53 of the Best Holiday Cocktails ⋆ NellieBellie

These are the best festive cocktails from around the internet. Sorted via alcohol to make it easy to find your next favorite holiday drink!

Each year I have a few favorite cocktails I plan on making and then scour for a new recipe to try, as well. I've gathered some of my favorites from over the years and a few others that caught my eye. From vodka cocktails to mulled wine to old-fashioned's to spritzers...you'll find something for sure!

Bourbon Cocktails

This Cranberry Maple Bourbon Cocktail has the right balance of sweet and tart, with the warmth of bourbon and subtle orange tones. It is bright, delicious, and perfect for the holiday season (or any time you want the best bourbon-mixed drink!)

Cranberry Maple Bourbon Cocktail Recipe

This fruity bourbon cherry cocktail is a perfect drink for sipping on a warm summer or fall evening. The homemade brown sugar and cherry-infused syrup make this drink stand out from the rest.

Bourbon Cherry Cocktail Recipe

This brown sugar old fashioned is a cozy, fall cocktail that is easy to make. Made with a homemade brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple simple syrup. Mixed with bourbon whiskey and a twist of orange peel.

Brown Sugar Old-Fashioned Recipe

Holly Jolly Christmas Cocktail is a perfect spiked hot chocolate drink recipe! Made with bourbon (whiskey), nut liqueur (Frangelico), and butterscotch in a hot chocolate. Top with whipped cream for a warm Christmas cocktail.

Holly Jolly Christmas Cocktail

Delicious homemade Bourbon Cream is the perfect nightcap or addition to any coffee or cocktail this holiday season.

Homemade Bourbon Cream

A simple and delicious twist on a classic cocktail, this cranberry cocktail is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holiday season.

Cranberry Old-Fashioned Cocktail

More Bourbon Recipes to try:

Christmas Old Fashioned by Gastronom
Holiday Ginger Whiskey Flip from Gastronom
Pomegranate Whiskey Cocktail from NellieBellie

Vodka Cocktails

Honey simple syrup is infused with fresh rosemary and added to vodka and ginger beer for a holiday take on the Moscow Mule. This Rosemary Honey Moscow Mule will be a favorite in your house all year long!

Rosemary Honey Moscow Mule

This creamy espresso martini is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and oat milk to make it a bit richer than the classic recipe. It's perfectly enjoyed at a holiday celebration.

Creamy Espresso Martini

This Candy Cane Martini uses a delicious simple syrup made from crushed candy canes. Mix with vodka for your new favorite cocktail.

Candy Cane Martini

Vodka Christmas drinks are always a delicious way of celebrating the sweet side of the holidays. A cocktail using cake flavored vodka is special enough for a Christmas party and is a festive delight in liquid form.

Christmas Chocolate Cake Cocktail

This creamy baileys espresso martini is the best holiday cocktail. Made with fresh espresso, Baileys, Kahlua and vodka shaken together for a simple but elegant drink.

Bailey's Espresso Martini

This white chocolate martini recipe is the perfect holiday dessert drink! A sweet treat with a ton of white chocolate flavor, it makes for easy entertaining at your next Christmas party.

White Chocolate Martini

If you are looking for the perfect cocktail to serve during the festive season, look no further than this Christmas Cosmopolitan. It is a great way to begin a celebration and you can be certain that it is a crowd-pleaser. Made with vodka and Cointreau.

Christmas Cosmopolitan

More Fun Vodka Recipes to try:

Rum Cocktail Recipes:

You only need 2 main ingredients and some ice. The best part is that these ingredients are easy to find and have a great shelf life. You can totally buy the Malibu Rum and Cream of coconut and make drinks all winter long without worrying about anything spoiling!

Sex on a Snowbank Cocktail

This Santa Claus drink is a classic winter cocktail that’s perfect for holiday parties. It features coconut, cherries, cranberry juice, coconut rum, and more, for a full and appealing flavour in every sip.

Santa's Hat Coconut Rum Cocktail

Spiced pineapple hot buttered rum makes a mouth-watering drink. Whether you’re preparing it as a holiday cocktail or you just want a fall and winter treat, this hot spiced rum toddy is sure to hit the spot.

Spiced Pineapple Hot Buttered Rum Toddy

Combining melon-flavored Midori, rum, and lemon-lime soda makes this grinch cocktail fruity and colorful with a light bite.

Grinch Cocktail

A traditional coquito recipe passed down to my husband from his late abuelito, Don Francisco. Rich, creamy, and absolutely decadent, this authentic coquito is the best coquito recipe made with two different types of rum, thick coconut cream, and warm holiday spice!

Authentic Coquito (Coconut Eggnog)

More Rum Recipes to Try:

Tequila Cocktail Recipes:

This cranberry margarita is a colorful and festive drink that is sure to brighten your holiday parties. There’s also an option to make this a mocktail, so everyone can partake.

Festive Cranberry Margarita

A Holiday Pomegranate Margarita is the perfect way to celebrate the season! It's full of earthy, sweet, and tart pomegranate juice, tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur. You can enjoy this cocktail all year, but pomegranates are at their prime during the holiday season!

Holiday Pomegranate Margarita

Boasting silver tequila and triple sec, lime juice, grenadine, and more, this holiday margarita recipe blends the tart flavour of lime and cranberries with sweet grenadine. Cranberry margarita is a wonderful choice and it’s so easy to make as well.

Festive Holiday Cranberry Margarita

Gin Cocktail Recipes

Frosted Pine Gibson Martini is a perfect winter Christmas cocktail recipe. Made with gin and earthy flavors, this drink is great for a party. Use white luster dust for the swirly, white snow effect.

Frosted Pine Gibson Martini

A gin gimlet is a simple, yet refreshing cocktail. Made with minimal ingredients, this Lime Gimlet recipe is perfect for the holidays and worthy of any gathering.

Pomegranate Lime Gimlet

I mean, how pretty is this raspberry sloe gin fizz?! It’s got the red and green colors going on so it would be a perfect Christmas party or cocktail or if you don’t celebrate Christmas it still has general holiday/ winter vibes.

Raspberry Sloe Gin Fizz Cocktail

Wine, Champagne, etc...

Making spiced, mulled wine in a CrockPot is the easiest method you’ll find. We love having this for holidays, family gatherings, and cool evenings. It’s easy to make and easier to drink!

CrockPot Mulled Wine

These festive grinch mimosas are made with champagne, orange juice, and a splash of blue curacao. Perfect for holiday brunch or Christmas morning.

Grinch Mimosa

This easy Sugared Cranberry Mimosa is a sparkly treat for Christmas or New Years. Champagne is mixed with cranberry juice and garnished with sugared cranberries. Cheers!

Sugared Cranberry Christmas Mimosa

This White Wine Apple and Pear Sangria is made with pear liqueur, apple cider and topped with ginger beer. Cinnamon sticks add a spiced holiday touch. The perfect drink to ring in the New Year!

Spiced Apple & Pear White Sangria Recipe

Simple and Fruity, this Red Sangria Recipe is perfect for sharing! Made with fresh fruit, red wine, brandy, and pomegranate juice, this delicious cocktail can be doubled or tripled to make entertaining a breeze!

Red Wine Sangria Recipe

This Cranberry Aperol Spritz is the winter version of the always delicious Aperol Spritz! A little cranberry juice turns this summer staple into the perfect cocktail to celebrate with during the Holidays!

Festive Cranberry Aperol Spritz

Made with wine, white grape juice, cranberry juice, and fruit, this White Christmas Sangria is the perfect Christmas cocktail to serve a crowd.

Easy White Christmas Sangria

Mulled Wine is a traditional holiday drink made with red wine, brandy, and mulling spices like cloves, star anise, and cinnamon. It’s delicious, cozy, and guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

Spiced Mulled Wine