Fill your cup with cheer and toast the holidays with a seasonal adult beverage. From cozy classics to creative twists, these spiked drink recipes will make you feel merry and bright.
Find your favorite festive cocktail to sip all season long:
Gingerbread Martini
If you enjoy gingerbread cookies around the holidays, try this cookie-inspired martini. It’s sweet yet spicy with a kick from the vodka, Baileys, and Kahlua. The scoop of ice cream makes it an indulgent treat to end your night.
Spiced Cider with Rum
Winter is the perfect time to warm up with a hot mug of alcoholic spiced cider. This simple recipe combines all your favorite seasonal flavors into one comforting drink. Make individual servings to cozy up by the fire, or prepare a big batch for your next party.
Cranberry Mimosa
Mimosas are a Christmas morning staple, and this cranberry version is extra festive. Instead of orange, it pairs cranberry juice with champagne. The result is a refreshing, tart, and subtly sweet beverage you’ll love starting your day with.
2-Ingredient Cranberry Mimosa Recipe
Coquito
Are you tired of boring old-fashioned eggnog? Shake things up this season by making coquito cocktails instead.
This Puerto Rican drink is similar but with a tropical twist, thanks to the coconut cream and milk. You won’t be able to resist the creamy texture and sweet yet spiced taste.
Winter Aperol Spritz
This winter-inspired recipe puts a festive spin on a classic Aperol spritz. The secret is adding cranberry juice and garnishing with a rosemary sprig. Not only does this cocktail taste delicious, but it also looks beautiful alongside a holiday feast.
Peppermint Spiked Hot Chocolate
Enjoy an adult version of your favorite Christmas beverage with this spiked hot chocolate. It’s irresistibly decadent with whipped vodka and peppermint schnapps.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with the toppings—whipped cream, candy canes, chocolate syrup, and sprinkles will take it to the next level. After one sip, you’ll want to stay warm with a cup of this alcoholic hot chocolate all season.
Peppermint Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipe
Christmas Punch
Christmas punch is a crowd-pleasing cocktail you can make in big batches for holiday festivities. This recipe perfectly balances crisp fruits and warm spices into one tasty alcoholic drink. With sparkling wine and rum, it’s plenty boozy but still refreshing.
Mistletoe Martini
Secure your spot on the nice list with this divine mistletoe martini. The recipe is surprisingly simple, with only four ingredients. Everyone will believe you’re an expert bartender when you serve them this festive beverage.
Mistletoe Martini Cranberry Christmas Cocktail Recipe
Alcoholic Butterbeer
Calling all Harry Potter fans—this one’s for you. Transport your tastebuds to a magical world of indulgent, creamy flavors with this alcoholic butterbeer cocktail. It tastes exactly how you imagine the fictional drink, with an added punch from vanilla vodka and butterscotch schnapps.
Cranberry Apple Sangria
Sangria is delicious year-round, and this cranberry apple version incorporates everything you love about winter. The recipe combines rum and red wine with whole cranberries and diced apples.
Thanks to the spiced rum and cinnamon, it has an excellent depth of flavor. Meanwhile, the orange liqueur and fresh orange slices add a hint of zesty citrus.
Cranberry Apple Sangria Recipe
Holiday Peppermint White Russian
Give your classic white Russian cocktail a seasonal kick with holiday peppermint flavors. This recipe features a traditional blend of Kahlua, vodka, and milk as the base. To help you feel even more holly and jolly, it adds peppermint schnapps and a crushed candy cane rim around the glass.
Holiday Peppermint White Russian Recipe
Christmas Margarita
Margaritas aren’t just for summer if you give them a merry twist. A mixture of cranberry and pomegranate juices makes this the ideal beverage to sip during winter. It packs a punch but is a light and refreshing accompaniment to your Christmas meal.
Tipsy Grinch Punch
This tipsy Grinch punch might become your favorite drink of the season. The cocktail uses a Kool-Aid packet to achieve an impossible-to-miss neon green color.
Thankfully, the recipe isn’t just for show. It includes a delicious combination of lemonade, pineapple juice, vodka, and a splash of Sprite for fizz.
Mistletoe Kiss
Get into the holiday spirit with this mistletoe kiss cocktail. You’ve never had a drink like it, with a mouthwatering of homemade rosemary simple syrup and vodka.
Fresh lemon juice and club soda freshen things up even further. The best part is you can easily adjust the recipe to make as many servings as needed, depending on the occasion.
Irish Coffee
A mug of Irish coffee will keep you wide awake for the Christmas celebrations. The beloved concoction starts with a freshly brewed cup of your favorite coffee.
Then, spike it with Irish whiskey and add sweetener—this recipe calls for maple syrup. Every sip of this comforting drink feels like a warm hug from within.
Level up your holiday dessert game
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Satisfy your seasonal cravings without going overboard
It’s tempting to indulge during the holidays to the point of being uncomfortably stuffed. Opt for a lighter feast with these satisfying, good-for-you recipes.
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Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
