It’s the holiday season once again, and it is time to offer—or enjoy—specialty cocktails. In addition to the many wonderful traditional holiday recipes, mixologists are constantly inventing to new takes and twists, from decadent dessert sips to drinks incorporating seasonal spices or rich red fruits like pomegranate and cranberry.
Here are 10 holiday recipes we like for this year. And if you need more ideas, here’s last year’s holiday drinks roundup.
Mrs. Claus’ Remedy
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Spiced rum
- ¾ oz. Chamomile liqueur
- ½ oz. Lemon juice
- ½ oz. Honey
- 5 Mint leaves
Instructions
- Add mint leaves in a shaker with ice.
- Muddle lightly and add remaining ingredients.
- Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
Notes
The mixologists at the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC, created this recipe.
Jolly Scotsman
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Aberfeldy 12 yr Scotch
- ½ oz. Lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Cointreau
- ½ oz. Cranberry simple syrup
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a shaker tin with ice.
- Shake and pour into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with rosemary, an orange slice and cloves.
Notes
The mixologists at Aberfeldy created this recipe.
All Irish For Christmas Is You
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Cooled espresso or cold brew concentrate
- 1 oz. Vodka
- ½ oz. Coffee liqueur
- ½ oz. Black Irish Original liqueur
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Crushed candy cane for rim
Instructions
- Rim coupe glass or Martini glass of choice with crushed candy cane.
- In a shaker combine espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and Black Irish.
- Add ice and shake vigorously.
- Strain into rimmed cocktail glass.
- Top with pinch of cinnamon
Notes
The mixologists at Black Irish created this recipe.
Christmapolitan
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Vodka
- ¼ oz. Elderflower liqueur
- ¼ oz. Dry vermouth
- 1 oz. Spiced cranberry sauce
- ½ oz. Lime juice
- Absinthe spritz
Instructions
- Spray a chilled coupe glass with absinthe mist.
- Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Top with ice and shake.
- Fine strain into the prepared coupe.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Notes
The mixologists at Miracle on Union (at Thief) in New York created this recipe.
Jingle Berries
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Horse Soldier bourbon
- ¼ oz. Grand Marnier
- ¼ oz. Pomegranate syrup
- 3 dashes Orange bitters
- 3 dashes Cassia bark bitters
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together.
- Strain over large cube.
- Garnish with Filthy cherry and orange peel.
Notes
The mixologists at Horse Soldier created this recipe.
Gingerbread Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Pure Scot blended Scotch whisky
- 1 part Honey
- ½ part Hot water
- 4 Cinnamon sticks broken apart
- 4 Dime-sized pieces of fresh ginger
- Pinch of salt
- 1 dash Aromatic bitters
Instructions
- Add hot water to honey in a saucepan.
- Stir until well mixed.
- Add cinnamon, ginger and salt.
- Heat on low until simmering
- Remove from heat and let stand until cool; strain to remove solids.
- Combine Scotch and ¼ oz.- ½ oz. ginger-cinnamon honey (to taste).
- Add dash of bitters and stir.
- Serve on block ice with orange peel garnish and gingerbread biscuit.
Notes
Bartender Millie Tang created this recipe
Winter Noggin’
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Bourbon
- 1 oz. Cinnamon whiskey
- ½ oz. Sorel liqueur
- 1 ½ oz. Vanilla soft-serve mix
- 1 oz. Whole milk
- Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Combine liquid ingredients with ice in mixing tin.
- Shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Top with a heavy amount of whipped cream.
- Garnish with red sprinkles and green unicorn candy stick.
Notes
Mixologists Pamela Wiznitzer and Christian Orlando created this recipe for Black Tap in New York.
Berry Balsam
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Finlandia raspberry vodka
- 5 drops Balsamic vinegar syrup
- 1 ½ oz. Cranberry juice
- ½ oz. Simple syrup
- 3 Basil leaves
- 4 Raspberries
Instructions
- Muddle basil leaves and raspberries in a shaker.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and hard shake.
- Fine strain into a chilled Martini or coupette glass.
- Garnish with a mint sprig and raspberry.
Notes
Finlandia master mixologist Pekka Pellinen created this recipe.
Pecan Milk Punch
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Bourbon
- 1 scoop Vanilla ice cream
- 1 oz. Homemade pecan syrup
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into glass mug.
- Top with candied pecans and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
- For homemade pecan syrup: Combine 1 ¼ cups water, 1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup pecans in saucepan. Bring water to a boil. Stir in brown sugar and pecans. Turn down to the lowest setting and simmer for 25 minutes. Let cool, then fine strain out the pecans.
Notes
The mixologists at Echo restaurant and bar in St. Simon’s Island, GA, created this recipe.
Peppermint Patty Flip
Ingredients
- 1 Whole egg
- 1 oz. Simple syrup 1:1 water and sugar
- 1 ½ oz. Old Grandad bourbon
- 1 oz. Tribuno sweet vermouth
- 1 oz. Fernet Mentha
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake for 15 seconds until the egg emulsifies with other ingredients.
- Add a scoop of ice and shake for another 20 seconds to chill.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a mint leaf.
Notes
Chris Figueroa, beverage director of Botanica Italian restaurant in St. Louis, MO, created this recipe.
