Festive Holiday Drink Recipes (2024)

Add sparkle to your parties with any of our holiday themed recipes for co*cktails, eggnog, hot drinks and nonalcoholic drinks.

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Clementine-Bourbon Smash

This refreshing co*cktail made with fresh citrus and mint will be a welcome addition to your happy hour.

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Jerry Thomas' Champagne Punch

Dating to the 1800s, this recipe is easy, breezy, pink and fruity-and still completely sophisticated. It comes from Cincinnati mixologist Molly Wellman.

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Brandy Cobbler with Blood Orange and Rosemary

Indiana cookbook author Shelly Westerhausen Worcel's festive holiday co*cktail comes together quickly after you've made the rosemary simple syrup.

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The Poinsettia

Caitlin Corcoran, of Kansas City's Ca Va bar, says, "We found this cranberry juice and Grand Marnier co*cktail in an old recipe book. People gush because the rosemary sprig looks like mistletoe. Plus a lower ABV co*cktail means you can have a couple of drinks. Holiday parties are a marathon, not a sprint."

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Darling Clementine Mocktail

No offense to the classic mimosa, but not everyone wants to booze with their brunch. Enter the Darling Clementine, a tart, fizzy, deliciously pink, nonalcoholic alternative to classic morning co*cktails.

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Horsefeather

At now-closed The Rieger in Kansas City, bartenders prepared this dead-simple, gingery co*cktail with J. Rieger & Co. KC Whiskey-but any rye or blended whiskey will work!

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Eggnog Martini

Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman of the blog A Beautiful Mess share one of their favorite holiday sippers, eggnog spiked with vanilla vodka and amaretto.

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Admiral Russell's Punch

Cinicnnati mixologist Molly Wellman shares the legend behind this drink: A British admiral stranded in Spain over Christmas 1694 ordered his crew to assemble a massive punch in a courtyard fountain. Bacchanalia ensued. Consider yourself warned: This splurge of a drink is strong. But it's also nutmeggy, citrusy and wonderfully spirited in every sense.

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Sage Woodstock

This festive gin co*cktail gets its sweet-tart flavor from maple syrup and Meyer lemon juice. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook. Feeling fancy? Garnish each glass with a sage leaf or, at the holidays, sugared cranberries.

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Blue Blue Christmas co*cktail

Vodka or rum, blue curacao, and white cranberry juice form the base of this easy holiday co*cktail.

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Rosemary-Infused Grapefruit Gin co*cktail

Pretty in pink, yes, but this sweet drink has bite, too, thanks to grapefruit's subtle bitterness and the woodsy notes of gin and rosemary. This recipe makes enough rosemary-infused syrup for several co*cktails.

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Caramel-Hazelnut Café Mocha

Melted Nutella. Need we say more? Our updated version of hot chocolate is made in a slow cooker, just for kicks, and after cooking, can be kept on the warm setting for one hour.

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Cranberry Margarita

Stir up a pitcher of these rosy margaritas for your next holiday bash. The Simple Syrup recipe makes enough syrup for 30 margaritas but is easily halved or quartered.

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Ca Va Punch

"You look like an amazing host with punch at a party, but people serve themselves—so easy. This one has dark berry notes from crème de cassis, which is a black currant liqueur. It goes great with a cheese board," says Caitlin Corcoran of Kansas City's Ça Va bar.

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Spiced Apple Shrub

Tingling with fennel and allspice and infused with a pound of apples, chef Jonathon Sawyer's shrub (an old-timey drink mixer) evokes the taste of spiced cider in a sourful new-old way. The recipe comes from his cookbook House of Vinegar.

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Jolly Gin Fizz

Part punch, part co*cktail, this effervescent pink drink is perfect for holiday parties. If you don't have ginger beer or prefer a milder ginger flavor, substitute ginger ale.

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Chai-Maple Cider

Breathe deeply. This spiced cider tea from the slow cooker doubles as aromatherapy. After cooking, the cider can be kept on the warm setting for one hour.

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Vanilla Vodka Creamtini

Flavored vodka mixes with Irish cream and orange liqueurs to make this sweet, sugar-rimmed co*cktail, dubbed a creamtini.

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Oatmeal Cream Pie

Brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, butter, vanilla, egg-it's like a rich, drinkable cookie. Our slow cooker twist on classic eggnog can be kept on the warm setting for one hour.

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