Holiday Season Cocktail Recipes
Christmas is right around the corner, and we’re sure you’ve got Christmas parties and reunions lined up. It’s the perfect time to slow down from the hustle and bustle of the whole year and reconnect with the people we’ve barely seen as we live our hectic lives. Turn into a bartender overnight and impress everyone at your gatherings with these quick, easy and awesome Holiday Cocktail Recipes!
1. Apple Cider Mimosas
Kick off your Holiday parties with this 2-minute bubbly drink! Let it wash away the awkward
nerves and ease everyone into a lively jolly mood.
Ingredients
● 10 –12 oz. Apple Cider
● 1 Bottle of Champagne
Garnish
● Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
● To a small bowl add some ground cinnamon. Wet the rim of each champagne flute with water and dunk the wet rim in the ground cinnamon to coat the rim of the glass.
● To each champagne flute add 2 oz. of apple cider.
● Top with champagne.
● Serve.
2. Christmas Punch
Looking for an easy way to wow a crowd with only a 10-minute preparation time? Bring out the Christmas Punch – not too sweet but is oh so refreshingly flavorful!
Ingredients
● 1 Large Bag of Ice
● 5 cups 100% Cranberry Juice (40 ounces)
● 2 bottles very dry Sparkling Wine (750 ml bottles) (Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco)
● 2 cups Apple Cider
● 1 1/2 cups Diet Ginger Ale (12 ounces)
● 1 1/2 cups Dark Rum or Brandy (12 ounces)
● 2 Oranges, thinly sliced into rounds
● 1 cup Fresh Cranberries
Directions
● Make sure all of the ingredients are well chilled. Fill a large punch bowl with ice. Top with the cranberry juice, sparkling wine, apple cider, ginger ale, and rum.
● Stir gently to combine. Top with the orange slices and fresh cranberries. Enjoy!
3. Cranberrys Mimosa
Also known as the Poinsettia cocktail, this 2-ingredient drink is the highlight of your next
Christmas party. Simple and easy but it's the life of the party, making everyone feel jolly!
Ingredients
● 4 ounces Cranberry Juice
● 8 ounces Sparkling Wine (Champagne or Prosecco)
Garnish
● Sparkling sugar
● Fresh cranberries
● Fresh rosemary sprig
Directions
● Rim two champagne glasses with a little water or simple syrup and then dip in sparkling sugar.
● Pour 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice in each champagne glass.
● Add 1⁄2 cup sparkling wine to each glass.
● Top with a few fresh or frozen cranberries and serve immediately. Enjoy!
4. Maple Bourbon Smash
With the warm flavors of this cocktail, you’ll feel cozy and comfy as you sip on this drink with
the people you love. Pair it with some nostalgic stories and you’re set for the night!
Ingredients
● 3 - 4 lemon Slices
● 1⁄4 cup (2 oz.) Bourbon
● 2 tablespoons torn Fresh Sage leaves
● 2 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
● 2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Directions
● Set aside 1 lemon slice. Muddle bourbon, sage, maple syrup, lemon juice, and remaining lemon slices in a cocktail shaker to release flavors. Fill the shaker with ice cubes. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with reserved lemon slices.
5. Christmas Sangria
What can go wrong with a classic Christmas Sangria? None at all, if you ask us! Just combine
and stir and the Holiday magic will do its thing.
Ingredients
● 2 750ml bottles Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay
● 3/4 cup Sparkling apple cider
● 1/4 cup Sugar
● 1/4 cup Cranberries, halved
● 3/4 cup Cranberries, whole
● 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
● 3 Rosemary sprigs
Garnish
● Rosemary sprigs
Directions
● Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher.
● Stir together with a large wooden spoon to help the sugar dissolve.
● Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
● Serve chilled with a garnish of rosemary sprigs. Make sure to get some of the fruit in
every glass!
6. Easy White Christmas Margarita
We may not have a White Christmas in the Philippines but you can create White Christmas in a
glass. It’s a Christmas miracle indeed!
Ingredients
● 18 oz. Coconut milk (in can)
● 6 oz. Coconut water
● 6 oz. Grand marnier
● 9 oz. Silver Tequila
● 1/2 cup Lime Juice
● 3 tablespoons Agave Syrup
Garnish
● Fresh or frozen cranberries
● Lime slices
● Rosemary sprigs
Instructions
● To a large pitcher add full fat coconut milk, coconut water, grand marnier, silver tequila, lime juice and agave syrup. Using a whisk stir everything together until coconut milk no longer separates.
● Serve over ice.
● Garnish with fresh cranberries, lime slices and rosemary sprig.
7. New York Sour
A refreshing twist to the classic whiskey sour cocktail, this New York Sour Recipe features an
additional star ingredient that amps up its Holiday spirit – red wine.
Ingredients
● 4 ounces Bourbon
● 2 ounces Lemon Juice
● 2 ounces Simple Syrup
● 2 ounce Red Wine (1 ounce in each)
Garnish
● 2 lemon twist
Directions
● Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Also heap two glasses with crushed ice.
● Add bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. (4 ounces bourbon, 2 ounces lemon juice, 2 ounces simple syrup)
● Cap shaker and shake for 15 seconds and strain the contents between the two glasses. Make sure there is a half inch between the liquid and the top of the glass. The crushed ice will likely melt somewhat when you pour it in the glasses, so add some fresh ice so it fills the glass again.
● Slowly pour wine into the glasses and add a twist to each glass. (2 ounce red wine, 2 lemon twist)
8. Classic Mulled Wine
This is the Holidays in the form of a drink. The mix of fruity flavors and spices will transport you
to Christmas wine-derland.
Ingredients
● 2 Small oranges or 1 Large
● 1 bottle of Merlot
● 1⁄4 cup Brandy
● 1 to 2 tablespoons Maple syrup or Honey, to taste
● 2 whole Cinnamon Sticks
● 3 Star Anise
● 4 Whole Cloves
● Optional garnishes: Fresh whole cranberries (about 1⁄4 cup), cinnamon sticks, additional
orange rounds or half moons
Directions
● To prepare the oranges, if using 2 small oranges, slice one orange into rounds and slice the other in half. If using 1 large orange, slice it in half through the round middle, then slice one of the halves into rounds. Place the rounds into a medium heavy-bottomed pot or small Dutch oven. Squeeze the juice from the remaining oranges into the pot.
● Pour the wine into the pot, followed by the brandy. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetener for now. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves.
● Warm the mixture over medium heat until steaming (about 5 minutes), and keep an eye on it. When you start seeing the tiniest of bubbles at the surface, reduce the heat to the lowest of low.
● Carefully taste, and add another tablespoon of sweetener if it’s not sweet enough for your liking. If it’s not spicy enough to suit your preferences, continue cooking over very low heat for 5 to 10 more minutes.
● Serve in mugs with your desired garnishes! If you’re adding cranberries as I did, you can add them to the pot to make it look extra festive.
● If you expect to polish off the mulled wine within 20 minutes or so, you can keep it on the stove over extra-low heat (it will become more spicy with time). Otherwise, remove it from the heat, cover, and rewarm over low heat if necessary. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, covered (pour it through a strainer if you don’t want it to become any more spicy than it already is).
9. Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail
Let your sweet tooth run wild and free with this recipe! This sweet champagne cocktail recipe
can be a treat at any party.
Ingredients
● 1 bottle of Champagne (Sparkling wine or Rose champagne)
● Cotton candy flavor of your choice (You can make your own or buy fresh packaged
cotton candy)
Directions
● Pour champagne into glasses about 2/3 full. Do not fill to the top as you do not want the champagne to touch the cotton candy until people are ready to drink.
● Keep cotton candy sealed until right before serving (this goes for packaged cotton candy and any fresh cotton candy you may make). This will prevent your cotton candy from melting and turning hard. Right before serving, open your cotton candy and gently pull off a small tuft of cotton candy to place on top of the rim of the champagne glass. Make sure your cotton candy is slightly wider than the rim of your champagne glass so that it can sit right on top of it. Serve immediately. Place cotton candy into champagne and let cotton candy dissolve into champagne before drinking.
10. Classic Eggnog
A holiday staple that everyone is craving for the moment the Christmas season begins. Master
it and serve it in an upcoming family reunion!
Ingredients
● 1 Vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
● 4 Eggs, separated
● 100ml Sugar syrup
● 100ml Double cream
● 500ml Whole milk
● 100-150ml Brandy
● Ice
Directions
● Put the vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and sugar syrup, and beat with an electric whisk until pale, about 2-3 mins. Add the cream, milk and brandy, and beat again until just combined. Strain into a punch bowl.
● Clean the beaters, then beat the egg whites in a clean bowl to soft peaks. Fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the milk and cream mixture in the punch bowl, then add the remaining whipped egg whites. Gently fold these in until the eggnog is fluffy and smooth. Chill until ready to serve. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to a day. Just before serving, add plenty of ice, then stir gently and ladle into tumblers.