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These 30 Christmas Cocktail Recipes Are Our Gift to You (Cheers!)

If these don't get you feeling holly jolly, I don't know what will.

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Liberation de Paris Wines/Maybourne Beverly Hills

We're officially in the countdown to Christmas, which means my brain is in holiday mode 24/7. I don't know about you, but I'm so beyond ready for steaming mugs of cider, ugly sweaters, and party after party after party where fun cocktails are poured by the chimney with care.

Now, I don't think it's any secret that this has been A Year™. (LOL, I definitely said that last year too.) And personally, I could use a drink right about now. (Because a good cocktail can feel life-changing, even if everything outside is still falling apart, right?) So, in the hopes of making the world a teeny bit better of a place, I'm providing you with all the festive drink inspo you never knew you needed. That's right, I've got 30 Christmas cocktail recipes at the ready, and they're all for you.

Keep scrolling down, because no matter what kind of celebratory cocktail you’re in the mood for, I've got you covered this season. Whether you’re looking for a punch, a margarita, or just a twist on good old-fashioned champagne or eggnog, I've got the goods to get you in the holiday spirit...as long as you've got a bar cart full of spirits (ya see what I did there?). Cheers, friends!

1

Cranberry Persimmon Sangria

cranberry persimmon sangria
Short Girl Tall Order

In a large pitcher, add a bottle of white wine, 2 ounces vodka, a cup of fresh cranberries, 2 persimmons (thinly sliced), and a cinnamon stick, and allow it to soak for 1 to 4 hours. When you’re ready to drink, take out the cinnamon stick and add in a 750-milliliter bottle of sparkling cider. Serve over crushed ice and enjoy!

Recipe from Short Girl Tall Order

2

Smokin’ Santè

smokin santè
Cheers to Happy Hour

With ice, shake together 2 ounces Scotch, ½ ounce Cynar liqueur, ½ ounce mezcal, and 3 dashes Angostura bitters.

Recipe from Cheers to Happy Hour

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3

Mocha Irish Coffee

mocha irish coffee
Mad March Hare Poitín

Add 5 tablespoons fresh ground coffee and 2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder to a French press. Heat up 2 cups of water on a stove, and once it’s near boiling, add it to the French press and stir.

Allow the coffee to steep for 5 minutes while you microwave some milk for 45 seconds. Press the plunger of your French press down and then combine the coffee with your warmed milk. Stir in 1 ounce Irish Poitín, and top it all off with some whipped cream.

Recipe from Mad March Hare Poitín

4

Cranberry Crush

a glass with a drink in it
Mumm Napa

Combine 1 part gin, ½ part lemon juice, and ½ part cranberry syrup in a champagne flute. Top with 4 parts Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. Drop in several cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

For the cranberry syrup: Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add ½ cup cranberries and simmer for one more minute. Cover and remove from heat. After 10 minutes, muddle the cranberries and let sit for another 20 minutes. Fine strain and cool before using.

Recipe from Mumm Napa

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5

Holiday Vodka Cranberry

king st vodka
King St Vodka

In a cocktail shaker with ice, add 2 ounces of King St. Vodka, 1 ounce of Aperol, 2 ounces of cranberry juice, 1 ounce of lemon juice, and a 1/2 ounce of cinnamon-orange simple syrup. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled glass and top with sparkling water. Garnish with frozen cranberries!

Recipe from King St. Vodka

6

Rosemary Cinnamon Blood Orange Cocktail

a slice of orange on a plate
Studio June LA

Muddle 1 blood orange (sliced), and 1 sprig of fresh rosemary in a glass. Add in 2 ounces of Off Hours Bourbon and ½ ounce of simple syrup along with ice. Stir all the ingredients. Top with soda water (optional), then add in a cinnamon stick. Garnish with rosemary and a blood orange slice.

Recipe from Off Hours Bourbon

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7

The Egg Girl

drink, gin and tonic, herb, food, distilled beverage, rosemary, mojito, shrub, fizz, ingredient,
Molly Yeh

In an ice-filled glass, combine 1 ounce aquavit and ½ ounce rosemary syrup. Fill to the top with sparkling water. Garnish the glass with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of orange peel.

Recipe from Girl Meets Farm host Molly Yeh

8

Reign Back

drink, champagne cocktail, alcoholic beverage, french 75, wine cocktail, distilled beverage, classic cocktail, cocktail, hot buttered rum, food,
Ned Derosier

To make curaçao, peel 6 oranges, carefully cutting off any pith. Place the peels in a large mason jar and pour in a bottle of Jefferson’s Bourbon. Allow to steep for 24 hours or until bourbon has absorbed a distinct orange flavor. Strain out the peels and add ⅓ cup simple syrup.

To make the cocktail, pour 1 ounce Jefferson’s curaçao and 1 ounce Jefferson’s Bourbon into a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with an orange peel twirled around your finger.

Recipe from Lindsay Galt, lead bartender at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana

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9

Cider Rules

food, drink, chocolate milk, mousse, cuisine, dessert, ingredient, non alcoholic beverage, dish,
GT Fish & Oyster

Add 2 ounces rye or rum depending on your taste preference. Add 1 ounce reduced apple cider syrup. Then add ½ ounce lemon juice. Add 3 dashes angostura bitters and 3 dashes walnut bitters. Shake and serve over ice. Garnish with a dehydrated apple slice and a dusting of nutmeg.

Recipe from Brian Daigle at GT Fish & Oyster in Chicago

10

The Crimson Crown

a glass of red liquid with cherry tomatoes on a white surface
Sparkling Pointe

Pour ½ ounce Great Jones Straight Bourbon in a glass. Add 1 ounce Heimat Cranberry Liqueur and two dashes orange bitters. Top with 4 ounces Sparkling Pointe Brut.

Recipe from Great Jones Distilling Co.

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11

Pumpkin Spice Hot Toddy

christmas, christmas eve, lighting, drink, non alcoholic beverage, christmas decoration, eggnog, food, fir, cinnamon,
Headquarters Beercade

Halve and de-seed 1 butternut squash and roast on 425 degrees until soft. Mash squash together with white sugar at a 6:1 ratio, with more sugar than squash. Incorporate 3 bags loose chai tea. Let rest for more than 2 hours. For best effect, let it sit overnight.

Add 1½ ounces spiced rum, ¾ ounces chai pumpkin, and ¼ ounce lemon juice. Heat the mixture slowly and add 3 to 5 ounces water until all the sugar is dissolved. Strain and cool. Keep refrigerated, and it will have a shelf life of 4 weeks. Serve hot in a mug.

Recipe from Headquarters Beercade in Nashville

12

Spiced Orange Martini

a group of martini glasses
Grey Goose

In a mixing glass, add 1¾ ounces Grey Goose vodka, ⅔ ounces white port, and ⅓ ounces Cointreau. Fill with ice and stir with a bar spoon. Strain into a martini cocktail glass. Garnish with a thin slice of orange, grated cinnamon, and star anise.

Recipe from Grey Goose

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13

1888 Coquito

a bottle of alcohol next to a glass of beer
Brugal 1888

Pour 12 ounces Brugal 1888 rum, 13½ ounces coconut milk, 11 ounces coconut cream, 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounce can evaporated milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into a blender. Blitz to combine, then pour into a large jug and add the cinnamon stick. Chill for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. Will keep in the fridge for up to four days. When you're ready to serve, stir the coquito, then pour small measures over ice, if using, and sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Recipe from Brugal 1888

14

Spiced Apple Sangria

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Courtesy

Place a few cinnamon sticks and 2 chopped honeycrisp apples in a large pitcher. Add 1 bottle red wine, such as Liberation de Paris Côte du Rhone, ½ cup brandy, ¼ cup Cointreau, and 1 cup cranberry juice. Refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Serve in glasses with cinnamon-sugar rims.

Recipe from Liberation de Paris Wines

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15

S’mores Tradition

dish, cuisine, food, comfort food,
Courtesy

In a shaker over ice, combine 1 ounce Remy Martin XO, ¾ ounces Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, ¼ ounce Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, ½ ounce chocolate syrup, and 1 egg white. Shake and strain. Pour the mixture back into the shaker, and shake without ice, then pour into a snifter glass (you'll understand once you Google it). Top with graham cracker crumbs and toasted marshmallows.

Recipe from Maybourne Beverly Hills

16

Nolet’s Silver Mint Gimlet

food, liquid,
Nolet's

Gently muddle 2 or 3 mint leaves in a shaker. Add ice, 2 ounces Nolet’s Silver Gin, 1 ounce lime juice, and ¼ ounce mint simple syrup. Shake vigorously, and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.

For the mint simple syrup: Place 1½ cups fresh mint leaves and stems in a glass jar. Boil 1 cup water with 1½ cups granulated sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture into the glass jar. When cool, discard mint and refrigerate.

Recipe from Nolet’s

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17

Bourbon Maple Chai Punch

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Courtesy

Combine 1½ cups fresh lemon juice, 2 cups strong chai tea, 1½ cups maple syrup, 2 cups apple cider, 2 cups dry hard cider, 4 dashes orange bitters, and 3 cups bourbon in a large punch bowl. Immediately before serving, add a few generous scoops of ice, and top with 4 cups sparkling water. Garnish with apple slices, lemon wheels, and cinnamon sticks. Serves 12 or more.

Recipe from mixologist John Henderson

18

Sugar Plum Highball

a bottle of alcohol and a glass of beer on a table
Legent

Add ½ part Legent Bourbon, 2½ teaspoons of plum liqueur, and 1 teaspoon Italian bitter apéritif over ice in a highball glass. Top with 4 parts club soda. Garnish with a bamboo leaf, if desired.

Recipe from Kenta Goto for Legent Bourbon

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19

Candy Cane Lane

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Courtesy

Melt one package of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Dip rims of champagne flutes in the chocolate, then roll in crushed candy canes. Place glasses in the fridge to allow chocolate to harden. For each cocktail, combine 4 ounces Stella Rosa Imperiale Prosecco and 1 ounce peppermint vodka in one of the prepared flutes.

Recipe from Stella Rosa Imperiale Prosecco

20

Meiomi Sparkler

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Courtesy

Combine 1 tablespoon simple syrup and 1½ tablespoons juice from a Meyer lemon in a wide flute. Fill to the top with Meiomi sparkling wine, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Recipe from Meiomi

Headshot of Annabel Iwegbue

Annabel Iwegbue is a culture editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers pop culture, lifestyle, relationships, and digital trends. She previously wrote for Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel’s work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter. 

Headshot of Jillian Fabiano
Jillian Fabiano is an Editorial Intern with a passion for trash TV and sample sale shopping in NYC
Headshot of Hannah Chubb
Hannah Chubb
Lifestyle Editor
Hannah Chubb is the lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things home, travel, food, health, career, and more. She spends pretty much every hour of every day curating the internet for the best new products, trends, and travel destinations. You can typically find her looking for houses she can't afford on Zillow or Airbnb, planning her next meal before she gets to the restaurant, or taking all of the Justin Bieber classes over and over and over again on Peloton. Follow her on Instagram.
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