12 Holiday Cocktail Drink Recipes That Will Get You In The Christmas Spirit!
The Christmas season is right upon us, and you all know what that means – it’s party time! You’re bound to attend a party or two with your buds, colleagues, and family. Come to think about it, that’s a lot of parties to attend. Unless you plan to live like a hermit and forego enjoying the holiday altogether, you know you’re going to get sloshed. You’ll see that bottle of Johnnie Walker and you go, “No! No! No!” Which actually seems ironic because you’re already holding out a glass, getting ready for that shot to be poured into it.
So, let your hair down and say, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” instead. Of course, you may want to change a boring drink or two, scratch it off the list, and go for something special. Hey, it’s Christmas time after all. And if you plan to create a new list of resolutions come New Year, then enjoy the sinful life for now. Zip your mouth if you have to until then. Still, how much would you want to bet that you’re not going to pull through with some of your resolutions? You just can’t say no to alcohol! In fact, don’t even plan to make a promise you can’t keep – that’s resolution number 1 on your list! With these holiday drinks, the experience just gets better and better every single time!
Drink 1: Eggnog
You shouldn’t even be surprised to find this at the top of the list. It is, after all, the most popular holiday drink to date. It was brought to use via the English settlers who apparently, had more sense of humor than we give them credit for. The centuries old wine-milk-egg drink has definitely been redefined. Instead of wine, people enjoy it with a dash or a gallon of rum, it all really depends on the number of alcoholic men in the room. It’s an acquired taste, but admittedly, more and more people become converts every single year. It’s not only tasty, but it’s so easy to make. Even an aspiring drunk can put this together.
What You Need:
- 4 egg yolks & whites
- 1/3 cup sugar (and add a tablespoon’s worth if you want it a little sweeter)
- 1 pint whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces bourbon whiskey
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
What to Do:
Get a mixing bowl and beat the egg yolks. Slowly add the sugar and mix until it’s completely dissolved. Then, stir in the milk, nutmeg, bourbon and cream. Mix until you get an even texture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they become soft. Add in the extra tablespoon of sugar. Beat the new mixture until egg whites become stiff. Now, whisk this and pour into the first mixture. Chill and serve cold.
Drink 2: Hot Buttered Rum
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Harry Potter may have had his butter beer, but that’s child’s play compared to this. You’ll certainly see Christmas lights hovering above your head at the end of the night. But don’t worry because the other guests are just as wasted. This drink tastes so good that you forget to keep tabs. The next thing you know, you’re singing the Christmas carols and irritating some guests with your drunken slur. And if you drink enough, you may be singing until Easter.
What You Need:
- 1 bottle dark rum
- 1 stick butter (let it sit out until it becomes soft)
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of ground cloves
- A pinch of salt
- Boiling water
What to Do:
Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Cream them using a mixer. Refrigerate until the mixture becomes slightly firm. Then, spoon the mixture in small mugs half way with the rum. Then, fill the rest with boiling water. Stir and serve.
Drink 3: Christmas Cookie
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This is for the little child in you. The next time you go out with your friends and your wife asks you what you had, you can honestly tell her that you simply had a Christmas cookie. Little does she know that this is far from the innocent treat that she is thinking of. Maybe this drink was invented by a man who didn’t want to get nagged when he got home. It’s easy to make and quick to drink. More importantly, you get that kick you’re looking for after several glasses.
What You Need:
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- 1 ounce Bailey’s
What to Do:
Combine everything is a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain the mixture in a martini glass. It’s that simple!
Drink 4: The Grinch
Tired of all the singing and the love? You’ve been fighting your way through the mad holiday rush and now, you want to strangle that idiot who’s purchased the sale items you had your eye on. Shut your trap for now and bear with it. Or, it may be time to bring out your inner Grinch and have a glass that’s named after your true nature. A few drinks of these and you’ll have the classic case of Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Hyde, except this time, the changes are the other way around. From the Grinch, you could very well be the next St. Nick. This drink makes you feel the Christmas spirit!
What You Need:
- 2 ounces Midori
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
What to Do:
Combine everything in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain the mixture in a martini glass. Garnish using a maraschino cherry.
Drink 5: Candy Cane
Nope, this isn’t the candy cane you’ll find hanging on the tree. This one we’re talking about is the candy cane adults appreciate. It comes with a hint of vodka. You won’t end up with a cavity on your teeth if you have too much of this, but you’ll definitely numb a few brain cells along the way. But hey, it’s Christmas. It’s our right to become idiots for at least one night.
What You Need:
- 3/4 ounces SKYY Berry Vodka
- 3/4 ounces peppermint schnapps
- 3/4 ounces white crème de cacao
- 1/4 ounces grenadine
- Half and half
- Soda water
What to Do:
Pour the vodka, peppermint schnapps, white creme de cacao, and grenadine into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Rim the mouth of the glass with peppermint candy. Then, fill it with half and half. Add a splash of soda water at the end and serve.
Drink 6: Crème Brulee Martini
This is the perfect dessert drink. The crème is actually an optional add-on, but if you want your night to be as sweet as this drink, then do what you want. Garnish the rim of the glass with brown sugar and you’ll be singing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas at the end of the night.
What You Need:
- 1 ounce vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce Frangelico
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau
What to Do:
Rim the cocktail glass with brown sugar. Mix the vodka, Frangelico, and Cointreau in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain, serve, and enjoy.
Drink 7: Red Hot Santa Tini
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This is a stylish drink that must’ve come straight from Santa’s workshop. It gives you the holiday cheers on the very first sip. But don’t wait for Christmas time to enjoy this one. This might just make you wish that the holidays were year-round festivities. But then again, that might just prove to be a little too much on your budget.
What You Need:
- 2 ounces chili-infused vodka
- 2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur
- Cocoa powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Sweetened whipping cream
- One small Thai chili pepper
What to Do:
Mix some cocoa powder with a pinch of cayenne pepper in a rim-chilled martini glass. Then, shake the vodka up with the chocolate liqueur. Pour the mixture into the glass. Top it off with whipped cream and garnish with chili pepper.
Drink 8: Gingerbread Martini
This is perfect for those who want to work for their alcohol. You might think that this is foolish, but believe it or not, knowing that you’ve worked hard to get inebriated is actually quite rewarding.
What You Need:
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger
- 2 sticks cinnamin
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1/2-1 ounce ginger syrup
- Ice
What to Do:
Bring the first 5 ingredients to a simmer and slowly stir the syrup for about fifteen minutes. Pour the hot syrup using a fine sieve and chill. Let the syrup sit. Then, pour the vodka and ginger syrup into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain it into a cocktail glass.
Drink 9: The Gingerbread Man
This gingerbread man is the most unique one yet. He wants to get caught and he wants you drunk pronto! A few glasses of this and the lights in your head will shut down. You’ll be out of commission for a while, but you’ll also have the sweetest dreams ever.
What You Need:
- 1 1/2 ounces of vanilla vodka
- 4 ounces of ginger beer
What to Do:
Pour the vodka over ice and chill. Then, mix in the ginger beer, add garnishes of your choice, and serve cold.
Drink 10: Pumpkin Martini
This isn’t for people with vivid imaginations. It looks a lot like baby vomit, but if you plan to puke by night’s end, you can always tell people that you simply spilled the drink on yourself. It’s great camouflage for a blubbering idiot who can’t hold his drink.
What You Need:
- 2 ounces pumpkin flavored vodka
- Cointreau
What to Do:
Combine some pumpkin pie spices and brown sugar on a plate until evenly mixed. Dip the rim of the martini glass in water, then into the sugar-spice mix for a tasty rim garnish. Next, swirl a splash of cointreau in the glass, then dump it out. In a cocktail shaker, combine the pumpkin vodka with some ice. Shake the vodka and ice up and strain it into the glass. Add a cinnamon stick for extra flavor.
Drink 11: Nutcracker Sweet
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It’s sweet and yummy. It might have gotten its name from the famous Christmas ballet, but once you get to taste it, you’ll know how it gets the name. You’re sure to feel a little nutty when you’ve had one too many glasses of this.
What You Need:
- 1 1/2 ounces of vodka
- 1/2 ounce of Amaretto
- 3/4 ounce of creme de cacao
- One maraschino cherry
Optional for rim garnish:
- Chocolate
- Crushed almonds
What to Do:
Melt chocolate on a shallow plate. Mix crushed almonds into it and dip the rim of the martini glass. Then, mix vodka, amaretto, and creme de cacao with ice in a shaker. Strain and garnish with drop in a maraschino cherry on top. Serve and enjoy!
Drink 12: Slippery Santa
The Slippery Nipple was obviously this drink’s inspiration. And just like its namesake, it’s potent, strong, and loads of fun. This is great when you have men and women over at your house. And because it’s served in a shot glass, you can just imagine how potent this is. This drink obviously refers to the Santa Claus who’s made his living as a successful bartender up in the North Pole. The beer gut that he has doesn’t come from the glasses of Heineken he’s consumed during his life. In fact, you can blame this high calorie recipe for his weight issues. But you gotta give it to the man. He remains to be jolly despite the fact that he’s tipped the weighing scales since who knows when. Come to think about it, it must be because of this.
What You Need:
- 1 ounce Blavod Black Vodka
- 1/2 ounce cinnamon schnapps
- Whipped cream
- One maraschino cherry
What to do:
Pour the cinnamon schnapps into a shot glass before you begin. Then, pour in the vodka and top the shot with whipped cream. Add cherry to give it some character.
Children have their own version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Now, you have your very own version as well. But this list that you have is more precious than the 5 golden rings and the partridge in a pear tree. Now, if you only had that 9 ladies dancing, then this list will be better!
