Did you know that 75 percent of Americans say quality cocktails are important to them? Cocktails are a critical part of alcohol culture, representing an almost endless range of possibilities. You can be completely creative in inventing a cocktail, or you can follow an age-old recipe to create a reliable classic.
With the holiday season upon us, you may be looking for some new holiday cocktail recipes to try with your friends and family. Read on to discover some of the best holiday cocktail recipes and find inspiration for your winter libations this year.
The Holiday Cocktail
This festive libation will add a sunny accent to your holiday table, along with a gorgeous floral touch. Serve The Holiday Cocktail in champagne glasses to show off their gorgeous tangerine color. You'll also need to make some simple syrup ahead of time by boiling equal parts water and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.
This cocktail begins with an ounce and a half of Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit and Rose vodka. Pour that into a shaker filled with ice and add half an ounce of Aperol, three-quarters of an ounce of your simple syrup, and half an ounce of fresh lemon juice. Shake twenty-five times, pour into your flutes, and top the drink with whipped cream and edible rose petals.
Cape May Mule
Our next cocktail is vodka-based, too, although this one uses Absolut Elyx. This vodka is made with single-estate wheat and uses a copper catalyzation process that purifies the vodka and adds a gorgeous silky texture. You'll want to serve these drinks in copper mule mugs, both for authenticity in the cocktail and for a nod to the vodka.
Start your Cape May Mule by muddling fresh cranberries in the bottom of a mule mug and topping them with ice. Add two ounces of your Absolut Elyx, and top the whole thing with a squeeze of lime juice and ginger beer. Spear a few fresh cranberries on a cocktail skewer and perch a slice of lime on the side of the mug for a colorful garnish.
Snowstorm
Before you tuck your Absolut Elyx too far back on the shelf, you might want to take a look at the Snowstorm cocktail. This drink is creamy and gorgeous and will play beautifully off of the silky flavor of the vodka. You can also swap it out for rum if you prefer a sweeter, more tropical twist on the drink.
In a cocktail shaker, mix four parts Absolut Elyx, two parts Kahlua, and five parts coconut milk. Add ice cubes and shake hard before straining your cocktail into chilled coupe glasses (preferably copper). Garnish your drinks with a little grated nutmeg for a gorgeous drink to sip by the fire with friends.
Winter Wonderland
Of course, any drink called Winter Wonderland is going to have to be as snowy as the finale of White Christmas. This drink is a bit of a boozy peppermint mocha, with the added twist that it uses white chocolate. You'll also want a candy cane and red sugar for a colorful finish that will delight you and your guests.
Start by dipping the rim of a martini glass into a little water and then into your red sugar to create an eye-catching rim. Mix one and a half ounces of vodka any brand will do with three-quarters of an ounce each of peppermint schnapps and white chocolate liqueur. Chill your ingredients for a few minutes in the freezer, pour them into your prepared glass, and hang a mini candy cane from the rim for a fun holiday flair!
Fireside
Fireside is a cozy herbaceous cocktail perfect for sipping beside a pile of crackling logs. You'll want some fresh rosemary, and we recommend using Grey Goose vodka for this drink. You'll get the soft sweetness of the vodka that will blend nicely with the sophisticated flavors in this cocktail.
Place a sprig of rosemary in the bottom of a rocks glass with an ounce of maple syrup and a pinch of salt and briefly muddle them together. Fill your glass with ice and pour four ounces of your vodka on top. Top the drink off with five ounces of pink grapefruit juice and a little more salt, and add another sprig of fresh rosemary as a garnish if desired.
Cran-Spiced Martini
The vodka cocktail train continues with a cran-spiced martini, the perfect accompaniment to Christmas dinner. You'll want to make some vanilla-spiced syrup ahead of time by combining a cup of sugar, a cup of water, a quarter of a teaspoon ground black pepper, five teaspoons of allspice, and a cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes before cooling and stirring in half an ounce of vanilla extract.
Once your syrup is ready, pour two ounces of Reyka vodka into a shaker with ice. Add an ounce of 100 percent cranberry juice and three-quarters of an ounce of your vanilla spiced syrup. Shake your ingredients together, strain them into a martini glass, and garnish with a few cranberries on a cocktail skewer.
Pine Barrens
If you like your cocktails for the holidays a little more on the herby side, you'll love the Pine Barrens drink. This drink uses Belvedere vodka, which carries aromas of stone and faint marshmallow. The palate includes notes of powdered sugar and talc and finishes with flavors of pepper, lemon peel, and salt.
To make the Pine Barrens, place a few cranberries into the bottom of a Tom Collins glass with some ice. Pour one and a half ounces of vodka, half an ounce of green chartreuse, an ounce of lemon juice, and an ounce of simple syrup into a shaker. Strain your ingredients into the prepared glass and top the drink off with a sprig of rosemary.
Frostbite
The Frostbite cocktail moves away from the vodka drinks and takes a turn for tequila instead. We recommend using Casamigos Blanco tequila, an offering from George Clooney's company. This tequila is made with the finest ingredients and is clean and crisp, with notes of citrus, vanilla, and sweet agave on the palate.
To make the Frostbite cocktail, pour one and a half ounces of the tequila into a shaker with three-quarters of an ounce of white chocolate liqueur, a quarter of an ounce of crème de menthe, an ounce of cream, and half an ounce of fresh lime juice. Add ice and shake your cocktail vigorously before straining it into a champagne glass and topping it with whipped cream and crushed peppermint.
Cure for the Chicago Cold
If bourbon is more your speed, you'll love the Cure for the Chicago Cold. It starts with Buffalo Trace's signature bourbon, which offers flavors of vanilla, toffee, and candied fruit with a gorgeous smooth finish. This drink is served warm to chase off even the deepest lingering chills on a cold winter night.
Pour an ounce of Buffalo Trace into a metal shaker with half an ounce each of Aperol, Amaro Montenegro bitters, and lemon juice, as well as three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup. Fill another shaker with hot water and submerge the bottom of your first shaker in it, stirring to warm your ingredients. Pour this mixture into a mug, top it with three ounces of hot tea, and stir with a cinnamon stick to create the perfect warming cocktail.
Santas Turn Up
Even Santa gets to have a little fun around Christmas (although we're certain he never flies under the influence)! Santas Turn Up features Makers Mark 46, a gorgeous bourbon that's recently become available in a limited-release Cask Strength batch. This bourbon offers notes of vanilla, caramel, and baking spice.
To make Santa's favorite drink besides milk, pour an ounce and a half of bourbon, a quarter of an ounce of sherry, and a quarter of an ounce of Benedictine into a shaker with ice. Stir the ingredients together and strain them into a coupe glass. Peel off a twist of orange peel and place it in the glass for a beverage that will keep Santa warm even on the coldest North Pole nights.
Cranberry Bramble
Don't worry, gin enthusiasts, we have you covered with this next drink! The Cranberry Bramble uses Beefeater gin, a spirit hailing from London and boasting a subtle, sensuous flavor and a smooth finish. The botanicals used to flavor the gin, including Japanese Sencha tea and Chinese green tea, get steeped together for a full twenty-four hours before getting distilled down along with the gin.
Start the Cranberry Bramble by pouring one and a half ounces of gin, an ounce of cranberry sauce, three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice, and half an ounce of orange juice into a shaker. Shake vigorously and strain the cocktail into a rocks glass. Top it off with crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Aunt Clara's Pink Bunny Pajamas
For this next drink, we return to Buffalo Trace, although this time our drink will be featuring the distillery's famous Bourbon Cream. The resulting cocktail is a light creamy pink reminiscent of the infamous pink pajamas Aunt Clara gives Ralphie in A Christmas Story. Best of all, this drink is perfect for both bourbon and gin lovers, since it incorporates both spirits!
Pour one and a half ounces of bourbon cream into a shaker with three-quarters of an ounce of gin, three dashes of cranberry bitters, and half an ounce of simple syrup. Top it all with ice, shake until the cocktail is mixed, and strain it into a martini glass or a coupe glass. Peel off a twist of orange peel and place it on top for a festive holiday classic.
Tiramisu Tini
The Tiramisu Tini is the perfect after-dinner cocktail for when you need a pick-me-up to get out of your food coma. You'll want to make cinnamon simple syrup ahead of time by mixing one cup of sugar, one cup of water, and a few cinnamon sticks. Bring the mixture to a boil and then drop the heat and simmer for about five minutes, making sure all the sugar has dissolved.
Start by filling a shaker with ice and adding one and a half ounces of cold brew coffee liqueur, an ounce of rum, half an ounce of aquavit, and a quarter of an ounce of the cinnamon simple syrup. Shake your ingredients, strain into a coupe glass, and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
A Berry White Christmas
Rum lovers will adore this Berry White Christmas cocktail that will transport you straight to the tropics. You'll want spiced rum for this cocktail, as well as vanilla orgeat, a special variety of syrup. Cranberry preserve keeps this drink holiday-themed, but everything else will feel like you're vacationing in Christmas with the Kranks.
Start with a cocktail shaker full of ice, and add two ounces of spiced rum, two bar spoons of cranberry preserves, an ounce of lime juice, and half an ounce of vanilla orgeat. Shake the mixture and strain it into a cocktail glass. Garnish the drink with mint and slices of dried pineapple, as well as a festive dusting of powdered sugar.
Discover More Holiday Cocktail Recipes
Cocktails are the perfect way to bring a little holiday cheer to your home this winter season. From vodka-based drinks to bourbon, gin, and rum creations, there's a drink out there for everyone. And don't be afraid to get creative and mix up your own holiday cocktail recipes to share with friends and family!
If you'd like to find more holiday cocktail recipes, check out the rest of our site at Liquorama. We are here to provide you with the perfect wine, the smoothest tequila, the hoppiest beer, and more. Shop our liquor selection today and start getting your drinks for the holidays the easy way.