6 Festive Cocktail Recipes to Enjoy this Christmas
The season to be jolly brings with it plenty of opportunity to make merry with friends and family. Whether you’re celebrating the festivities with a workplace Christmas party or enjoying a more intimate gathering at home, there’s one thing you definitely need to make the season a success – festive Christmas drinks.
Festive cocktails (and mocktails for those who don’t drink alcohol) are a deliciously simple way of making the festive season special. You can try twists on familiar cocktail recipes or attempt something new with some festive ingredients – but no sprouts, we promise! Remember, for drinks to taste perfect and look fabulous, it’s important to pair the recipe with the right glass. With that in mind, here are our top festive Christmas drinks for you to enjoy this year:
1. White Christmas Martini
Whether it snows or not, bring a little of the season to your martinis with one of our favourite festive cocktails. It’s a simple cocktail recipe which can be scaled up if you have plenty of guests coming over, and it makes the most of some favourites to create the stunning White Christmas effect. As well as the Christmassy feel of the drink, we also love the garnish that gives each martini glass the impression of being bejewelled with snow. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Vanilla vodka
- White chocolate liqueur
- White crème de cacao
- Half cream
- Honey and sanding sugar to garnish
2. Spiced Pina Colada Mocktail
This is one for guests who don’t want to drink alcohol during the festive season, although it’s so nice that we heartily recommend everyone gives it a taste. You might associate the Pina Colada with summer fun, but this twist on the recipe gives it a spicy festive twist, making it one of our recommended festive Christmas drinks this year. Load up your Pina Colada glasses and create something special with these ingredients:
- Pineapple juice and pineapple
- Coconut milk
- Lime juice
- Ice
- Cherry to garnish
- Dark brown muscovado sugar
- Black peppercorns
- Cloves
- Cinnamon sticks
3. Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a real festive favourite and it’s easy to see why. A warm cocktail is ideal for cold winter nights, plus it’s one of the most straightforward Christmas cocktail recipes to make because everything is thrown together and left to simmer until ready. Choosing a smoky, spicy wine as the base ingredient for mulled wine will work brilliantly, especially when it’s coupled with the other aroma filled ingredients of this recipe. For best results, remember to serve in the type of glass that can withstand heat and is comfortable to hold – warming your hands while drinking mulled wine slowly is half the fun. Here are the ingredients:
- Red wine
- Apple cider
- Brandy
- Honey
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Oranges
- Cloves
- Peppercorns
4. Pear and Brandy Punch
It isn’t Christmas without a festive punch recipe, so one of our favourite festive cocktails is this scrumptious spicy punch that will leave your guests humming for more. As the name suggests, the basis for this festive recipe is brandy, but the addition of ingredients such as mixed spice and ground ginger add extra flair that really brings out the flavour of the punch. It’s one of the most useful Christmas cocktail recipes because it takes so many flavours already associated with festivities and blends them into one delicious drink served wonderfully in a stemmed glass. You’ll need:
- Brandy
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Rosemary sprigs
- Pears and pear juice
- Caster sugar
- Mixed spice
- Ground ginger
- Cinnamon sticks
- Vanilla extract
5. Pine Infused Christmas Mimosa
Our next recommendation from the dozens of popular festive Christmas drinks out there to choose from is this fruity mimosa. Best served in exquisite champagne flutes, this is one of those festive cocktails that’s deceptively simple to create, making it a brilliant go-to drink throughout the season if family and friends are dropping in. These are the ingredients needed:
- Pomegranate liqueur
- Cranberry juice
- Champagne
- Cranberries and sprig of pine to garnish
6. Merry Christmas Cocktail
Cranberry is one of those flavours intrinsically linked with the festive season, so it’s unsurprising that we’ve chosen this recipe as one of our recommended Christmas cocktail recipes. It has a fruity base and isn’t too strong, meaning those who don’t want to drink too much can still enjoy a Christmas kick. Serve in hi ball glasses and use these ingredients:
- Plymouth Gin
- Cranberry juice
- Lemon juice
- Soda water
- Cranberries to garnish
Festive Glasses from Cooksmill
As you get into the mood with festive Christmas drinks, don’t forget to buy all your cocktail glasses for the perfect Christmas party experience. Cooksmill are your one stop shop for all cocktail equipment including a huge range of glasses available online include traditional hi ball, wine and champagne glasses. With FREE UK mainland delivery on any order over £50 (ex-VAT) and a Manchester catering superstore open 6 days a week, Cooksmill are your go-to for cocktail glasses and more this festive season.