We love holidays and we love cocktails, so December is the most wonderful time of the year for us. We get so many festive drink recipes submitted for the early winter occasions that it’s almost impossible to narrow them down, but we gave it a shot. (We seem drawn to the creamy drinks, perhaps seeking some indulgence after a long year.)
Here are 10 we rounded up for 2023, and here are the holiday drinks from 2022. Cheers!
It’s A Wonderful Life
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Heavy cream
- 2 oz. New Riff KY Straight Bourbon
- 1 oz. Chai tea spice syrup
- Nutmeg
- Biscotti cookie
Instructions
- Combine ingredients and shake.
- Strain into a highball glass with ice.
- Grate fresh nutmeg over top.
- Garnish with a biscotti cookie.
Notes
Katie Tobin, bar manager at The Aquifer Bar at New Riff Distilling, Newport, KY, created this recipe.
Christmas Cup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Roku Japanese gin
- 1 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
- ½ oz. Lime juice
- 1 oz. Spiced cranberry juice
- 2 oz. Champagne to top off
Instructions
- Combine ingredients, except Champagne, in a mixing tin and shake.
- Pour into a glass with ice.
- Top with Champagne.
- Garnish with 3 lime wheels, 7-10 frozen cranberries, 8 fresh ginger trips (chopped ginger), 3 star anise, and sprig of rosemary.
Notes
For House-made spiced cranberry juice:
2 lbs. Cranberries (frozen is fine)
3 cups Water
300 g. Sugar
4 Cinnamon sticks (prefer Mexican cinnamon for more flavor)
12 Cloves
5 Star anise
3 oz. Ginger root, chopped In a large pan place all the ingredients and bring to boil, cover and let simmer until the cranberries are soft enough to be pressed, remove from stove, let it cool down, strain and press a sieve press all the cranberries and collect all the juice. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The mixologists at Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, IL, created this recipe.
2 lbs. Cranberries (frozen is fine)
3 cups Water
300 g. Sugar
4 Cinnamon sticks (prefer Mexican cinnamon for more flavor)
12 Cloves
5 Star anise
3 oz. Ginger root, chopped In a large pan place all the ingredients and bring to boil, cover and let simmer until the cranberries are soft enough to be pressed, remove from stove, let it cool down, strain and press a sieve press all the cranberries and collect all the juice. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The mixologists at Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, IL, created this recipe.
Let It Snow
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Blanco tequila
- 1 ½ oz. White cranberry juice
- 1 oz. Coconut milk
- ½ oz. Orange liqueur
- ½ oz. Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Cinnamon sugar for rimming
Instructions
- Coat rim of rocks glass in cinnamon sugar.
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker.
- Shake well, and pour over ice.
- Garnish with cranberries, rosemary sprig and lime wedge.
Notes
The mixologists at Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville in Greenville, SC, created this recipe.
Bad Santa
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Peppermint schnapps
- 1 oz. Vodka
- 2 oz. Kahlua
- 2 oz. Half-n-half
- Crushed peppermint rim
Instructions
- Grab a candy cane and crush it until it’s finely crushed.
- Mix sugar and water together in a shallow bowl.
- Dip the rim of glasse in the sugar water and then dip in the crushed peppermint.
- Pour the half-n-half first, then add in vodka and Kahlua into an Old Fashioned glass half-filled with ice cubes.
- Add the peppermint schnapps and mix together.
- Garnish with candy cane.
Notes
The mixologists at the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda, FL, created this recipe.
Merry and Bright Sour
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Crystal Head Aurora vodka
- 2 oz. Pomegranate juice
- ¼ oz. Maple syrup
- ½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
- Muddled sage
- Egg whites
Instructions
- Muddle ingredients in a shaker and dry shake.
- Add ice, shake and double strain into a chilled glass.
- Garnish with sage and pomegranate.
Notes
The mixologists at Crystal Head created this recipe.
The Polar Espresso
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Fresh espresso
- 1 oz. Raina Numero Uno sweet vermouth
- 1 oz. Campari
- ¾ oz. Cinnamon syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and shake hard.
- Double strain into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.
Notes
The mixologists at Mother Pizzeria in Newport, RI, created this recipe.
White Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ oz. Singani 63
- ½ oz. White creme de cacao
- ¼ oz. White creme de menthe
- ¼ oz. Simple syrup 1:1
- Whip cream float
- Edible glitter
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into mixing tin.
- Hard shake, fine strain into coupe glass.
- Garnish with whip cream float and edible glitter.
Notes
The mixologists at The Captains Quarters in San Diego created this recipe.
Candy Cane Crush
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Aged rum infused with candy canes
- 1 oz. Five Farms Irish Cream
- ½ oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao
- ½ oz. Brucato Chaparral Amaro
- Pinch of Sea salt
Instructions
- Mix ingredients in a mixing vessel.
- Add ice and shake and strain into bucket glass.
- Add a large or regular ice cubes.
- Garnish with candy cane, mint sprig and grated cinnamon.
Notes
Amanda Reed, beverage director of E3 Restaurant Group, created this recipe for Lobster Shop in Tacoma, WA.
Cranberry Holiday Spritz
Ingredients
- 1 part Josh Cellars pinot grigio
- ½ part Lemon juice
- ¾ part Cranberry spiced simple syrup simple syrup with cranberries and cinnamon
- Top with ginger beer
- Sugar-covered cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all but the ginger beer in a shaker with ice.
- Shake and strain into a rocks class or a tall glass.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with the cranberries.
Notes
The mixologists at Josh Cellars created this recipe.
Coquito Ho Ho Ho
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Patrón Reposado tequila
- 1 oz. Oloroso sherry
- 1 oz. Coconut milk cream
- ½ oz. Coco Lopez
- ¼ oz. Braulio liqueur
- ¼ oz. Kalani coconut liqueur
- ¼ oz. Cinnamon syrup
- 1 Whole egg
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a tin.
- Dry shake and strain into a mug.
- Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Notes
Ivy Mix, co-owner of “Sleyenda” (a.k.a. Leyenda) in Brooklyn, NY, created this recipe.