Top 18 Festive Cocktails to Brighten Your December Celebrations

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of opportunities to entertain, reunite with family and friends, and share specialty cocktails meant to make your spirits merry and bright.

To help you get into a festive mood, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite holiday cocktail recipes from popular liquor brands, including seasonal versions of classic drinks, warm libations ideal for cozy nights, and sparkling beverages meant for ringing in the new year.

First, you’ll need the right tools, if you don’t already have them. Pick up a cocktail shaker, jigger, and bar spoon — this kit sold on Amazon has you covered. Rocks glasses, coupes, and Collins glasses are all great to have on hand. And don’t worry if your bar cart is looking a little bare, as you can have your favorite spirits and mixers delivered ASAP, thanks to Drizly.

Holiday Cocktail Recipes

Bacardi Coquito

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Bacardi Superior White Rum
• 0.75 oz. evaporated milk
• 0.75 oz. condensed milk
• 1 oz. cream of coconut (preferably Coco Lopez)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Directions: Shake all ingredients vigorously with plenty of ice, then strain into a glass or mug. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and coconut flakes.

Tanteo Tequila Spicy Gingerbread Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Tanteo Chipotle Tequila
• 0.5 oz. Monin gingerbread syrup
• 0.5 oz. agave nectar
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz. apple cider

Directions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled glass.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Milk Punch

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 0.75 cup sifted powdered sugar
• Half of a vanilla bean
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: In a metal bowl over an ice bath, whisk sugar, cream, milk, and bourbon until nice and frothy. Add vanilla bean and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Place the pitcher in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring on occasion. Pour into a glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Festive Fizz

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Patrón Reposado
• 0.75 oz. rosemary simple syrup
• 0.75 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. pomegranate juice
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
• 2 oz. club soda

Directions: Combine all ingredients except soda water in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and combine, then strain into a highball glass filled with ice and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Yuletide Mule

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Grey Goose Vodka
• 0.5 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
• 4 oz. ginger beer

Directions: Build all ingredients in a mule mug over ice. Garnish with cranberries and fresh rosemary.

Pomegranate Martini

Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
• 0.5 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 tbsp. fresh pomegranate arils

Directions: Muddle pomegranate arils with gin and steep for one to two hours. Add the infused gin and vermouth to a mixing glass with ice, then stir to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Holiday Cheer

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. D’ussé Cognac
• 3 oz. cloudy apple cider
• 1 oz. pomegranate juice
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon simple syrup

Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice, and shake until cold. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with an orange wheel and cinnamon stick.

The Holiday Jam

Ingredients:

• 0.75 oz. Cointreau
• 2 oz. vodka
• 0.75 oz. fresh lime juice
• 0.25 oz. cranberry juice
• 1 bar spoon blackberry jam

Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker, add ice, and shake. Fine strain into a glass. Garnish with blackberries.

Rum Punch

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
• 4 oz. simple syrup
• 2 oz. lime juice
• 12 oz. water
• 4 dashes aromatic bitters

Directions: Add all ingredients to a punch bowl and whisk briskly to combine, aerating the cocktail just like shaking would. Add ice to the punch bowl. Stir the cocktail to incorporate all ingredients and chill. Serve in a tall glass and garnish with a pinch of nutmeg and lime wedge.

Gingerbread Eggnog

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Blue Chair Bay® Vanilla Rum
• 1 cup rum cream, like Blue Chair Bay® Coconut Spiced Rum Cream
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon sugar
• 1 cup eggnog
• 2 tbsps. molasses, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• Whipped cream, for topping
• Caramel, for topping

Directions: Serves 4 cocktails. First, wet the rims of your glasses and dip in cinnamon sugar. Add eggnog, rum cream and vanilla rum, molasses, ginger, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake to combine, and pour into rimmed glasses. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel before serving.⁠

Boulevardier

Ingredients:

• 0.75 oz. Campari
• 0.75 oz. 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso
• 1.5 oz. Russell’s Reserve 10-year-old Bourbon

Directions: Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, then stir and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Warm Cocktails for Cozy Nights

Traditional Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar syrup
• 3 oz. freshly brewed coffee
• 3 oz. heavy cream, lightly whipped
• Grated nutmeg

Directions: Rinse coffee glass with hot water, then add brown sugar syrup and whiskey to glass. Fill mug with coffee. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon, if desired.

Chocolate Ahumado (Smoked Chocolate)

Ingredients:

• ¼ Taza Chocolate disc (add more for a richer consistency)
• 6 oz. milk of choice, heated
• 1.5 oz. Ojo de Tigre Mezcal
• Cinnamon

Directions: Warm a soup pan over medium heat and add milk, chocolate, and a touch of grated cinnamon. Allow ingredients to warm and slowly integrate. Once chocolate and cinnamon have fully dissolved into the milk, pour into a warm beverage mug. Add 1.5 ounces of mezcal, and stir to blend. Garnish with marshmallows and lightly grate more cinnamon on top.

Sailor Jerry Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 1 oz. butterscotch schnapps
• 1.5 oz. almond milk
• 3 oz. dark hot chocolate
• Dash of sea salt
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon

Directions: Heat milk and dark hot chocolate until combined and smooth. Add rum, butterscotch schnapps, and sea salt, then stir. Serve in a tall mug and garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Sparkling New Year’s Eve Cocktails

French 75

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Hennessy V.S.O.P. Privilège
• 0.25 oz. lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. simple syrup
• Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Champagne

Directions: Shake Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice, then strain into a chilled Champagne glass. Top slowly with three to four ounces of Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Pomegranate Fizz

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. pomegranate liqueur, like Pama
• Mionetto Prosecco Brut DOC
• Lemon

Directions: Pour one ounce of pomegranate liqueur in the flute, and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mexican 75

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. El Tesoro Extra Añejo Tequila
• 0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz. agave syrup
• Champagne

Directions: Mix all ingredients except Champagne in a shaker with ice; strain into flutes. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon peel.

Champagne Cosmo

Ingredients:

• 0.75 oz. Absolut Vodka
• 0.75 oz. cranberry juice
• 0.25 oz. triple sec
• 0.25 oz. lime juice
• Champagne

Directions: Add the first four ingredients to a Champagne flute and top with Champagne.