The Best Christmas Cocktail Recipes (Roundup)

Because watered-down eggnog is not a holiday mood

Christmas cocktails are either unforgettable or… regrettable. If your idea of festive drinks involves dumping peppermint schnapps into hot cocoa and calling it a day, we’re upgrading that with Christmas cocktail recipes. Right here. Right now.

These cocktails are real-deal recipes—designed to actually taste good, not just look cute in a mason jar. Whether you’re hosting 20 people or just hiding from family with a shaker in the pantry, these drinks bring heat, chill, and holiday swagger.

1. Maple Whiskey Sour

We’re opening with a heavy hitter. Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and pure maple syrup. Shake it like you mean it. Serve over a large cube with an orange twist and dash of Angostura bitters. Not too sweet. Not too tart. It’s holiday balance in a glass.

2. Cranberry Rosemary Gin Fizz

Take gin, cranberry juice, a splash of fresh lime, and simple syrup. Shake with ice. Strain into a highball and top with club soda. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a couple cranberries. It’s bright, herby, and aggressively festive—but actually good.

3. Holiday Old Fashioned

The classic gets a seasonal remix. Muddle one sugar cube with orange peel and a few dashes of spiced bitters. Add rye or bourbon and a splash of cherry liqueur. Stir with ice. Garnish with brandied cherry and a cinnamon stick. Sip like a grown-up.

4. Spiked Eggnog (From Scratch)

If you’ve only had the store-bought stuff, you don’t know eggnog. Make it fresh with egg yolks, heavy cream, milk, sugar, nutmeg, and a mix of rum and brandy. Chill it and top each serving with grated nutmeg. It’s custard you can drink, and it’s incredible.

5. Peppermint White Russian

Vodka. Coffee liqueur. Peppermint schnapps. Heavy cream. Shake it over ice or layer it in the glass if you’re dramatic. Garnish with crushed candy cane on the rim if you’re extra dramatic. Sweet, creamy, with just enough edge to keep it interesting.

6. Mulled Wine (With Bite)

Simmer red wine (not the expensive stuff) with orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and a hit of brandy. Add honey or maple to sweeten slightly. Serve hot in mugs with fresh citrus. It’s holiday aromatherapy in a cup.

7. Gingerbread Bourbon Flip

This one’s silky. Combine bourbon, egg yolk, molasses, cream, and a dash of ground ginger and cinnamon. Shake hard without ice, then again with ice. Double strain and top with fresh nutmeg. Tastes like dessert. Feels like a party.

8. Christmas Paloma

Take the classic Paloma and bring it into December. Tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, rosemary simple syrup. Shake and pour over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with grapefruit peel and rosemary. Refreshing and unexpected.

9. Pomegranate Champagne Sparkler

Drop a spoon of pomegranate seeds into a coupe. Add a splash of pomegranate juice and top with dry Champagne. Simple, clean, and borderline dangerous because it goes down way too easy.

10. Smoked Manhattan

Classic Manhattan—rye, sweet vermouth, bitters—gets leveled up with a smoked glass. Light a cedar plank or cinnamon stick under the glass and trap the smoke. Build the drink in a mixing glass, stir with ice, then strain into the smoked glass. Grown-up energy only.

11. Hot Buttered Rum (Not the Weird Version)

Forget the gloopy mix. Combine dark rum, hot water, a little brown sugar, and a small knob of spiced butter (made with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove). Stir until melted. It’s smooth, warming, and just enough richness to make it holiday-worthy.

12. Apple Cider Bourbon Smash

Muddle apple slices with lemon juice and maple syrup. Add bourbon and shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass and top with a little club soda. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and thin apple slice. Think: fall + winter had a very drinkable baby.

13. Chocolate Espresso Martini

A splash of espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur—but with a small amount of chocolate liqueur to push it into dessert territory. Shake hard, strain into a chilled coupe. Top with a few coffee beans. Serve after dinner when people start nodding off.

14. Fig & Thyme Martini

Muddle figs and thyme, shake with vodka, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Strain into a coupe and garnish with thyme sprig. It’s earthy, unexpected, and ridiculously good with a cheese board.

15. Blood Orange Negroni

Switch out the standard orange for blood orange juice and peel. Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Stir and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a blood orange twist. Elegant, bitter, beautiful.

Bonus: Batch Cocktail Pro Tip

Batch these in advance (without dilution), store in a sealed bottle or jar in the fridge. Right before serving, stir over ice or top with soda/Champagne. Less mess, more time to vibe with your guests.

Final Word

Holiday drinks should bring joy, not regret. These aren’t overly sweet, Pinterest-y messes. They’re legit cocktails with layers of flavour, bold presentation, and real chef-level thought behind them. So skip the syrupy shortcuts. Mix like you mean it. And whatever you do—don’t let your guests drink from a plastic snowman cup. They deserve better. You do too.