The holiday is just around the corner, and after all the shopping trips and hanging up the decorations, it’s about time to enjoy the holiday spirit. What better way to savor the moment than to have a great drink and a conversation with your friends and family?
10 Cocktails To Kick Off The Holidays
To boost your status as the host with the most, we at MWK prepared a list of the 10 best holiday cocktails. We included a bunch of non-alcoholic ones so even your kids will love them.
1. Mulled Apple Juice / Apple Cider (non-alcoholic)
Ingredients:
- 1L (1qt) apple juice or apple cider
- Strips of orange peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- Sugar or honey to taste
Simmer the apple cider with the orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves for about 10 minutes in low heat. Pour into a festive drinking mug and add sugar or honey to taste. Add in an extra cinnamon stick for a more intense taste.
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2. Pumpkin Hot Chocolate (non-alcoholic)
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie extract
- 5 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Whipped cream and small marshmallows
Simmer milk over low heat in a pan. Add in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin extracts to slowly combine. Slowly mix in chocolate chips, stirring the whole time until smooth. Add whipped cream and marshmallows on top.
If you want to make this one alcoholic, it’s easy! Get peppermint Schnapps to add to your hot chocolate mix!
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3. Midori Martini (alcoholic cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
- Red sugar and lemon juice for decoration
This is a pretty straightforward martini. Fill the shaker with ice, add vodka, Midori, and shake. Rim the martini glass with lemon juice and strain the martini into the glass, enjoy!
4. Old Fashioned (alcoholic cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 1 sugar cube or ½ tsp. sugar
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 2 oz. bourbon or rye
- Garnish: lemon or orange twist
This is perfect if you’re looking to channel some “old-fashioned” cozy Christmas energy.
In a lowball glass, muddle together the sugar, bitters, and a dash of water. Add your favorite whiskey or rye and a large ice cube into the glass. Stir them together slowly to combine. Twist the lemon or orange peel garnish to release its flavor, then drop it into the glass and serve.
5. Mulled wine (alcoholic beverage)
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of red wine
- 1 orange, sliced round
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3-star anise
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup brandy
Combine all ingredients and simmer in medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serves warm in a mug and garnish with more citrus slices or cinnamon sticks if needed.
6. Eggnog Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Amaretto
- 1 oz vodka
- 2 oz store-bought eggnog
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of cinnamon
- Caramel sauce for the rim
In a shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, amaretto, eggnog, and 1 dash of each of the spices. Shake vigorously for at least half a minute to make sure it’s mixed well. Strain into a chilled glass and combine with the remaining spices.
7. Cinnamon Collins (alcoholic cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces vodka
- 1-ounce blood orange juice
- ½ ounce cinnamon simple syrup
- 3 ounces sparkling blood orange soda
- Blood orange wheel and cinnamon stick for garnish
In a lowball filled with ice, add in all liquid (except the soda), stir, and combine. Top the liquid with blood orange soda. Drop in a cinnamon stick and blood orange wheel as garnish and serve.
8. Irish Coffee (alcoholic cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces strong, rich hot coffee
- 1 ½ ounce Irish whiskey, Jameson is a good choice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 ounce lightly whipped heavy cream
Find an Irish Coffee Glass or lone heatproof glass and put the sugar in. Add hot coffee in and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add whiskey in and stir again, slowly. Float the whipped heavy cream on top of the drink and serve. Enjoy while warm and sip coffee through the cream without stirring.
9. Hot Toddy (alcoholic cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounce Tanqueray London Dry Gin
- ¾ ounce lemon juice
- 2 ounces hot water for the drink, enough hot water to heat the glassware
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
Heat up the glassware by filling up with hot water, let it sit for a couple of minutes, empty glass. Build the ingredients together, one by one, and stir after adding each ingredient. Add a cinnamon stick for garnish before serving.
10. Cranberry Mojito (non-alcoholic)
Ingredients:
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 ounces cranberry simple syrup
- Ice cubes
- 4 ounces sparkling water or soda water
- Fresh mint leaves, fresh cranberries, lime slices for garnish
In a tall glass, muddle together mint leaves and lime juice. Add cranberry simple syrup and stir. Put in ice cubes and sparkling water. Garnish with mint leaves, cranberries, and lime slices before serving.
More Party Ideas
These drink ideas are perfect for when you’re having a party or hosting Christmas dinner! Choose a few of them to give everyone options, or take a vote on which one everyone wants most. The best thing about most of these drink ideas is that they can also be made non-alcoholic without losing flavor.
If you’re looking for some games to pair with your cocktails, check out our party games article! Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year!
