Kick your Christmas season up a notch with one (or a few) of our favorite, easy to make Christmas cocktails!
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1. Cranberry Fizz
- 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- The juice of 1 orange
- 6 ounces of vodka
- 24 ounces sparkling water
Combine cranberry juice, sugar, and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced by half while swirling occasionally, about 15 minutes. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the cocktail, combine sweetened cranberry syrup with vodka and mix. Divide into ice filled glasses and top with sparkling water. Serves 4.
2. Hot Toddy
- 8 ounces boiling water
- 1 bag black tea
- 2 ounces blended whiskey
- ¼ ounce lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 lemon wedge for garnish
Add your honey first to the hot water and stir until combined. Put the tea bag into a mug and pour over the boiled water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add whiskey and juice. Serves 1.
3. Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail
- 6 oz chilled cranberry juice
- 1 ounce orange liqueur
- 8 ounces chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
- 4 fresh cranberries and 2 sprigs of rosemary for garnish
Add cranberry juice to your champagne flutes, next the orange liqueur, and top with Champagne. Garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary or as desired.
4. Holiday Pear Sangria
- 1 (750 ml) bottle dry white wine
- 1/2 cup pear or apple brandy
- 1/3 cup cranberry or pomegranate juice
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 sliced Royal Riviera pears
- 2 sliced blood oranges
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup candied ginger
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1-2 (12 ounce) ginger beers
In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients except the ginger beer to prevent it from going flat. Stir and then place in the fridge until chilled. Add the ginger beer just before serving. Fill each glass with ice and pour the sangria over the ice. If desired top with more ginger beer. Serves 8.
5. White Christmas Mojito
- 3/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup white rum
- 1/2 cup coconut rum
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- Sparkling water
- Pomegranate arils for garnish
In a large pitcher, muddle the mint leaves in the sugar and lime juice. Using a strainer, remove the muddled mint leaves (you can leave in if desired). Fill four glasses halfway full with ice and fill 3/4 full with coconut rum mixture and top off each glass with sparkling water. Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate arils as desired. Serves 4.
6. Hot Buttered Rum
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Transfer the spiced butter mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
To make the hot buttered rum, add 2 tablespoons of the spiced butter mixture to a mug and pour in 2 ounces of dark rum and top with hot water. Stir until the spiced butter mixture is dissolved and the drink is smooth. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or whipped cream, if desired. Serves 4.
7. Winter Aperol Spritz
- 3 ounces Aperol
- 3 ounces Prosecco
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 2 ounces club soda
- 1 orange wedge for garnish
- 1 orange zest twist for garnish
- 1 sprig of rosemary for garnish
Combine the Aperol, Prosecco, and cranberry in a glass with ice. Add in an orange wedge and a twist for garnish. For extra festiveness, add in a sprig of rosemary. Serves 1.
8. White Russian
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounces coffee liqueur
- 1 splash heavy cream
In the order listed above, pour vodka and liqueur over a double rocks glass that’s been completely filled with ice and gently stir. Then add the cream, pouring gently so it floats. Serves 1.
9. Holly Jolly Christmas Citrus Cocktail
- 1 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup St. Germain (elderflower liquor), optional
- 1.5 cups fresh squeezed clementine or blood orange juice
- 2 (12 ounce) ginger beers
- Arils from 1 pomegranate
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs or mint leaves for garnish
In a large pitcher, combine the vodka, elderflower liquor (if using), and clementine or blood orange juice. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add ice, ginger beer, and pomegranate arils. Serve garnished with thyme or mint. Serves 4.
10. Christmas Mimosa
- 2 ounces sparkling wine
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- ¼ ounce Orange Curaçao
- 2 cranberries for garnish
- 1 rosemary sprig for garnish
Add cranberry juice and Orange Curaçao to a champagne glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig. Serves 1.
11. Peppermint Moscow Mule
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
- Juice of ½ a lime
- 4 ounces ginger beer or to taste
- Crushed candy cane for garnish
- Fresh mint for garnish
Fill copper mule mug with ice and stir in vodka, peppermint schnapps and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and sprinkle crushed candy cane and mint on top to garnish. Serves 1.
12. Spiced Pear Gin Cocktail
- 1.5 ounces gin
- 1 ounce pear juice
- .75 ounce spiced pear liqueur
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 drops cardamom bitters
- Slice of pear for garnish
- Sprig of thyme for garnish
Add the gin, pear juice, pear liqueur, lemon juice, and a dash of cardamom bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with a slice of pear and sprig of thyme. Serves 1.
13. Merry Mint Peppermint Schnapps
- 6 ounces vodka
- 1 cup peppermint schnapps
- 1 cup half and half
- For rim: corn syrup (or agave or honey) and crushed peppermints
Dip glass into corn syrup and then the crushed peppermint to rim glass, then fill glasses with ice. Combine vodka, peppermint schnapps, and half and half in a shaker with ice until combined. Pour over ice. Serves 4.
14. Holiday Cheermeister Bourbon Punch
- 4 ounces bourbon
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup freshly squeeze orange juice
- 1 (750 ml) bottle Prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled
- Arils from 1 pomegranate
In a large pitcher, combine the bourbon, pomegranate juice, orange zest, and orange juice. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add ice to the punch bowl and pour over the Prosecco, and top with pomegranates. Serves 8.
15. The Grinch
- 1.5 ounces Midori liqueur
- 1 ounce clear rum
- 5 ounces lemon lime soda
- 1 maraschino cherry for garnish
Fill a lowball glass with ice and add Midori liqueur and rum and stir to combine. Top with lemon lime soda and stir and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Serves 1.
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