The 40 Best Holiday Cocktails

As humorist David Sedaris says of his own clan, “no amount of physical contact could match the healing powers of a well made cocktail.” We’re all for making the most of both — all the hugs, all the beverages! — and we’re here with expert assistance on the latter. So, ready your bar cart, prep the garnishes, invite over your nearest and dearest and raise a glass to the holiday season.

This elegant infusion is all about clever (and easy) prep: Throw its spiced-pear mixture together the night before you’re expecting guests to give the fruit time to soak up flavor. Just before party time, top off each serving with a bit of bubbly. Dispense modest “oh, it’s just a little something I had in the fridge!” responses as needed.

If your vision of holiday cocktails is a Technicolor one, this is clearly the format in which to serve them. These eye-popping combos of gin, citrus, crème de menthe and peppermint syrup deserve the ornamental treatment, no? We mean that figuratively, mind you: Spring for durable, reusable plastic baubles to make the most of the look and minimize the risk of yuletide medical emergencies.

A dash of maple syrup balances bright apple brandy and lemon juice just beautifully in this celebration of fresh-pressed cider. Garnished with sliver-thin fruit slices and served in coupes you’ve chilled in the freezer (you’re chilling your coupes in the freezer before cocktail hour, right?), this evocative seasonal treat is the perfect welcome drink.

“When your presentation is on point,” Frontgate Brand Manager Kate Beebe explains, “even the most basic beverage is instantly elevated. Here I’ve merely mixed pomegranate juice, a splash of blood orange juice and prosecco for my guests (with some pomegranate seeds to keep it festive. But the drink stirrers and details (hello vintage holiday glasses!) make the libation all the more special.” Follow in her fabulous footsteps by pulling out your favorite glassware and accessories, then filling a quarter of each glass with pomegranate juice. Top off those glasses with sparkling wine, add the aforementioned smidge of OJ, stir and sprinkle with pomegranate arils.

Collin Nicholas of Portland, Oregon’s Pink Rabbit gave the Cosmo a mischievous tweak with Chinato, a spiced and fortified Italian wine, and gave rise to the Bad Santa, “lending a certain spice-driven quality begging to be enjoyed in the cold winter months,” he explains. Place a large ice cube in a glass, then add 0.5 ounces each of lime juice, simple syrup, and Cointreau and 1.5 ounces of Grey Goose Vodka; add 3 dashes of Chareau aloe liqueur, then stir for 10 seconds and float 0.25 ounces each of cranberry juice and Chinato over the cube.

Dust off the slow cooker you received for the holidays last year and put it to work to brew up rich, chocolatey goodness that you can serve to the kiddos as-is, topped with a wee marshmallow snowman, of course! Or, skip the snowman and make it boozy by topping your mug with a hearty pour of your favorite liqueur, instead. Cocktail or mocktail — your choice! Either way, this hot cocoa recipe is one guests of all ages will melt for.

For hot seasonal recipes, there’s a counterpart to that chilling-coupes-in-the-freezer move at the other end of the thermometer. This sunny Italian drink combines coconut rum, crème de cacao and Tia Maria to cultivate a snowbird’s-dessert vibe, but we’d argue that its real genius is in its topping: to garnish a sip like this one without cooling it down, bathe your can of whipped cream in a pan of medium-hot water for three to five minutes.

Portland, Oregon’s Steven Smith Teamaker serves up a jewel-bright Merry Maker’s Punch that’ll dazzle your visitors this season: based on a spiced hibiscus tea blend with cranberry, honey and spice, it includes notes of ginger, cassia, sarsaparilla and clove. Create a punch concentrate by steeping a 1-quart hibiscus tea sachet in 1 cup of just-boiled water for 5 minutes, then adding 1 cup of cold water; combine with 2 cups of apple cider, then bring to a simmer on the stovetop with cinnamon sticks and cranberries. Sweeten with sugar to taste, add bourbon if you like, and garnish with orange slices, fresh cranberries and rosemary.

Real talk: Eggnog is a divisive drink, and its supporters and detractors are entrenched. Skip the debate this year and shake up your menu (no pun intended) by deploying this traditional Ecuadorian family recipe that’s also known as Rumpope (pronounced “rom-poe-pay”). It’s a new-to-many-Americans combination of eggs, condensed milk, peaches, vanilla extract and cinnamon — and it might just be the sweet, silky compromise your party needs.

It’s hard to go wrong with an Old Fashioned, but we’d argue that this one’s especially right: adapted for warming up in a saucepan, dividing into two mugs, and garnishing with homemade maraschino cherries, this nightcap is just the thing to serve while wearing fuzzy slippers, snuggling a pup and preparing to doze in front of a classic movie.

With delicate citrus notes, rosé champagne and sparkling white wine, this effervescent crowd pleaser is ideal for a Jazz Age-themed holiday cocktail gathering. It’s also a more-than-welcome alternative to a steaming mug of cocoa when the radiator kicks into high gear at an ugly sweater party, and a single batch serves 25(!).

Behold the highest and best use of the fancy fruit that’s ubiquitous in gift baskets this time of year: a spicy, sophisticated brandy-and-prosecco punch that looks as good as it tastes. These Bartlett pears and blood oranges studded with star anise and whole cloves are the perfect focal point for your party (and gathering spot for your guests, no doubt).

Prepared as a pitcher cocktail, this extra-tart twist on a citrusy classic partners well with salty snacks at a gift exchange. Swap salted margarita glasses for sugar-rimmed wine goblets to tweak the sweetness and presentation ju-u-ust a tad.

Simplify holiday hosting with this not-too-sweet cranberry cocktail you can make days before a holiday open house, ornament-making party, ugly sweater bash or our favorite: a festive Friendsmas party. Serve this big-batch cocktail in a punch bowl, pitcher or large beverage dispenser so guests can help themselves, leaving you free to mix, mingle and get your merry on, too!

The magic of mixology transforms humble apple cider into an epic dessert in a mug thanks to a splash of Tuaca, an Italian brandy, Mediterranean citrus and vanilla spice liqueur first created in the Renaissance in honor of Lorenzo de Medici. It made its way to America after servicemen stationed in Livorno, Italy fell in love with it during World War II. How’s that for cocktail trivia? Psst: If you want to make this or any hot-cider-based cocktail just a bit zingier, add a bit of tangerine juice before heating.

This feels like the year moonshine should make its debut in your mug, no? The experts at Richmond, Virginia’s Belle Isle craft distillery offer their Peppermint Patty infusion (made with real chocolate and fresh mint) for your consideration: a depth charge of 2 ounces in 6-8 ounces of otherwise-unassuming hot cocoa kicked up with 2-3 dashes of Fee Brothers’ Aztec Chocolate bitters, then stirred and garnished with whipped cream and marshmallows are the holiday innovation we’ve all earned.

When it’s time to roll out an old-school crowd-pleaser, this citrusy, gingery sparkler is just the thing to get your party started. It’s delicious, of course, but it’s also social-media-worthy, thanks to rosemary sprigs and the pomegranate-aril-studded ‘wreath’ that keeps it cool. You’ve got vintage teacups to serve it in, you say? Excellent.

Thanks to rosemary simple syrup and sprigs of the fresh stuff, this vivid cocktail smells fantastic (and by using gin with botanical notes, you can turn that seasonal scent up even higher). The base here is Lambrusco, a sparkling Italian red that just so happens to be the very best wine to drink with pizza — so we’ve taken care of your whole menu, basically.

Speaking of pie-adjacent cocktails, can we speak about rimming glasses with crushed graham crackers (as with this deliciously clever, dessert-inspired drink)? In this case, that thoughtful detail will bring out the flavor of the butterscotch schnapps in the recipe. In all cases, it’s a pro-level, fireplace-season nod to summertime classics like margaritas with salted rims.

Torn between serving a digestif or a hot drink after a holiday meal? Split the difference with this hybrid, a sophisticated concoction created by topping fresh-brewed coffee with Kahlua, slightly-sweet Old Tom gin and Licor 43, an aromatic elixir that’s the most popular liqueur in Spain. (Don’t be shy about contributing a dash of Licor 43 to other hot coffee- and espresso-based drinks; it plays very well with others.)

Speaking of gorgeously tart kumquats (which are ripe and often available at farmers’ markets, gourmet stores and Asian groceries in the winter), you can hit a pitch-perfect citrus note in a round of bubbles by whipping up a batch of champagne- or sparkling wine-ready compote with a little sugar and water. Round out your bellini bar with add-ins like cranberry sauce and pomegranate arils, and from where we’re sitting, you’ve won brunch.

Take two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from “delightful dinner accompaniment” to “this is the best-smelling house I’ve ever entered and I might sit by the fire with my mug for the rest of my life” with just 10 minutes of simmering with sugar, cloves and cinnamon, then fortification with port and brandy. Want an extra garnish? Float a wee kumquat studded with whole cloves in each glass.

Let a spare vanilla bean make its way from holiday baking into your next batch of simple syrup and your mixology will never be the same. Miguel Buencamino of Charleston, South Carolina’s Holy City Handcraft puts it to work by combining 2.5 ounces of Blade & Bow bourbon with 0.5 ounces of vanilla simple syrup and 5 dashes of Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice, stirring and straining over a large ice cube in a glass, and garnishing with an orange twist and an Italian cherry.

Essentially dessert in a glass, serve up this after-dinner drink instead of pie, cookies or cheesecake. The pudding-like texture will satisfy their sweet tooth while the combo of Kahlua and Frangelico delivers a coffee + chocolate one-two punch.

Created on New York City’s Lower East Side by third-generation bartender Giuseppe González, this showstopping, tea-based recipe is a floral, earthy brew that Anglophiles will adore. To conjure its magic at your place, steep hot black tea (such as English Breakfast or Earl Grey) overnight. When it's time for drinks, reheat the tea, sweeten with 1 part simple syrup to 3 parts tea, then combine with 1.25 ounces of Hendrick’s or Ford’s Gin and serve in a coffee glass with a float of frothy cream.

If mules were meant to be a warm-weather-only treat, why do their iconic coppery mugs look so fabulous on holiday tables, hmm? Heated up for winter gatherings and brightened with cranberry, this gingery midcentury classic is an intriguing alternative to mulled cider.

This chilled holiday-brunch stunner, in turn, features vodka infused with herbal tea. Delicate botanical notes — chamomile or jasmine is an excellent choice for this recipe — complement the flavor of elderflower liqueur like the components of an artfully-arranged bouquet. (Bonus points, of course, if your signature cocktail echoes the flora of your tablescape.)

Created by mixologist Jon Feuersanger at Denver's Beast + Bottle, this matcha-based cocktail is the holiday curveball your guests will be trying to re-create at their gatherings next year. Channel your inner Stanley Tucci and combine 1.5 ounces of Don Ciccio & Figli Finocchietto (a clean, herbaceous Neapolitan liqueur made with fennel), 1 ounce of lemon juice, 0.75 ounces of honey syrup, 0.25 ounces of aquafaba (also known as the liquid you find in a can of chickpeas), and 0.25 teaspoons of matcha powder. Shake with ice, then double-strain in a tea cup and garnish with edible rose petals and fresh fennel fronds.

Dreaming of a white Christmas this year? Well, we can't promise snow — but we can promise you'll feel a bit more festive after one (or two, no judgements here!) of these sweet sips. Glasses rimmed with both chocolate syrup and crumbled graham crackers take these creamy cocktails up a notch.

This mischievous holiday mainstay from San Francisco’s Elixir is popular all year long, and we’re confident it’ll be an MVP at your place as well. Create its batter — which can be stored in your freezer indefinitely — by whisking or blending together 2 pounds of dark brown sugar; 1 pound of softened, unsalted butter; 4 teaspoons each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg; 1 teaspoon each of allspice, cardamom and vanilla extract; and 1 quart of vanilla ice cream. When cocktail hour is nigh, pre-heat a mug with hot water, then combine 2 heaping tablespoons of batter with 2 teaspoons of aged rum, then top with 4 to 6 ounces of hot water and stir.

After enjoying a first heyday in the colonial era, hot buttered booze roared into pop culture when Kenneth Roberts name-checked it in his 1937 historical-fiction bestseller, Northwest Passage. (The cocktail trivia continues!) Put a few 21st-century twists on the classic by replacing rum with a favorite bourbon, then serving your creation in sleek double-walled glasses.

This hot-coffee-based fireside favorite pairs sweet details like a homemade butterscotch drizzle and real maple syrup with warm-your-bones kicks of whiskey and hazelnut liqueur. To serve up a non-alcoholic alternative, just skip the booze and add a splash of hazelnut syrup.

Here’s a brilliant way to make use of the extra refrigerated pie crust you picked up and don’t need after all: This sweet and tart drink’s tasty topper is a crumble. Want to take the recipe to the next level? Make your own maraschino cherries.

If an odd bottle of white has been languishing in your wine rack, waiting its turn, this recipe is its Cinderella moment: with apple brandy, fresh ginger and aromatic spices to perform fairy-godmother duty, the delicate mulled drink you’ll create is downright magical. (Serve it in a pretty soup tureen, as we did here, for extra drama.)

The most comforting things are often the simplest: warm milk in a stovetop pan or the microwave, stir in butterscotch schnapps (or butterscotch syrup) and honey, then settle your brain for a long winter’s nap. Let’s make this the year holiday pajama parties become a thing, yes?

Homemade cranberry-and-rosemary simple syrup strikes up a beautiful garden-to-table friendship with Maker’s Mark bourbon in this seasonal version of a southern charmer. Skip the bourbon — or swap in an alcohol-free alternative like The Spirit of Bourbon — to serve this julep as a refreshing, herbaceous mocktail.

Evoke a bit of Portland, Oregon’s craft-cocktail charisma at your place with this sip from neighborhood bistro Café Nell. Create seasonal simple syrup (1 cup each of water and honey, boiled together and combined with a rosemary sprig, a cinnamon stick, and 2 fresh cloves), then spoon 1.25 ounces of the mixture in an old-fashioned glass, add an extra-large ice cube and top with 2 ounces of Jim Beam bourbon. Stir and garnish with a flamed rosemary sprig and sliced cranberries.

Once you’ve prepped this sweet treat by pulling together gingerbread simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 inch peeled fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon whole cloves; simmer for 10 minutes and strain), perfuming your place all afternoon and evening is a snap. Add 1.5 parts syrup, 1.5 parts vanilla vodka, 1 part Kahlua and 2 parts whole milk to your slow cooker, crank it to low heat, and call it a day.

A nutty, toasty mugful you can sip while opening presents, this large-batch cocktail can also simmer in the slow cooker all day and greet afternoon guests for an open house. Pull it together by combining 1.5 parts bourbon, 1 part Licor 43, 1/3 part real maple syrup, 4 parts pecan ale (we like Lazy Magnolia’s brewed-in-Mississippi Southern Pecan) — and garnish each serving with a mini waffle dipped in maple syrup, of course.