We have scoured the internet and TikTok, plus included a few of our own recipes, for 40 festive Christmas holiday cocktails to help you celebrate the season. Over the holidays, we get together with family and friends – from trick or treating and costume parties, to family dinners and gift exchanges. And let’s be honest, when fall finally rolls around, we’re all looking forward to those warm, cozy flavors and smells like pumpkin spice, cinnamon apple, and cranberry orange.
Sure, we love those finger foods and delicious desserts, but sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a new cocktail or two. If you’re looking for a fresh pop of color, or a new flavor combination to pair with your appetizers, this is the list for you.
Christmas will next be celebrated on Wednesday, December 25, 2024.
Scroll Down to the Bottom for the Holiday Cocktails ⬇
We’ve got something for the wine, beer, and spirits connoisseurs to get you from Halloween all the way through New Year’s Eve.
From classics like Irish coffee and spiked eggnog to fun twists on holiday flavors, these are hands-down the best cocktail recipes. You might find a new signature holiday cocktail for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or just a seasonal favorite to sip with friends and family. These festive drinks are just the thing to inspire your next happy hour or holiday party.
Holiday & Christmas Cocktail Flavors & Flavor Combinations
- Pumpkin Spice
- Cinnamon Apple
- Cranberry Orange
- Peppermint & Maple
- Gingerbread
- Bourbon Caramel
- Chai & Apple
- Sage
- Pear
- Ginger
- Pralines
- Nutmeg & Cinnamon
- Green Apple & Clove
- Cranberry & Cardamom
- Blood Orange, Honey, & Clove
- Hazelnut & Pear
- Chestnut & Vanilla
Traditional Holiday Cocktails
Here are a few drinks that are considered traditional to serve during Christmas and holiday celebrations:
- Egg Nog: The most popular holiday beverage, can be made with or without alcohol. Made-from-scratch egg nog typically includes eggs, egg yolk, sugar, heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Usually served spiked with brandy.
- Hot Buttered Rum: This one dates back to colonial times and is served warm. Made with rum, butter, sugar (you can use brown sugar), warm water, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Hot Toddy: This warm classic is made of warm water, honey, lemon, and whiskey. Experiment with other ingredients to add to this classic base.
- Mulled Wine: All this takes is red wine, brandy, and holiday spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and ginger. You can also add orange and/or lemon.
What is a traditional cocktail for Thanksgiving? Unlike the Christmas season, Thanksgiving doesn’t necessarily have a traditional cocktail. Some sources say that wine is the most-served drink for Thanksgiving celebrations. Close contenders include Apple Cider, Chai Tea, and Hot Toddy. Sparkling cider is a great alcohol-free beverage to serve at any holiday celebration, or you can make a non-alcoholic sangria. Want something warm? You can always serve pumpkin spice lattes or a good old fashioned batch of hot chocolate.
Best Beer for the Holidays
If you prefer beer over cocktails, there’s no shortage of festive flavors to choose from. Especially with all the craft breweries making seasonal creations. These stouts, IPAs, ciders, and ales are all perfect choices to serve with your next holiday gathering. Cheers!
- Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale
- Elysian Punkuccino
- Sam Adams Sweater Weather Variety Pack
- Dupont Foret Saison
- Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest
- Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA
- Austin Easciders Original Dry Cider
- New Belgium Brewing Holiday Ale
- New Belgium Oh, Sweetie Gingerbread Tart Porter
- Golden Road Brewing Champango
- Golden Road Brewing Christmas Cart
- Angry Orchard Hardcore Dark Cherry Apple
The main alcohol ingredient(s) are in parenthesis to make it quick and easy to match every vodka, whiskey, bourbon, tequila, champagne, rum, gin, beer, and wine lover to each holiday drink!
If you’re looking to celebrate with some bubbly try these 30 Champagne Cocktail Recipes.
40 Christmas Holiday Cocktails
We've gone ahead and rounded up the best holiday wine and alcohol cocktails, so you can start celebrating the most wonderful time of year.
Classic Mulled Wine (Wine)
Mulled wine works equally as well at a holiday party or for two people on a quiet night at home.
Easy Eggnog Cocktail (Vodka)
This classic delicious, creamy eggnog recipe is made with vodka, nutmeg, cinnamon and of course eggnog.
Christmas Sangria (Wine)
Christmas Sangria is a crowd pleaser and so easy to make in advance! Keep your holidays easy and delicious.
Christmas Old Fashioned (Whiskey)
If you love an old fashioned you'll love this seasonal twist with whiskey, cranberry simple syrup, and bitters.
Christmas Punch (Alcoholic (Rum or Vodka) or not)
This easy and delicious holiday party drink has all the holiday fruits you'd expect with pomegranate and cranberries. The white rum is optional.
Spiked Hot Chocolate (Barender's choice)
This recipe is very flexible with many liquors to choose from plus tasting notes!
White Christmas Cocktail (Bourbon)
This cocktail combines coconut milk and the smokey caramel flavor of bourbon into one delicious cocktail. With a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, this drink is perfect for the holiday season.
Mistletoe Martini Cranberry Christmas Cocktail (Vodka)
A holiday drink for the ages with flavors of cranberry and elderflower plus cranberries and of course vodka.
Irish Coffee
Warm up and celebrate National Irish Coffee day on Christmas Day with this classic holiday cocktail.
Poinsettia Drink (Christmas Morning Mimosas)
Vibrant and refreshing, a Poinsettia Cocktail is perfect for winter and fall when cranberries are in season and the holiday celebrations are abound.
Pecan Pie Martini (Holiday Cocktail with Vodka)
These martini's might look innocent, but trust us, between the flavored pecan vodka, vanilla vodka, and Irish cream liqueur they are anything but innocent.
Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mules (Vodka)
A Classic Moscow Mule twist with pumpkin puree, vanilla vodka, pumpkin pie spice, ginger beer, and lime.
Holiday Peppermint White Russian (Vodka)
This White Russian with a Holiday twist is made with Vodka, Kahlúa, and Peppermint Schnapps.
Gingerbread Espresso Martini
Espresso martini's are trending nowadays and this concoction puts a fun holiday twist on this drink.
Pomegranate Margaritas (Tequila)
If you're on the hunt for the best pomegranate margarita recipe-especially one that makes an entire pitcher at a time-you've found it. It's SO easy and SO good!
Abominable Snowman Cocktail (Liqueur)
This two ingredient drink is made with Frostie Blue Cream Soda and rumchata.
Cranberry Moscow Mule (Yule Mule)
This recipe takes a classic cocktail and turns it into a Christmas drink with the addition of cranberries and a rosemary garnish.
Saint Nickarita Christmas Margarita (Tequila)
You guessed it. A margarita wit tequila, cranberry and lime flavors for the most amazing holiday cocktail.
Tipsy Grinch Punch (Vodka)
Grinch punch with alcohol is made with Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid resulting in a vibrant green Christmas drink, just like the Grinch himself.
Sugar Cookie Martini
Two of my favorite things combined into one! This festive sugar cookie martini is made with Irish cream, vanilla vodka, white chocolate liqueur and whole milk.
Classic Hot Buttered Rum Recipe
Hot Buttered Rum goes back hundreds of years and is a warm, sweetly spiced concoction with a buttery vanilla flavor.
Holly Jolly Jello Shots (Vodka)
These Christmas Jell-O shots will have you feeling holly and jolly for the holidays.
The Grinch Cocktail (Christmas Cocktail with Rum)
An eye-catching and easy holiday cocktail made with fruity flavors like melon, lemon-lime, and cherry and a generous amount of rum and Midori liqueur.
Naughty but Nice Christmas Cocktail
The Naughty But Nice cocktail is a playful contrast of sweet and tempting ingredients.
Santa Cocktail
This Santa Cocktail is made with cranberry juice, grenadine, vodka, and Sprite, resulting in a red Christmas cocktail rimmed with snow (corn syrup and sugar).
Pumpkin Pie Pudding Shots (Vodka)
These pumpkin pie shots are loaded pumpkin pie flavors and alcohol (fireball and vodka) to make for a fun holiday party shot!
Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Cocktail (Holiday Cocktail with Bourbon)
Drink your turkey rather than eat it with this easy 3-ingredient bourbon Thanksgiving cocktail.
Festive Holiday Pomegranate Gin Cocktail (Christmas Cocktail with Gin)
Sparkling Cranberry Gin Fizz Holiday Cocktails look and taste like Christmas, and are perfect for pairing with all of the rich holiday offerings.
Christmas Cosmopolitan (Vodka)
A Christmas Cosmopolitan is made with vodka, Cointreau (or Triple Sec), cranberry juice and lime. A festive twist on a popular classic drink.
Fresh Cranberry Prosecco Mimosa (Prosecco)
This fresh cranberry Prosecco mimosa is made with Prosecco wine (yeah duh) and accents of cranberry and freshly squeezed orange juice. It's a fun and festive libation, perfect for the holiday season.
Quick Brandy Eggnog Cocktail (Brandy)
A creamy classic cocktail served up with brandy.
New Year's Sparkler Cocktail Recipe (Champagne/Vodka)
The flexible sparkling concoction starts with a berry-flavored vodka, some pomegranate or cranberry juice and a generous amount of champagne.
Christmas Beer Sangria (Vodka/Beer)
This one is for beer lovers because not everybody loves wine. Substitute the wine for a Christmas ale and you have Christmas beer sangria with this recipe.
Pomegranate Mojito (Rum)
This "healthy" holiday drink subs out dark rum with white rum. Make it extra wicked and sub out the Club soda for champagne too!
Jack Frost Cocktail (Vodka)
Made with Blue Curacao and vodka these cocktails are a fun and delicious winter cocktail all in one.
Apple Cider Cocktail (Bartender's choice)
Apple cider takes on a grown-up twist with the addition of your favorite spirit in this delicious Apple Cider Cocktail.
Pear & Cranberry Champagne Cocktails (Champagne)
A fancy pear-cranberry champagne cocktail perfect at any Thanksgiving or Christmas meal or a New Year's eve celebration.
20 Incredible Moscow Mule Variations (Many variations)
We've got 20 easy Moscow Mule variations here for you, starting with a classic mule then on to spring and summer flavors, a few for fall and ending with all you'll need for a perfect Moscow Mule holiday drink during the winter time!
Buddy the Elf Cocktail
Buddy the elf loves maple syrup and sugar so to no surprise this drink is full of sweetness and of course vodka too.
Dirty Shirley Cocktail
Everyone's favorite mocktail has been modified for adults and is made with grenadine, lemon-lime soda, vodka and garnished with a maraschino cherry or two. The pomegranate juice from the grenadine and and maraschino cherries create and restive red hue.
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