41 Christmas Cocktails to Fill Your Cup of Cheer
Our two-step holiday survival guide involves taking a deep breath, followed by making one of these Christmas cocktails (stat!). Whether steaming on the stovetop or poured over crushed ice despite a blanket of snow on the ground outside, our best holiday drinks will help to get you through whatever the season brings. Cozy night in? There’s mulled wine for that. Trying to keep warm? How about a mug of spiced hot chocolate or a boozy hot toddy? Want to make things merry and extra bright? This Spicy Citrus Refresher should do the trick. We also have plenty of elevated bubbles for rocking around the Christmas tree, punches for big holiday gatherings, and the best eggnog ever for sipping alongside a platter of just-baked Christmas cookies. Let’s dive in.
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon1/41Easy, Elegant Christmas Punch
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott2/41Champagne Cocktail
Add a little sugar and a few dashes of bitters to your favorite bubbly to create this elegant Champagne cocktail. This ultra-easy Christmas cocktail recipe is worth keeping on hand for New Year’s Eve, too.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski5/41Ginger Spritz
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophie Strangio6/41Spicy Citrus Refresher
You can make the jalapeño-spiced orange and lime juice days in advance and then top it with club soda (and, if you want it, a splash of rum) right before Christmas brunch.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Martha Bernabe8/41Stanley Tucci’s Martini
Drinking an extra-dry martini from stemmed glassware is enough to make anyone feel fancy. The fact that this recipe comes from actor and viral Instagram star Stanley Tucci is just a bonus.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman9/41French 75
This effervescent classic cocktail looks and sounds oh-so-sophisticated, yet it needs only a minute and four ingredients to assemble.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Rosanna Anil, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea12/41Easy Lemon Drop
Photo by Emma Fishman13/41Rosemary Mezcal Fizz
Herbs and smoky mezcal are excellent palate primers before a Christmas Eve roast. Garnish this festive holiday cocktail with a torched sprig of rosemary to give it a woodsy aroma reminiscent of a crackling fireside.
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott14/41Under-the-Mistletoe Punch
Made with a homemade spiced syrup, this Christmas punch recipe is reminiscent of cranberry sauce with the flavors of clove, allspice, and cinnamon sticks paired with tart cranberry juice.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski15/41Aperol Spritz
Of the numerous spritz recipes in this gallery, we’d be remiss to exclude this après ski classic. This cocktail recipe swaps out the orange wedge garnish for briny olives.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson16/41Swedish Glögg
A Scandinavian harbinger of the holiday season, you can make this generously spiced mulled wine in the slow cooker to keep it warm and ready for Christmas festivities.
Ted Cavanaugh17/41Sbagliato
Despite being the latest drink trend, the sbagliato has been around for about 100 years. The spritzy cousin to the negroni, this cocktail recipe uses bubbly prosecco instead of gin for a light and fizzy holiday aperitif.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca18/41Toasted Almond Horchata
Photographs by Emma Fishman19/41Spiced Blood Orange Shrub
Got a mess o’ fruit on hand? Make a shrub. Naturally N/A, this is one of the best Christmas cocktails for brunch or sipping throughout the day (if you want it, though, you can add a splash of vodka or whiskey).
Alex Lau20/41Sparkling Lemon Cocktail
Like a Champagne cocktail but in large-format form, this cocktail recipe elevates bubbles with Angostura bitters, lemons, and a little sweetness.
Alex Lau21/41Mexican Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is the essential non-alcoholic drink of the holiday season; this version packs in warmth with cinnamon and ground chile. Garnish with a healthy dollop of whipped cream and a cinnamon stick, and serve alongside a platter of gingerbread cookies.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime22/41Amaro Hot Toddy
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophie Strangio23/41Better Than Celery Juice
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura25/41Hot Penicillin
Bookmark this warm version of the classic Penicillin (honey, lemon, and Scotch cocktail) the next time you feel under the weather but still want to muster up a little joy.
Alex Lau27/41Spiked Hot Chocolate
Your typical homemade hot chocolate, but with a splash of something extra special (hint: it’s booze). Use a kitchen torch to gently toast the marshmallows floating on top of the drink.
Photograph by Joann Pai, Food and Prop styilng by Rebekah Peppler28/41Chambéry Cassis
Get a glass of this sparkling crimson drink in hand, and you’ll match the ornaments glittering on the tree. Because crème de cassis has a deep, heady flavor, pair it with a dry (not sweet) vermouth. If you can’t find fresh currants for the garnish, pomegranate seeds will also work.
29/41Honey-Bourbon Toddy
Keirnan Monaghan & Theo Vamvounakis30/41Red Sangria With Herbs and Citrus
This playful red wine sangria is loaded with sliced lemons, limes, and oranges; sprigs of fresh herbs; star anise pods; and orange liqueur. Make it at the beginning of the evening to enjoy with festive appetizers.
33/41Flaming Brandy Punch
Christopher Testani34/41Extra Stormy Dark and Stormy
If a white Christmas isn’t in the cards, settle for a dark and stormy one: Homemade ginger brew and rum are a match made in heaven in this upgraded classic, and lemon, lime, and candied ginger make for a well-rounded drink.
Photo by Alex Lau35/41Spicy Grapefruit Shandy
Turn cheap beer into a brunch-ready cocktail with the addition of spicy pickled ginger and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. We recommend using a lager for this recipe.
Alex Lau36/41Espresso Old Fashioned
Move over, espresso martini—there’s a new caffeinated cocktail we’re loving this holiday season. The espresso takes center stage in this iced-coffee riff on a classic Old Fashioned.
Photographs by Yudi Ela, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio37/41Tequila, Beer, and Citrus Cocktail
This Christmas cocktail recipe gets a festive flavor from grapefruit juice, lime juice, and jelly (pepper jelly if you can handle some heat). You’ll want to use blanco tequila and choose any light beer that radiates carefree vibes.
Photograph by Justin J Wee, Food Styling by Christine Albano, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni38/41Pomegranate Spritzers
Photo by Chelsie Craig39/41Winter Spiced Margarita
Give the classic margarita a holiday party upgrade with warming reposado tequila, blood orange juice, a sweet-and-spiced rim, and a cinnamon stick garnish for good measure.
Photographs by Yudi Ela, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio40/41Amaro Cocktail
This cocktail recipe pairs chocolatey Amaro Montenegro with homemade pecan orgeat to pack rich, toasty flavors that ward off the winter chill.
