5 Best Cocktail Recipes for the Holiday Season
Are you looking for some holiday libation ideas? Well, look no further. I have 5 great cocktails for you to serve to serve at your next holiday party.
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5 Holiday Cocktails for 5 Holiday Events
When you’re having a holiday party, you’ll want to know how to make the perfect holiday cocktail. When we entertain during the holiday season, we typically only offer a few beer options and a white and red wine along with a few non-alcoholic beverages. But I love to offer my guests a signature cocktail as a welcome to our home drink.
It’s been my experience that most people will only want one and then switch to their preferred drink. That being said, you don’t need to spend a fortune on ingredients for a ton of drinks. I also only have one “special” drink per event.
I also love a great charcuterie board for any type of entertaining. I share how to make a perfect board HERE.
Holiday Cocktail Party
I think a martini is so fitting for a holiday cocktail party. It’s a classic cocktail that is easy to modify to make it a favorite holiday drink. Martinis are guaranteed to get everyone into the holiday spirit. I know that I sure love them 🙂 It’s probably my favorite cocktail.
This is also a perfect cocktail to ring in the new year.
Cran-Raspberry Sparkling Martini
Ingredients
- 1 oz champagne or prosecco
- 1-1/2 oz Raspberry Vodka
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz Cran-Raspberry Cocktail Juice
- 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Pour champagne or prosecco into a martini glass
- Shake remaining ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with sugared raspberries and fresh spring of rosemary
Notes
Making Sugared Cranberries & Raspberries
It’s really simple. Dip your fresh cranberries and raspberries into simple syrup, to coat. Then put your fruit into a bowl of sugar and gently toss the fruit to coat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fruit from the bowl of sugar and let rest on a piece of parchment paper.
You can also put these on parchment paper on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for 1/2 hour to make fruit ice-cubes (sugared)
Casual Football Sunday Holiday Get-Together
I never thought I enjoyed bourbon and I’m not a huge beer fan. This boozy beverage was surprisingly yummy and something I would have again.
Beer Infused Old-Fashion
Ingredients
- 1 oz oatmeal stout I used Samual Smith
- 1-1/2 oz your choice of bourbon I use Woodford Reserve
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 3 dashes bitter
- orange peel & maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Mix all in a tall glass with plenty of ice cubes. Garnish with cherries and orange peel.
Holiday Cookie Exchange
This cocktail is perfect for an afternoon cookie exchange or holiday luncheon. It’s light on alcohol and calories. It would look beautiful in a punch bowl at your Christmas party
Cran-Raspberry Wine Spritzer
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Prosecco
- 1 ounces sparkling water
- 1 ounces cran-raspberry drink
Instructions
- Pour over ice and garnish with raspberries
Ice Skating Party
If you’re having a winter holiday outdoor party, you want to have something that warms you from the inside out. This hot toddy-type cocktail will warm you up after an afternoon of skating.
Bailey’s Peppermint Coffee
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
- 5 oz coffee
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Crushed Peppermint candy or peppermint bark
Instructions
- Brew coffee and add to cup with baileys
- Whip cream until stiff – spoon the whipped cream on top of the coffee mixture
- garnish with crushed peppermint or peppermint bark
Notes
A hot chocolate bar would be perfect for the younger crowd.
This is also perfect for a cocktail to enjoy on a cozy night in front of the fireplace.
If you’re looking for some non-alcoholic iced-coffee drink idea, you can find it HERE
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is a big deal in our family and we really enjoy a long evening of eating, drinking, opening presents, and just having family fun.
This holiday twist on the classic Moscow mule is the best drink for a casual holiday party.
This cocktail is perfect for our very special night!
Raspberry Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 oz vodka
- 4 oz ginger beer
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- juice from 1/2 of lime
Instructions
- mix all ingredients in a copper mug and add ice
- garnish with rosemary and sugared cranberries
Conclusion
Creating a special signature holiday drink is such a nice way to make your guests feel special. I hope these will give you a few ideas for your next occasion.
We are hosting a small dinner party soon and I’m planning one signature, welcome cocktail, and then we will have wine paired with each course of our meal.
Cheers,
Meet Me
Created by Lynn Vogeler, Small House Kitchen is a celebration of the joy found in mostly from-scratch cooking and the magic that happens when great ingredients meet limitless imagination. In our small house, we turn simple ingredients into extraordinary meals with big flavors.
You can find out about all of my other passions; decorating, entertaining, organizing, and gardening over at livinglargeinasmallhouse.com
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These all look SO yummy!! Can’t wait to try them all!!
This of course was a very fun post to prepare for! We had some friends over so I didn’t have to drink them all! I did take a sip of everyone and they were all really yummy!
The cocktails look so festive Lynn! You are an amazing hostess!
Thank you Cindy – This was a really fun post to write. Well at least it was a really fun post to prepare for 🙂
I’m so ready! The toughest part is deciding which one to start with. Beautiful and delicious — a winning combination every time!
Make them all!
Wow! These cocktails sounds amazing! and so easy, too.
I even enjoyed a sip of the one with whiskey. I didn’t think I would.
The wine spritzer looks amazing Lynn! I’ll be trying that recipe this year! Maybe after this blog hop????????
That sounds like a plan!
These cocktail recipes offer such variety and each looks like the perfect touch for a holiday gathering! Thanks for the great ideas, Lynn! Cheers!
Hi Laura –
They all are really yummy and a great option for different kind of holiday get-togethers
Hi Lynn! These recipes look so festive and yummy! I’m going to share this post in my weekly newsletter on Saturday! Hope you are doing well!
Thank you Donna for sharing!