25 Best Christmas Cocktails for Your Holiday
We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
You probably already know your traditional eggnog and Christmas punch, but what about more creative cocktail recipes? These are some of the best boozy Christmas beverages to serve this holiday season.
These festive holiday season recipes are designed to make your holiday more fun and delicious. They range from rich and creamy to light and refreshing, and from warm to chilled, so there’s something here for everyone.
- You can go beyond eggnog and mulled wine with your drinks this Christmas. There are martinis, hot chocolate variations, Christmas martinis, and everything else you could want.
- Most of these cocktails are served cold, but a few are warm. The warm ones make perfect chilly winter evening drinks by a fireplace.
- Whether it’s a big get-together or just you, you can find a festive recipe that’s just what you were looking for.
Christmas Party Planning Tips
If you’re planning a holiday party this year, you might need some food to go with whichever cocktails you decide to serve.
- We suggest any of these gingerbread recipes. You can make gingerbread men, cookies, waffles and more.
- Or maybe peppermint bark is more your style. Or White Christmas fudge, featuring fruit and nuts in a white chocolate fudge.
- And if you or and of your guests aren’t drinking, check out our collection of mocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails. They’re just as beautiful and tasty as regular cocktails, but without the alcohol.
Holiday Party Entertainment
- How about A Very Chaise Lounge Christmas for some jazzy, retro music to get you into the holiday spirit? This is a fun compilation to get you into the Christmas spirit. You may also want to check out Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails, which is a bit less laid back and chill.
- Or maybe you need some indoor Christmas Laser Lights to decorate your space. They look so cool no one would think it’s as easy as flipping a switch.
- For keeping everyone entertained, how about a Deluxe Scrabble/Monopoly Set from LL Bean? Or maybe the Santa Claus game from Amazon, where everyone competes at giving? Classic games are a sure way to make family parties fun.
Need some holiday gifts?
Check out our Cocktail Gifts Guide for the cocktail lovers on your list! From beautiful flasks to full bar sets, with lots of quirky ideas.
Bonus alternatives
In addition to all the Christmas cocktails we’re about the jump into, these recipes can be a lot of fun for the holidays. They make great gifts, too. You can make:
- Skittles Vodka in red and green for Christmas colors.
- Jolly Rancher Vodka in red and green too. And blue for Hanukkah, too.
- Vodka Gummy Bears can also be made in just red and green for Christmas colors.
- Note: Both Skittles Vodka and Jolly Rancher Vodka can be served neat or used as mixers in classic Christmas holiday cocktails.
Now on with the cocktails!
These festive Christmas cocktails make great recipes for your holiday party. They feel merry and bright, with ingredients from creme de menthe to cranberries. There's even a light version of eggnog.
Red Hot Santa Tini cocktail
This cocktail uses chili-pepper infused vodka and a rim of cocoa powder mixed with cayenne. It's not one of your more typical holiday drinks because it's a little bit spicy. You can order the little dried peppers from Amazon.
Chocolate Peppermint Stick Cocktail Recipe
This holiday cocktail has a boozy mint chocolate flavor. There's also a hint of berry from that lovely grenadine "sunrise." This is one of the best looking drinks you could serve at a party.
Very Cherry Christmas Drink Recipe
The Very Cherry Christmas recipe blends cherry and chocolate spirits with Irish cream. It tastes like a chocolate covered cherry, and it looks like a million bucks. Upgrade it by using Luxardo cherries or Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries.
Christmas Cookie cocktail recipe
The Christmas Cookie blends Kahlua and Baileys with a shot of peppermint. The flavor is mocha, caramel and mint, and it will surprise you. It's rich, sweet and comforting to drink by the fireplace.
We've got a lot of other Kahlua drinks, too.
Poinsettia drink: a champagne cocktail recipe
This delicious drink is low on alcohol, which makes it great for entertaining. It's delicious, and it's also easy to make in a non-alcoholic version (which is just as tasty) for non-drinkers.
Snowball Cocktail Recipe
The Snowball cocktail is a classic holiday drink. It blends eggy Advocaat with fizzy lemonade, so it's both refreshing and festive.
Tom & Jerry Cocktail Recipe
A cocktail that's made with batter? Be honest. This is what you've been looking for all your life. And the soothing warm Tom & Jerry cocktail is the answer.
Gingerbread Martini Drink Recipe
The Gingerbread Martini blends vodka and milk with nutmeg, cinnamon and a little bit of chocolate. It's creamy and slightly spicy, with a light sweetness.
Hot Toddy Classic Whiskey Cocktail
The Hot Toddy is a classic warming cocktail that makes a perfect winter drink. It's served hot, but it also has spices and honey along with whiskey. You can use dark rum if you prefer.
Candy Cane Martini
The Candy Cane Martini tastes just like its namesake. This classic winter cocktail features the delicious berry flavor of Chambord. This drink is easy to serve one by one or in premixed pitchers. And it's easy to make the sugar rim!
Cranberry Apple Orange Jelly Shots Recipe
These Cranberry Apple Orange Jelly Shots take a little bit of preparation, but they're oh-so-wiggly and fun. They're great drinks for fall and winter because the flavors are a combination of apple, cranberry and orange.
Santa Shot cocktail
This gorgeous little drink layers peppermint schnapps, grenadine and creme de menthe for a beautiful little shot of Christmas spirit. It's low alcohol with a mint and berry flavor. It's great choice for holiday parties.
Candy Cane Vodka Infusion Tutorial
This Candy Cane Vodka infusion has a bright, sweet, minty flavor. It's made from candies, and you have to crush them, which is a great way to relieve holiday stress! You can serve it on its own in these adorable shot glasses.
Kahlua Hot Chocolate
If it's cold, it just won't be complete without some hot chocolate. This boozy version features Kahlua spiked hot chocolate that you can dress up with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Red Rudolph Cocktail Recipe
The Red Rudolph is a holiday cocktail you serve warm. It features cinnamon schnapps with orange and cranberry. It's a wonderful blend of fall flavors that's perfect for chilly evenings and snow days.
Reindeer Tracks Martini
The Reindeer Tracks Martini blends chocolate spirits with Frangelico. The rim is made from crushed Oreos. It's all chocolate and hazelnut. And it turns out cookie crushing is a great way to relieve holiday stress.
Hot Buttered Rum Recipe
Hot Buttered Rum is another old standby that tastes like butterscotch. This is the simple, classic version, featuring rum, butter, lemon and cinnamon. Don't freak out about the butter - it's rich, delicious, and totally worth the calories.
Marshmallow Shooters
These little Christmas shots taste like festive toasted marshmallows. It's equal parts of each ingredient, so you can make this into any size drink (or pitcher) by just pouring more of each in equal amounts.
Mistletoe Martini Cranberry Christmas Cocktail
The Mistletoe Martini is a light, fruity, refreshing Christmas cocktail. It blends cranberry juice with elderflower liqueur, and you garnish it with real cranberries that pop in your mouth!
Candy Cane Cocktail Recipe
The gorgeous and tasty Candy Cane Cocktail tastes just like its namesake. It's all mint and berry with a hint of chocolate. It's got just enough cream to make it feel luxurious, and the pink color of the drink in a glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy is just beautiful.
Eggnog Martini
The Eggnog Martini is a great alternative to traditional Eggnog. It includes real eggnog, but lightens it up with the addition of other spirits. The result is a more refreshing cocktail that still has that eggnog taste and feel.
Eggnog cocktail recipe
This Eggnog recipe makes just over two quarts. For the non-alcoholic version, leave out the brandy and rum. This is the thick, heavy, eggy drink of your childhood. If it's too much for you, try the Eggnog Martini instead.
Moscow Mule Drink Recipe
The Moscow Mule is a refreshing classic cocktail that features vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. It's tart, spicy, and bubbly, with a taste that's easy to love.
Pomegranate Martini cocktail recipe
The Pomegranate Martini is a perfect fit for the holiday season. It's all about the flavor of this wonderful winter fruit juice.
Mulled Wine
This is is a very old Christmas cocktail recipe. It takes a little time at the stove, but you get a delicious spiced wine you can garnish with a cinnamon stick or whipped cream. This is a great cocktail recipe if you actually get a snowy white Christmas.
White Russian Cocktail Recipe
The White Russian is a delicious, creamy treat of a classic cocktail. It tastes like a chocolate mocha with cream, so what's not to like? It's perfect for sipping by a holiday fireplace.
Last Updated: