Festive Holiday Cocktails to Impress Your Guest
A holiday cocktail is a guest that is on everyone’s guest list for holiday gatherings. With Christmas and New Year’s Eve approaching, there are many reasons to toast and celebrate as the year comes to a close. As a party host, don’t plan a grand holiday fest and forget the holiday cocktails. Anyone can set up a bar with bottles of alcohol, but this season, impress your party guests with a signature holiday cocktail.
Holiday Mixology, No Class Required
A mixology class or skills are not needed to craft the perfect holiday cocktail. But basic bartending knowledge and tools will come in clutch for perfecting the taste. Must-have items for your bar include a jigger for accurate pours, a cocktail shaker for drinks that require shaking, and a strainer.
A good holiday cocktail incorporates the fruits and flavors of winter for a festive look and refreshing taste. Fruits like cranberries, oranges, pomegranates, and pears are associated with winter and warm flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate, but don’t forget peppermint as well.
When choosing the perfect holiday cocktail, consider the event and time. You don’t want to serve a heavy drink in the morning; the first two cocktails are perfect for brunch and starting your morning on a light buzz.
Cranberry Orange Mimosa
A cranberry orange mimosa is the perfect drink for a winter morning. The cranberry orange mimosa is a fruity drink that pairs well with breakfast, offering a low-alcohol content and is easy to make. Most mimosas are made with orange juice and champagne, but to set your holiday cocktail apart, add a cranberry simple syrup. The recipe serves five people.
Ingredients
Cranberry Simple Syrup:
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Cranberry Orange Mimosas:
1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
cranberry simple syrup
1 bottle of your favorite champagne or prosecco, chilled
Orange slices and cranberries for garnish
Directions
First, create the cranberry simple syrup, then let it chill in a refrigerator till it’s cold and ready for use. Next, start on the mimosa. Add three tablespoons of orange juice to the bottom of each champagne flute. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the cranberry simple syrup to each champagne flute based on how sweet you want the mimosa. Last, top off the champagne flutes with champagne or prosecco. Use the extra orange slice and cranberries as a garnish to the glass.
Expresso Martini
The second drink is an everyday breakfast drink spiked and a standard drink that can be ordered at most bars. A bonus is that you can order and sample the espresso martini at a bar for test reference.
An espresso martini may sound complicated, but it’s a simple yet impressive drink that can impress guests and provide an energy boost on a dragging morning.
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 oz. espresso
1 oz. Kahlua
1/2 Tbsp. Simple syrup
espresso beans
Directions
Two simple steps: start by filling the cocktail shaker with ice and all the ingredients and shake until it’s cold and foamy. Strain into a cold glass. Places a simple design by arranging 2-3 espresso beans in the middle
Sugar Cookie Cocktail
Cookies are not only for Santa. Reward gift buyers with a holiday cocktail even Santa will enjoy, with a recipe inspired by cookies. The Vanilla Wonderland Cocktail or Sugar Cookie Cocktail is all the sweetness you will need for the rest of the year. From the sugar cookie coffee creamer, vanilla vodka, and extra vanilla flavor, this cookie-flavored drink will make you forget it is a holiday cocktail. The steps are few, but the ingredient list contains only five ingredients, and more if you want to include a garnish.
Ingredients
2 oz. frosted sugar cookie coffee creamer
1 oz. vanilla-flavored Irish Cream liqueur
1 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. half and half
1/4 tsp. Torani vanilla syrup
For the garnish frosting, sprinkles,
Directions
First, garnish the glass. Start by rolling the glass rim in frosting, then dip it in sprinkles to create a festive glass. Next, in the cocktail shaker, add ice, coffee creamer, vanilla Irish cream, vanilla vodka, half-and-half, and vanilla syrup. Shake for about 15 seconds or till the shaker is chilled. Stain the sugar cookie cocktail mix into your prepared glass and add whip for an extra touch of love.
Eggnog White Russian
It’s not Christmas without eggnog. The taste of eggnog is not for everyone, but vanilla vodka is. The next holiday cocktail is a spin on two classic drinks, infusing them into one, presenting the Eggnog White Russian. The drink is a white Russian, but swap out the heavy cream for eggnog.
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 ounces of eggnog
2 ounces of Kahlua or favorite coffee liquor
1 ounce of vanilla vodka
Suggested garnish: fresh nutmeg
Directions
Shake the vodka and coffee liqueur together for about 20 seconds. Pour it into a glass over crushed ice. Last, add the eggnog on top and stir. For extra glamour, throw the fresh nutmeg on top
Christmas Cosmo
The last holiday cocktail on the menu is classic drinks with a Christmas spin. Incorporating the flavors of the winter season and holidays is the perfect send-off to mark the end of the holidays and a celebratory drink to toast the end of the year. The Christmas Cosmo is a versatile drink that you can use for your next gathering, allowing you to switch up the flavor and name to reflect the current season. For example, instead of a Christmas Cosmo, try the name Heartbreakers Cosmo for Valentine’s and replace the pomegranate juice with strawberry.
You guessed it, a Christmas Cosmo is a Cosmo, but what makes it Christmasy is the addition of pomegranate and lime juice, which add flavor and color. With just four simple ingredients and two steps, you can quickly create this holiday cocktail, which serves four people.
Ingredients
1 cup vodka
1 cup pomegranate-cranberry juice blend
1/4 cup orange liqueur
3 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice
Directions
Directions: Mix the vodka, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher. After mixing, pour half a cup of the mixture into a shaker filled with ice and shake until the shaker frosts up. Then, pour the mixture into a glass. For a clean pour and to serve the drink up, use a strainer for your pour.
Celebrate Responsibly This Season
Have fun but stay safe this holiday season. You want guests to have fun, but be careful not to overserve them. Watch for signs of intoxication and don’t let guests drive under the influence. A great party host knows when to say no, safety over cool.
