Flawless World
Holiday 2021

13 Delicious and Festive Cocktails for the Holidays

festive holiday cocktails

Originally published: 12/18/20 | UPDATED: 12/15/21 for relevancy and accuracy.

*Must be 21+ or over legal drinking age to consume. Please enjoy responsibly.

Time isn’t slowing down for anyone, and we are in the full swing of the holiday season. This time of year is often filled with lots of magic, chaos, family, friends, (and OK, we’ll admit it: some stress). The holiday season can create some pandemonium in everyone’s life in both big ways and small ways, which is why it’s important to take the time to sit back, and savor this time of year and all it has to offer—that’s where these holiday spirits come in.

Regardless of what your holiday season looks like, take some time to enjoy the experience of it all, and have some holiday cheer with these 13 delicious and festive holiday cocktails.

13 Delicious and Festive Holiday Cocktails:

White Christmas Margarita

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 oz silver tequila
  • 1/2 oz triple sec
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (made from squeezing juice out of limes in separate glass)
  • 1/2 oz coconut milk
  • 1/2 oz coconut water
  • 1/2 oz agave nectar
  • 3 cranberries (to garnish)
  • 1 lime wedge (to garnish)
  • cocktail shaker
  • ice
  • margarita glass or pint glass
  • salt (for rim; optional)

HOW-TO:

  1. If doing salted rim: pour salt onto plate, wet rim of glass, then dip rim into salt.
  2. Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Then pour in tequila, coconut milk, coconut water, grand marnier/triple sec, lime juice, and agave.
  3. Cover cocktail shaker and shake well! Cocktail shaker should be cold to the touch, and drink should come out frothy.
  4. Pour contents of cocktail shaker into glass, then drop cranberries into glass, and garnish with a slice of lime on rim.

Peppermintini

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 5 crushed candy canes
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz half-and-half
  • 2 oz vanilla vodka
  • 3 oz white chocolate liqueur
  • White Chocolate Liquer
  • chilled martini glass
  • cocktail shaker + strainer
  • ice

CRUSHED CANDY CANE DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place 4 or 5 peppermint candy canes into ziploc bag.
  2. Crush with a rolling pin or heavy skillet until all candy canes are coarsely crushed.

SIMPLE SYRUP DIRECTIONS*:

*This should be chilled in fridge for at least an hour before it’s used in a cocktail. It can also be made the night before and stored in fridge, covered, for 2-3 days.

  1. Pour 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water into a pot.
    1. Arianna’s note: substitute Splenda for a healthier option.
  2. Bring to a boil on stovetop, stirring frequently.
  3. Once sugar has dissolved completely, remove pot from hot burner and turn off stove. Let mixture cool completely.
    1. Note: if simple syrup seems thin and watery, add in a tiny bit more sugar; repeat if needed until mixture is thicker.
  4. Pour into glass, cover, and store in fridge for at least an hour.

HOW-TO:

  1. Place martini glass in freezer and fill cocktail shaker with ice, then add in vodka, white chocolate liqueur, half-and-half, and simple syrup.
  2. Cover cocktail shaker and shake well—shaker should be cold to the touch.
  3. Remove martini glass from freezer, then strain contents of cocktail shaker into glass.
  4. Sprinkle crushed candy canes directly into drink.

Santa Clausmopolitan

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 3 oz vodka
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (made from squeezing juice out of limes)
  • 1/2 oz triple sec
  • 2 oz white-peach cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz cranberry juice
  • coconut flakes (to garnish)
  • cocktail shaker + strainer
  • chilled martini glass
  • ice

HOW-TO:

  1. Place cocktail shaker in freezer to chill, then fill cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add in vodka, triple sec, white-peach cranberry juice, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Cover, and shake well.
  3. Remove martini glass from freezer, then strain contents of shaker into chilled martini glass.
  4. Sprinkle coconut flakes into martini.

Hot Toddy

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 oz whiskey or bourbon (personal preference)
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice (made from squeezing juice out of lemons into separate glass)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • teapot/microwave (to heat up water)
  • mug
  • cocktail spoon (substitute regular spoon)
  • cinnamon stick (to garnish; optional)

HOW-TO:

  1. Heat up water using a teapot or in the microwave.
  2. Fill mug up about halfway with water.
  3. Add honey, whiskey/bourbon, and lemon juice into mug. Stir ingredients together with spoon.
    1. Note: for a more sour drink, use 1 oz of lemon juice instead of ½ oz.
  4. Optional: garnish with cinnamon stick inside mug.

Mistletoe Margarita

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 3 oz silver tequila
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (made from squeezing juice out of limes into separate glass)
  • 1 oz simple syrup*
  • 2 oz white cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz triple sec
  • cocktail shaker
  • margarita glass (substitute pint glass)
  • 3 cranberries (to garnish)
  • ice
  • salt (for rim; optional)

*See above for simple syrup directions.

HOW-TO:

  1. If doing salted rim: pour salt onto a plate, wet rim of glass, then dip rim into salt.
  2. Fill cocktail shaker with ice, then add in tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and white cranberry juice.
  3. Cover cocktail shaker and shake well! Shaker should be cold to the touch.
  4. Pour contents of cocktail shaker into glass, then drop cranberries into drink.

Snowflake Martini

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 3 oz vodka
  • 1 oz blue cucacao
  • 1/2 oz coconut milk
  • 2 oz pineapple juice
  • coconut flakes (to garnish; optional)
  • cocktail shaker + strainer
  • chilled martini glass
  • ice

HOW-TO:

  1. Place martini glass in freezer, then fill cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add in all ingredients except for the coconut flakes. Cover and shake well—shaker should be cold to the touch.
  3. Remove martini glass from freezer, then strain in contents of cocktail shaker.
  4. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes into drink to garnish.

Hot Chocolate Heaven

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1/2 cup vegan/dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2 oz Sambuca
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow topping (may be vegan)
  • mug
  • spoon

HOW-TO:

  1. In a pot over low-medium heat, combine chocolate chips and almond milk to create hot chocolate. Bring to a light simmer; stir frequently.
    1. Note: if needed, you may add extra milk to dilute the chocolate.
  2. Once all the chocolate chips have been melted, remove pot from burner and turn burner off. Let cool for a few minutes.
  3. While hot chocolate is cooling down, pour Sambuca into mug. Follow by pouring in about 1/2 of hot chocolate.
  4. Stir contents together with spoon. Then, if needed, add in more hot chocolate, but leave enough room for topping.
  5. Drop marshmallow fluff directly into glass and enjoy.

White Cranberry Martini

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz white cranberry juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup*
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice (made from squeezing juice out of limes into separate glass)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2-3 cranberries
  • cocktail shaker + strainer
  • chilled martini glass
  • ice

*For simple syrup directions, see above.

HOW-TO:

  1. Fill cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add in a 4 count of vodka.
  3. Pour in a 2 count of both simple syrup and fresh lime juice.
  4. Add in a 5-6 count of white cranberry juice. (I like to do a 5.5 count.)
  5. Shake well! Cocktail shaker should be cold to the touch.
  6. Rim martini glass with sugar.
  7. Strain cocktail shaker into martini glass.
  8. Garnish with 2-3 cranberries inside glass.
FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL⟶

Cranberry Old Fashioned

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 3 oz bourbon
  • 1/2 oz cranberry simple syrup
  • 2-3 drops bitters
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar*
  • 2 ¼ cup cranberries
  • 1 maraschino cherry
  • 1 orange slice
  • muddler (substitute back of spoon or fork)
  • rocks glass
  • 1-2 large ice cubes
  • 1 orange peel (to garnish; optional)

*You may substitute Splenda or any other artificial sweetener for a healthier option.

CRANBERRY SIMPLE SYRUP DIRECTIONS*:

*This should be chilled in fridge for at least an hour before it’s used in a cocktail. It can also be made the night before and stored in fridge, covered, for 2-3 days.

  1. Combine cranberries, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of water in pot. Place over medium-low heat on stove.
  2. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
  3. Reduce heat, and and continue stirring frequently and cooking until cranberries are tender but haven’t burst and sugar has dissolved completely.
  4. Turn burner off, remove pot from burner. Let cool for a few minutes.
  5. Strain simple syrup into a glass or container, cover, and store in fridge. Discard used cranberries.

HOW-TO:

  1. In rocks glass, add orange slice, maraschino cherry, simple syrup, and 1/2 tsp sugar.
  2. Muddle contents together using either a muddler, or the back of spoon/fork. Do this by pressing the orange and cherry into the glass and all the ingredients.
  3. Add in ice cubes, then pour in bourbon.
  4. Lightly stir contents together with a spoon.
  5. Optional: garnish with an orange peel inside glass.

Frangelico Eggnog

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1.5 oz Frangelico
  • mug
  • sprinkle of ground cinnamon
  • cocktail spoon (substitute regular spoon)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (to garnish, optional)

HOW-TO:

  1. Pour eggnog into microwave safe mug, then heat in microwave on high for 30 seconds-1 minute.
  2. Pour in Frangelico; lightly stir.
  3. Sprinkle cinnamon into drink.
  4. Optional: garnish with cinnamon stick.

Christmas Mimosa

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 oz cranberry juice
  • 2 oz Champagne
  • 1/2 oz orange liqueur
  • Champagne flute
  • 2 cranberries (to garnish; optional)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary (to garnish; optional)

HOW-TO:

  1. Pour cranberry juice into Champagne flute, followed by Champagne, then orange liqueur.
  2. Optional: garnish with sprig of fresh rosemary and 2 cranberries in glass.

OG Champagne Cocktail

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1 sugar cube
  • 2 dashes bitters
  • 6 oz champagne
  • 1 lemon twist
  • Champagne flute

HOW-TO:

  1. Place sugar cube and bitters into Champagne flute, then fill remainder up with Champagne.
  2. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Maple Butterscotch Kiss

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 1.5 oz vodka
  • 1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps
  • 1/4 oz maple syrup
  • 1 oz half-and-half
  • fresh-ground nutmeg (to garnish)
  • cocktail shaker + strainer
  • chilled martini glass
  • ice

HOW-TO:

  1. Place martini glass in freezer, then fill cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add in vodka, butterscotch schnapps, maple syrup, and half-and-half.
  3. Cover and shake well—this drink should come out frothy, and shaker should be cold to the touch.
  4. Remove glass from freezer, then strain contents of shaker into glass.
  5. Sprinkle fresh-ground nutmeg into drink.

UP NEXT:

Decadent Vegan Hot Chocolate

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