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Even if you don't typically entertain, you’re likely doing some sort of hosting this holiday season. Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner or just having a few friends over for Friendsgiving, having a few classic, festive cocktails in your repertoire to serve your guests is Good Hosting 101.
Keep reading for 10 simple, elegant, crowd-pleasing Christmas cocktails that experienced and novice hosts alike can add to their holiday lineup.
Every host needs to know how to make a classic Old Fashioned, but this festive take on the traditional recipe swaps the sugar cube/simple syrup for maple syrup. The addition of a cinnamon stick garnish adds a hint of holiday warmth that will delight any Old Fashioned fan.
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Cinnamon stick
Stir whiskey, maple syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel and cinnamon stick.
This cocktail is for those who couldn’t give a hoot about pumpkin spice lattes, but count the days until it’s peppermint mocha season. Mint chocolate Irish Cream is the star of this peppermint twisted espresso martini recipe.
Peppermint
1 ½ ounces Column 5 Texas Vodka
1 ½ ounces Cayman Reef Kona Coffee Liqueur
1 ounce cold espresso
Coffee beans
Rim a martini glass with crushed peppermint. Set aside. Add vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish Cream and espresso to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.
When more guests than you anticipated arrive on your doorstep this Christmas, keep this batch cocktail recipe in your stocking. Sangria, albeit a summer drink, is the perfect cocktail to make to keep a large group’s glasses full. So, we added winter fruits, herbs and spices to turn this summer drink into a winter treat. Make ahead, chill and start pouring when your guests arrive. Cheers!
1 cup frozen cranberries
1 whole sliced apple
1 whole sliced orange
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1 cup apple cider
1 cup cranberry juice
Rosemary sprigs
In a large pitcher, combine fruit, wine, cider, triple sec, juice and cinnamon sticks and stir until well mixed. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld together. Pour the sangria into glasses filled with ice, ensuring each glass gets some fruit and spices. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or a cinnamon stick for extra holiday flair!
If you’re hosting a group of girlfriends for a holiday soiree, this Cranberry Cosmo is best served over conversations about who’s the Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha of the friend group. Use a rosemary sprig to skewer a few cranberries for an easy, chic garnish!
2 ounces Codigo 1530 Blanco Tequila
1 ounce cranberry juice
½ ounce lime juice
Cranberries
Add tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 3 cranberries skewered.
Nothing beats a steamy mug of hot chocolate on Christmas morning while everyone opens presents...but what about a boozy version for the adults? This tequila-spiked hot chocolate will be a welcome addition to any grown-up's favorite mug this holiday. Pro tip: the amaretto is optional, but adds a delicious hint of nutty, toasty goodness we wouldn’t recommend skipping.
1 ½ ounces Casamigos Reposado or Casamigos Añejo Tequila
½ ounce agave nectar
1 pinch cinnamon
6 ounces hot chocolate
¼ ounce Charles Regnier Amaretto (optional)
2 large roasted marshmallows
Graham cracker square
Add tequila, agave, cinnamon and amaretto (if desired) to a cocktail shaker and dry shake. Pour into a mug and top with hot chocolate. Garnish with roasted marshmallows and a graham cracker square.
Remember those copper mugs you got for Christmas last year? Bust them out this Christmas for a merry cranberry mule! Swap the vodka for a spicy bourbon and add a bit of cranberry juice for a photogenic cocktail that’ll look classy in a group toast Christmas morning Boomerang on your Instagram story.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon
2 ounces cranberry juice
Splash lime juice
4 ounces ginger beer
Cranberries
Rosemary sprig
Fill a tall glass or copper mug with crushed ice. Add bourbon, cranberry juice and lime juice and stir. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
If baking ginger snaps is one of your holiday family traditions, add a new tradition this year: enjoying this ginger snap sidecar as you tinker in the kitchen. A little spicy, a little citrusy and a lot delectable, this recipe is sure to be an instant classic.
Cinnamon sugar
½ ounce Charles Regnier Triple Sec
¼ ounce Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
¼ ounce molasses
¾ ounce lemon juice
Rim a coupe glass with cinnamon sugar. Set aside. Add whiskey, triple sec, ginger liqueur, molasses and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Highballs are easy-sipping and even easier to make, so they’re a no-brainer recipe to keep in the rotation around the holidays. This one combines a quality rum with spiced liqueur and apple cider for a lip-smackingly tasty holiday tipple.
1 ½ ounces Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum
½ ounce Ricard Anise Liqueur
5 ounces apple cider
5 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Dehydrated apple slice
Cinnamon stick
Add rum, liqueur, apple cider and aromatic bitters to a highball glass over ice. Stir to combine. Garnish with a dehydrated apple slice and/or a cinnamon stick.
For the friends and family who don’t want coffee or hot chocolate, mix them up a warming hot toddy to sip while walking around and looking at Christmas lights. You can choose whatever tea they like (or that you have lying around), but a good spiced chai is always an excellent choice.
2 ounces Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
2 teaspoons honey
1 ½ cups hot water
1 ounce cranberry juice
½ ounce Martini Sweet Vermouth
1 ounce spiced tea
1 dash orange juice
Cinnamon stick (optional)
Star anise (optional)
Cranberries (optional)
Orange slice (optional)
Add gin, honey, hot water, cranberry juice, sweet vermouth, tea and orange juice to a mug and stir to combine. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise, cranberries and/or an orange slice, if desired.
This sweet cinnamon White Russian will have you saying, “Careful man, there’s a beverage here!” when anyone gets close. If birthday cake liqueur sounds like everything you ever wanted to see under your tree on Christmas morning, grab a jar to gift yourself and your guests this holiday.
Brown sugar
1 ½ ounces chocolate coffee
Ground cinnamon
Cinnamon stick
Rim a glass or Mason jar with brown sugar and simple syrup. Add coffee, Sippin’ Cream and a dash of ground cinnamon over ice and stir to combine. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
