45 Christmas Cocktails to Warm Guests This Holiday Season
Welcome visitors this year with a fancy drink.
When it comes to the cold, dark, winter holidays, there's something special about welcoming guests into your home and treating them to a festive cocktail! With the Christmas season upon us, we're all about the seasonal sips and warming drinks.
Cocktails might seem intimidating if you've never served them at a gathering before, especially a Christmas dinner, but they don't have to be complicated! And we've rounded up our favorites to help your holiday soirées run smoothly. Hosting a crowd? Serve up a big bowl of punch, so you're not stuck with a shaker all evening. Hosting a more intimate gathering? Get supplies for 2 to 3 of these, and then offer up a fun little menu.
We've got simple and sweet cocktails like Jingle Juice Punch. Then there are the warm drinks like mulled wine and Hot Buttered Rum to keep your guests cozy from the cold. And then we've got traditional classics like Tom and Jerry and Wassail. No matter which you choose, it's a surefire way to elevate your Christmas party!
More Festive Christmas Recipes:
Christmas Cocoa Martini
Our cozy, wintry, and chocolate-forward take on the classic espresso martini is a sweet-tooth’s dream. Chocolate is the star of this cocktail, with crème di cacao, chocolate bitters, and cacao powder packing a delicious chocolatey punch.
Pear Fizz Cocktail
By marrying fresh pear juice with pear brandy, our Pear Fizz exhibits bold and rich pear flavors, while also maintaining the airy effervescence one would expect from a fizz cocktail.
Santa’s Cappello Cocktail
This fun, low-ABV sour cocktail combines two iconic Italian aperitivos—Campari and Aperol—with wintery citrus flavors for a bracing bittersweetness suited for a Christmastime happy hour. Serve it in a vintage martini glass and you have the shape and colors of a Santa hat!
Cinnamon Hot Toddy
This scalable recipe makes a big batch, so you can host an outdoor gathering—perhaps a snow-shoeing trek, or some Christmas caroling—then warm everyone up with their own mug when you get back inside.
“White Christmas” Margarita
🎵We're dreaming of (this) White Christmas🎵...cocktail!
Pomegranate Margarita
This classic tequila-and-lime cocktail has endless variations. But one of our favorite ways to enjoy it around the holidays is with a touch of seasonal flavor!
Mulled Red Wine
There's nothing like a warm (and warming!) cup of spiced wine when you're in from a cold outing—whether that's an old-fashioned sleigh ride, a bout of Christmas caroling, or simply a tromp through the snow on a winter's eve.
Tom and Jerry Cocktail
This classic drink is a serious upgrade to eggnog!
Candy Cane Champagne Cocktail
This easy cocktail is like a set of icicle lights in a glass: It's classy, sparkly, and oh-so-Christmassy.
Jingle Juice Punch
A very good Christmas party drink doesn't have to be difficult. This festive Jingle Juice punch is simple and delicious—and because it's a punch, you can mix it up and let guests serve themselves.
Traditional Wassail
Traditional wassail is a lot less sweet than today's modern mulled cider or mulled wine recipes, but it's absolutely delicious.
If you're hosting a traditional caroling party or simply want to taste a winter drink with a lot of history behind it, give this recipe a try.
Poinsettia Cocktail
We combine tart-sweet pomegranate molasses with tequila and seasonal flavors like cinnamon and rosemary for a cocktail that is guaranteed to stand out at your next holiday party.
Peppermint Eggnog
What's better than rich, homemade eggnog at Christmas? How about a bright, sweet cup of peppermint nog, with a splash of rum or bourbon in it? Yeah, that's better.
Sparkling Cider and Bourbon Cocktail
With its sweet kick and butterscotchy flavor, the holidays are peak bourbon cocktail time. This simple, four-ingredient cocktail can be served over ice or in a Champagne glass.
Cranberry Mulled White Wine
If you find traditional mulled wine to be a little too heavy, try this lighter, white-wine version. Flavored with spices, cranberries, and a touch of honey, it's every bit as warming as its counterparts, but with a tart, clean taste.
Grilled Orange Old-Fashioned
It's been a good run, pumpkin spice latte, but it might just be time to hang up your hat. This sweet, smoky bourbon cocktail is the real drink of the Christmas season.
Woodchuck Warmer Apple Cider Cocktail
This hot cocktail gets its name from an old nickname for Vermonters—where they really take their apples seriously. It's the most delicious way to stay warm over the holidays!
Sparkling Pear & Orange Champagne Punch
It's the zesty Christmas cocktail you never knew you needed. Pro tip: Use a Bundt pan to make a citrus-and-cranberry ice ring. It couldn't be simpler!
Old Scholar Rye Whiskey Cocktail
What else could we name a drink that involves muddled sage? Spicy rye complements sweet orange juice and sage in this simple and classy Christmas sipper.
Cranberry-Ginger Shrub
This bold flavored mixer makes an excellent mocktail for precocious young'uns and guests who abstain. And you can always dress it up with a bit of junipery gin.
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