2023 Holiday Cocktail Recipes

The holidays are upon us! Haul out the holly and deck out your menus with festive holiday cocktail recipes. We've collected some holiday cocktail recipes to get you started.

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Recipe & image: Gray Whale Gin

Big Sur Sunset

Ingredients:

2 parts Gray Whale Gin

1 part Lemon juice

0.75 parts Raspberry syrup

0.5 parts Orgeat

1 Egg white

Garnish: Raspberries and mint leaves

Directions:

  1. Reverse dry shake and double strain into a coupe glass
  2. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Recipe & photo: Duke & Dame

Duke & Dame Peppermint Mocha

Ingredients:

2 oz Duke & Dame

2 oz Espresso

1 oz Peppermint Schnapps

5 oz whole milk (or non-dairy milk)

1/2 oz simple syrup

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Directions:

Stir warm milk with cocoa powder until fully blended. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir again. Top off with whipped cream & chocolate sprinkles.

 

holiday cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Claire Mallett, Beverage Director, Catch One

Santa's Mule-Tide

Ingredients:

2 oz Three Spirit Liverner

0.75 oz Becherovka Herbal Liqueur

0.5 oz Cranberry 

0.5 oz Lemon

Top with East Imperial Tonic Water 

Garnish with Rosemary and a Dirty Sue Olive

Directions:

  1. Put the Liverner, Becherovka, Cranberry & Lemon in a shaker with ice
  2. Shake and strain into a glass with ice
  3. Top with East Imperial Tonic Water
  4. Garnish with a sprig of Rosemary and a Dirty Sue Olive

 

Chai Spiced Horchata 

Recipe courtesy of Zurvita

Ingredients:

1 scoop of Zurvita's Zeal Horchata

1 cup of rice milk

1 chai tea bag

1 tablespoon of honey (adjust to taste - omit for vegans)

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

Ice cubes (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat the rice milk: Pour the rice milk into a small saucepan and warm it over low heat. You want it to be warm, but not boiling.
  2. Steep the chai tea: Once the milk is warm, add the chai tea bag to the saucepan. Let it steep for about 5 minutes to infuse the chai flavor into the milk. Remove the tea bag and discard.
  3. Mix in Zeal Horchata: In a separate glass or container, add one scoop of Zurvita's Zeal Horchata.
  4. Combine the ingredients: Slowly pour the warm chai-infused rice milk over the Zeal Horchata. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Add spices and sweetener: Stir in the ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Add honey to sweeten, adjusting to your taste preferences. Stir well to ensure the spices are evenly distributed.
  6. Chill (optional): If you prefer a cold drink, refrigerate the Chai Spiced Horchata for at least an hour.
  7. Serve: Pour the Chai Spiced Horchata into a glass filled with ice cubes (if desired). Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

 

cranberry holiday spritz
Photo & recipe: Josh Cellars

Cranberry Holiday Spritz 

Ingredients:

1 part Josh Cellars Pinot Grigio

.5 part lemon Juice

.75 part cranberry spiced simple syrup (simple syrup with cranberries and cinnamon)

Top with ginger beer

Sugar covered cranberries to garnish

Ice

Directions:

  1. Combine all but the ginger beer in a shaker.
  2. Shake and strain into a rocks class or a tall glass and top with ginger beer.
  3. Garnish with the cranberries.

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Recipe and photo: Bevi

Grinch Cocktail 

Ingredients:

1 ½ ounces midori liqueur

1 ounce clear rum

3.5 ounces Bevi Lemon sparkling water (set flavor to high)

3.5 ounces Bevi Key Lime sparkling water (set flavor to high)

1 maraschino cherry, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Fill a lowball glass with ice.
  2. Add midori liqueur and rum.
  3. Top with Bevi Lemon and Bevi Key
  4. Lime sparkling water, setting the flavor to high.
  5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Photo & recipe: Havana Club Rum

Havana Club Crema de Vie Cocktail (Cuban Eggnog)

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

6 large egg yolks

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. Havana Club Añejo Blanco

Directions:

  1. Mix the sugar and water together over very low heat in a medium pot, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves – about 3 minutes. It has to be just low enough so that the sugar doesn’t caramelize, but makes a thick sugary water.
  2. Place egg yolks and condensed milk in a blender and mix well.
  3. Slowly add the evaporated milk and mix completely. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
  4. Pour the mixture into the sugar-water and stir well.
  5. Stir in the Havana Club Añejo Blanco.
  6. Optional: Shave the Havana Club Crema de Vie Chocolate Bar on top.
  7. Makes a carafe for sharing.

 

Gingerbread Man 

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz. Sammy’s Beach Platinum Rum

¼ ounce Sammy’s Beach Bar Red Head Rum 

¾ ounce Amaro Averna (Italian bitter digestif)

¼ ounce Monin Gingerbread Syrup

¼ ounce fresh lime juice

Garnish: fresh orange wheel 

Directions:

  1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the rums, Amaro Averna, gingerbread syrup and lime juice.
  2. Shake well and strain into Collins, or highball glass filled with ice.
  3. Garnish with a fresh orange wheel.
  4. Note: Depending on the size of your glass, you may need to double the recipe. 

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Photo & recipes: Bespoken Rye Whiskey

Bespoken Rye Manhattan

Ingredients:

2 oz Bespoken Rye Whiskey

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

1 to 2 dashes Bitters

Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

 

holiday cocktail recipe
Recipe and photo: Willie's Superbrew

Cornucopia

Ingredients:

1 oz Premium Vodka
¼ oz Maraschino Liqueur
¼ oz Passionfruit Syrup
½ oz Pomegranate Juice
2 oz Willie’s Superbrew Juicy Mango Tango or your favorite mango juice

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients except Juicy Mango Tango to a shaker with ice. Shake until combined.
  2. Strain into chilled coupe glass and slowly top with Juicy Mango Tango.
  3. Express orange zest and garnish with Luxardo cherry skewer.

 

holiday cocktail recipe mintini
Photo & recipe: Photo credit: Courtesy of Skybar at Mondrian Los Angeles​

MINTini

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz Titos Vodka

1 oz Baileys Vanilla Mint

1/2 oz Kahlua

1/2 oz Bomani Cold Buzz

Directions:

  1. Shaken and poured into a Martini glass
  2. Garnish: peppermint rim and a mint leaf
  3. Served with a can of Bomani Cold Buzz

 

holiday cocktail recipes
Photo & recipe: Derrin Davis / Owner and Executive Chef, WaterFire Restaurant & Bar, Yakima, WA

Blackberry Sage Gin & Tonic

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Hendricks Gin

1/2 oz. The Perfect Purée Blackberry Puree, thawed

1 oz. sage syrup

Splash of fresh lemon juice

Splash of tonic

One blackberry and one sage leaf on a skewer

Directions:

  1. Build ingredients in a pounder glass.
  2. Strain into a single rocks glass.
  3. Garnish with berry-sage skewer.

 

holiday cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: The Rogue Brussel Sprout

Holiday Rum Mule cocktail

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Kōloa Kaua`i Spice Rum

1 oz Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Rum

½ oz lime juice

4 oz ginger beer

Directions:

  1. In a mule mug, combine the rum and lime juice with ice and stir.
  2. Top off with ginger beer.
  3. Garnish with orange slices, rosemary and sugared cranberries.

 

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