White Christmas Cocktail with Bourbon

If you’re looking for a comforting, warm Christmas cocktail then you’ve found your recipe! This delicious Christmas cocktail pairs coconut milk and bourbon for something really festive yet very easy to make! It’s the ultimate warm holiday drink.

The winter holidays are great for trying new things, and for revisiting old favorites. Thanksgiving and Christmas both have their share of holiday-themed mixed drinks, and eggnog is at the top of the list for many.

But I find that this Warm Christmas Cocktail recipe has some big advantages over the good old eggnog option; some prefer the velvety texture of the coconut milk in recipes like the one below over the texture of eggnog.

Not for everyone, mind you, but for those who are converted, this holiday cocktail can be made with or without alcohol just like “the nog”.

And there’s the added bonus of not worrying people who get concerned about a bit of raw egg in their cocktail glass from a homemade eggnog recipe-there’s at least one at every party who may be a bit squeamish on that front. This recipe is a GREAT alternative!

White Christmas Cocktail With Coconut Milk & Bourbon

Enjoy this one next to a warm fire with some holiday music playing, or gather the family around the kitchen table for cards or board games. This is a great sipping drink, and if your cup gets lukewarm you can always reheat it in the microwave.

Adding the bourbon at the very end, in each individual cup to taste is a great way to go, but if you need to travel with a batch of these cocktails pre-mixed, it may be good to err on the side of “just enough” bourbon with a bottle handy for those who might want theirs a bit stronger.

And finally, If you make two batches of this, one with bourbon and one without for the kids, it’s handy to clearly identify each container and to keep the bourbon next to or in the same bag as the adult version separate from the rest of the kid-friendly drinks or food you pack up or place on the table.

Selecting a Bourbon

There is no need to splurge on “the good stuff.” The rich, complex flavors of vanilla extract, brown sugar and nutmeg will overwhelm even the best bourbon.

Feel free to substitute the bourbon with any dark, amber colored spirit such as Irish, Scotch or Tennessee whiskey, brandy, cognac, rye or dark rum.

For a mocktail or non-alcoholic version simply don’t add bourbon and it’s still a great drink. Add a little extract vanilla extract or maple syrup, if you like.

Keep in mind there is alcohol in vanilla extract (approximately 70 proof!) so unless you’re using alcohol-free vanilla extract this isn’t a strict non-alcoholic drink, even without the bourbon. However, the small amounts of vanilla extract combined with the heating process will leave only trace amounts of alcohol, as with adding vanilla extract to most recipes.

Non-alcoholic almond extract and ginger beer will work as alcohol-free bourbon substitutes as well.

Christmas Cocktail Substitutions & Hacks

• Maple Syrup: Add real maple syrup for a flavorful spin.
• Brown Sugar: If you try to adjust the brown sugar to taste to keep the sweetness just right. You may not have time to finesse this, so it might be smart to make a batch and try adding a bit to a cup of the cocktail in small amounts to see how you like it.
• Non-Dairy Variation: For a non-dairy cocktail substitute the whole milk for oat milk, almond milk, soy milk or any other non-dairy milk. Coconut milk can also be substituted but the recipe already calls for this milk and the taste might be too overwhelming.
• Warm-Weather Variation: Try a fun warm-weather variation of this drink simply by putting it on ice; brown sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg are all ingredients that can be found in iced pumpkin lattes in the fall, why not try this one cold after you’ve enjoyed it warm over the winter holidays?

Cheers! {clink}

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Bourbon Coconut Milk Cocktail

Yield: 2 -3 Cocktails

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 - 6 oz. bourbon, or to taste
• freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat all ingredients (except nutmeg) in large saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming.
2. Whisk until frothy.
3. Heat mugs in microwave.
4. Add bourbon (start with 1 oz. per mug and let others add more if desired).
5. Top with milk mixture and garnish with grated nutmeg.
6. Serve immediately.

Try the tasty Holiday Cocktail Recipes:

• 30 Champagne Cocktail Recipes
• 31 Festive Holiday Cocktails
• Christmas Sangria
• Pomegranate Mojito
• Pomegranate Margarita
• Poinsettia Drink (Cranberry Champagne Cocktail)

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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