with Champagne, then garnish with sugared cranberries.
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Brandy Alexander
This decadent classic combines cognac, dark creme de cacao, and cream. Serve with—or in lieu of—dessert.
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Continue to 5 of 30 below.
Coquito
Similar to Eggnog, rum-based Coquito calls for cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. It’s often made for sharing, and this version of the classic Puerto Rican recipe, from bartender Giuseppe González, serves at least 16.
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Hot Buttered Rum
Our recipe for this winter classic has an unexpected ingredient: softened vanilla ice cream. Combined with butter, sugar, and spices, the ice cream creates a smooth batter that won’t become lumpy when you blend it with rum and boiling water.
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Irish Coffee
The ultimate after-dinner drink might also be the simplest. Top Irish whiskey and two teaspoons of brown sugar with freshly brewed coffee, then garnish with freshly whipped cream.
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Apple Cranberry Moscow Mule
If you already have Moscow Mule supplies on hand, you don’t need much for this seasonal upgrade. Just add cran-apple juice to the classic combination of vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer, then garnish with fresh cranberries and an apple slice.
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See Also
Cranberry Gin Tonic • Green Evi Gin: Are There Health Benefits?Christmas Gin Top 7 Best Gin Mixers for a Flavorful Twist: Best Mixers to Pair with Gin
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Glögg
Try Scandinavia’s answer to mulled wine with this warming big-batch drink. Dried figs and raisins add nutty complexity to a mix of red wine, port, vodka, light brown sugar, oranges, and holiday spices.
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Hot Toddy
A Hot Toddy is traditionally made with whiskey, but any brown spirit can work, including añejo tequila and dark rum. The simple and warming classic also includes hot water, lemon juice, sugar, and spices.
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Espresso Martini
Make this eternal crowd-pleaser for your holiday parties or gatherings with vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and simple syrup. Cold brew concentrate is a good substitute if you don’t have an espresso machine.
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Naughty or Nice
Let your guests decide. This inventive punch from Seattle bar pro Jamie Boudreau serves two. The combination of London dry gin, maraschino liqueur, chardonnay, pinot noir, and ginger ale can also be scaled up or down in volume as you please.
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Continue to 13 of 30 below.
Pear Tree Martini
This refreshing drink includes spiced pear vodka, St-Germain liqueur, lime juice, and Angostura bitters. Christmas carols optional.
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Wassail
This rich and nutty take on the Christmas classic from bartender Chantal Tseng calls for a base of brown ale and oloroso sherry. The big-batch drink for a crowd of 10–12 also includes apples, lemon zest, brown sugar, and plenty of warming holiday spices.
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This classic recipe dates to 1820s England, but its cozy appeal has lasted well into the 21st century. The irresistible drink combines a rich batter made from eggs, dark rum, and vanilla extract with boiling water, dark rum, cognac, and whole milk.
See Also
A Drink Comparison: Vodka Vs Gin — American Liquor Company Vodka
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Christmas Punch
This fruit-forward and spicy drink combines light rum, cranberry and tart cherry juices, ginger ale, rich simple syrup, fresh ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Make a batch for the kid’s table: It’s equally flavorful without the booze.
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Continue to 17 of 30 below.
Golden Cadillac
Cap off a special meal with this retro drink. Equal parts anise-flavored Galliano liqueur, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream create a rich, herbaceous, and timeless co*cktail.
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Chocolate Martini
Shake together vodka, chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, and heavy cream and you have a drinkable dessert. Looking for a more festive drink? Rim the glass with chocolate syrup and crushed-up candy canes.
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Stranger in the Alps
Consider this drink a Christmas tree Negroni. A juniper-forward gin and an alpine amaro add piney and herbaceous notes to the classic mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. For added depth, the glass is rinsed with a special fir brandy.
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Pink Squirrel
Fans of the Brandy Alexander or Grasshopper might find a new favorite in the Pink Squirrel, which combines almond-flavored creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream. In a pinch you can substitute amaretto for the creme de noyaux, though you won’t get the signature pink hue.
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Continue to 21 of 30 below.
Rosemary-Pomegranate Soda
This drink is spirit-free, but it will bring plenty of holiday spirit, thanks to an herbaceous rosemary simple syrup, pomegranate juice, and soda water. If you also want to serve a traditional co*cktail, you can use the homemade syrup for a Rosemary Paloma.
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The Nice List
Making one of these may be the easiest way to gain a spot on the nice list. A spiced cranberry syrup adds festive notes to this Cosmopolitan-esque mixture of vodka, peach mead, and Cointreau.
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Bring Me Back Something French
Add an ounce of absinthe to homemade hot chocolate for a grown-up twist on the classic. Vanilla whipped cream, sprinkles, and Pocky garnish keep things playful.
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Spiced Eggnog
Bar pro Jeffrey Morgenthaler of our 2023 Best New Bar Pacific Standard loves all Eggnog, “even the crappy stuff from the grocery store,” he says. There’s nothing crappy about his upgraded version, which he makes in a blender with eggs, brandy, spiced rum, whole milk, heavy cream, and superfine sugar.
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Continue to 25 of 30 below.
Porto Flip
Port is often consumed as an after-dinner drink, but this festive flip co*cktail from bar pro Allen Katz is an even more special option. He combines ruby port, cognac, heavy cream, and a whole egg, then tops the drink with a barspoon of Yellow Chartreuse for herbaceous notes.
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Under the Mistletoe
Gin drinkers will embrace this co*cktail, which also includes muddled cranberries and oranges, cranberry juice, and soda water. It makes a festive alternative to typical cranberry-juice drinks like the Cape Codder.
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Make this holiday-themed co*cktail for tropical-drink fans. The recipe from Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco includes two rums, blackberry liqueur, allspice dram, lime and pineapple juices, vanilla syrup, and Angostura bitters.
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For a loose take on a red-and-green co*cktail, mix up this herbaceous combination of Campari, Green Chartreuse (or one of our favorite substitutes), fresh lime juice, and simple syrup from Porchlight bar director Nick Bennett. The secret ingredient: a touch of salt.
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Continue to 29 of 30 below.
Bourbon Milk Punch
Craving the richness of Eggnog but short on time? You can make this New Orleans classic right in the shaker with bourbon, whole milk, simple syrup, and vanilla extract.
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Ponche Navideño
This fragrant and warming punch is a Christmas staple in Mexico. Wherever you are in the world, bring its flavors home with a list of ingredients that includes light rum, apples, pears, tamarind paste, piloncillo, spices, raisins, and dried hibiscus flowers.
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