There are so many great flavors that make their star debut this time of year. Cranberry, mint, nutmeg, cloves, and pomegranate to name a few. We’ve crafted a list of 10 wintery and appropriately festive drinks to celebrate the holidays with that feature a multitude of holiday flavors.
*Ingredients listed in bold are available at Bartell’s – selections may vary.
Pomegranate Mojito
There are so many different spins on mojitos these days, but none look and taste more Christmas-y than a pomegranate version. Red, green, and delicious – what more do you need? (Makes 2)
Ingredients:
8 large fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1 tablespoon lime juice from ½ fresh lime
½ cup Bacardi White Rum
1 cup pomegranate juice
½ cup La Croix Sparkling Water
Lime wheels/wedges and pomegranate arils for garnish
In a shaker, muddle mint leaves with simple syrup and lime juice. Add rum and pomegranate juice. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into 2 glasses filled with ice and top evenly with ¼ cup club soda each. Garnish with mint sprigs, lime wheels and fresh pomegranate arils, if desired.
*Modified from https://theblondcook.com/pomegranate-mojitos/
White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
An excellent use of the candy canes you buy but never get around to eating. White as snow and a rim bedazzled with crushed candy canes, this adult version of peppermint bark is perfect to sip while sitting next to the tree.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz white chocolate liqueur
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka
1 oz creme de cacao – (clear/white)
1 oz half and half
½ oz Rumple Minze Peppermint Schnapps
White chocolate syrup and crushed peppermints to garnish
Begin by preparing your martini glass. Rim the edge of the glass with white chocolate syrup; then dip it into crushed candy canes. Set glass aside. Add the white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, half and half, and peppermint schnapps to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into your prepared martini glass.
*Modified from https://inspiredbycharm.com/white-chocolate-peppermint-martini/
Jack Frosty
We couldn’t say this list was complete without something in a wintery blue! A refreshing spin on a spiked lemonade, this beautiful blue drink will have you thinking of the North Pole.
Ingredients:
1 part Tito’s Vodka
2 parts La Marca Prosecco
1/2 part Blue Curaçao
1 part Nantucket Nectars Lemonade
Ice
Lemon wedge, for rimming
White sugar, for rimming
In a blender, combine vodka, Prosecco, blue curaçao, lemonade, and ice. Blend until combined. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of the glass then dip in sugar. Pour frosty into rimmed glass and serve immediately.
*Modified from https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56849/drunk-jack-frosties-recipe/
Gingerbread Eggnog
A white Russian, but make it taste like Christmas! This rich and oh-so delicious cocktail is the adult version of dunking your gingerbread cookie in your afternoon coffee.
Ingredients:
1 tsp cinnamon and sugar, mixed
1 part eggnog
1 part Skyy Vodka
1 part Kahlúa
2 tsp molasses, plus more for drizzling
Pinch ground ginger
Whipped cream, for topping
Wet rim of a cocktail glass and dip in cinnamon sugar. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add eggnog, vodka, Kahlúa, molasses, and ginger and shake to combine. Pour into rimmed glass. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with molasses before serving.
*Modified from https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/recipes/a45175/gingerbread-eggnog-white-russian-recipe/
French 75
Classy on any occasion, this refreshing lemony glass of bubbles is especially perfect for your midnight toast on New Year’s Eve.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
2 oz chilled Domaine Ste Michelle Sparkling Wine
Lemon twist
Combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup together in a cocktail shaker with a few pieces of ice. Cover with a lid and vigorously shake for a few seconds to combine. Strain the mixture into a champagne flute and top with champagne. Serve immediately, garnished with a lemon twist if desired.
*Modified from https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/french-75-recipe/
Cinnamon Rosemary Old Fashioned
Try this seasonal twist on an old classic. This one takes a bit of extra time to create the rosemary infused simple syrup, but it’s well worth it in the end!
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Rosemary Simple Syrup
½ cup Sue Bee Honey
½ cup water
6 sprigs rosemary
3 cinnamon sticks
For the Cocktail
4 tsp Cinnamon Rosemary simple syrup
3 dashes angostura bitters
2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 orange peel
Rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)
Start with making the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, rosemary sprigs, and cinnamon sticks over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until honey has dissolved into water. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Once cool, remove rosemary and cinnamon sticks and transfer to an airtight container.
For the cocktail, add 4 teaspoons of the cinnamon rosemary simple syrup and 3 dashes of bitters to an Old Fashioned glass. Swirl syrup and bitters around in glass. Add bourbon, ice, orange peel, and stir. Store extra simple syrup in airtight container in refrigerator.
*Modified from https://saltedplains.com/cinnamon-rosemary-old-fashioned/
Holiday Mimosas
Brunching on Christmas morning or New Year’s Day? These holiday mimosas have such a festive spin with cranberry, apple, and pomegranate. You could also add a fresh sprig of rosemary or thyme for an added wreath effect. (Makes 8)
Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 cup whole fresh cranberries
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup Martinelli Sparkling Apple Grape Juice
1 bottle La Marca Prosecco
In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine apples, cranberries, grapes, and pomegranate seeds. Pour sparkling juice and prosecco in the bowl and stir well to serve.
*Modified from https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a50824/christmosas-recipe/
Grapefruit Cardamom Gin Fizz
A beautiful shade of pink with refreshing grapefruit flavor, this gin fizz takes on a holiday theme with a bit of cardamom and an earthy rosemary syrup. Similar to the Old Fashioned above, this one takes an extra step to make the infusions, but hey – a little effort pays off with the end result!
Ingredients:
Cardamom Infused Gin + Rosemary Syrup
½ cup Hendrick’s Gin
3 Cardamom pods
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 Rosemary sprig
For the Cocktail
1 oz Rosemary syrup (recipe below)
1.5 oz Cardamom infused gin (recipe below)
¼ cup Ocean Spray Grapefruit juice
Splash of La Marca Prosecco, chilled
Rosemary sprig
Grapefruit peel, for garnish
In a small jar with an airtight lid add gin and cardamom pods. Seal and store for 24 hours.
To make the rosemary simple syrup, bring sugar, water and rosemary sprig to a simmer in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Remove the rosemary and use right away, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To make the cocktail, pour rosemary syrup, infused gin, and grapefruit juice over ice in a cocktail mixer and shake to combine. Using a strainer, divide the mixture in two glasses filled with ice. Top with prosecco and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a grapefruit peel.
*Modified from https://themodernproper.com/grapefruit-cardamom-gin-fizz
Sparkling Clementine
Is it even December if you don’t have a bag of clementines laying around? Delicious as they are to peel apart and eat, put a few of them to even better use in this citrus and herb cocktail.
Ingredients:
2 oz Ketel One Vodka
6 oz sparkling orange juice – try La Croix or Bubly Sparkling Water in Orange if you want to control the sweetness (add a little simple syrup or honey), or try San Pellegrino in Blood Orange
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1 clementine or orange slices
2 sprigs fresh Thyme
Cut one sprig of thyme into half or thirds and drop into a glass. Pour vodka into the glass and let the thyme soak at the bottom for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Discard thyme. Add an orange slice or several wedges of clementine and pomegranate seeds and lightly muddle. Fill glass with ice and top with the sparkling orange juice. Garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme.
*Modified from https://heatherchristo.com/2015/12/23/sparkling-clementine-thyme-cocktail/
Mistletoe Margarita
Our last on this list, but certainly not least! What’s essentially a standard margarita is made festive with cranberry flavor and a red and green garnish. Easy to make, delicious to drink – what more could you ask for? (Makes 4)
Ingredients:
¼ cup whole cranberries
1/8 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tbsp salt
1 wedge lime, for rim
1 cup Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
6 oz El Jimador Tequila
4 oz Triple sec
¼ cup plus ½ tbsp lime juice, divided
6 cups ice
Mint, for garnish
In a medium bowl, toss cranberries with ½ tablespoon lime juice. Drain out lime juice, then toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour onto a baking sheet to dry. Combine remaining sugar with salt on a shallow plate and mix to combine. Using the lime wedge, wet rim of each glass, then dip in sugar salt mixture. Combine cranberry juice, tequila, triple sec, remaining ¼ cup lime juice, and ice in a large blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint and a couple sugared cranberries.
*Modified from https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a25242232/mistletoe-margaritas-recipe/
And there you have it! 10 beautiful cocktails to make throughout this holiday season. Which one will you try first?
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