Christmas time is a time like no other. All the family gets together, there’s food galore, presents being distributed, and maybe even some games being played. If you’re lucky, you’ll even have a white Christmas. Beyond the Christmas traditions, the winter holidays tend to be heavier drinking than other times of the year.
Family get-togethers, secret Santa gift exchanges, and all the other parties always end up with the bottles coming out. After all, it is a time of celebration.
So, if you’re going to drink on or around Christmas, you might as well go all out. That doesn’t mean you overdrink, of course, as binge drinking can be dangerous. But you can go all out with your cocktail creations.
What’s more, you can get ready for the holidays by planning your drinks and making them in advance. Just like you’re going to decorate the house, shop for presents, and dress up, you might as well add cocktail making to the list of things to do.
To help you in that endeavor, we’ve brought you a list of 8 of the best cocktails you can make in advance for Christmas.
Mulled Wine
Nothing screams Christmas and winter-like mulled wine. This warm, soul-pleasing alcoholic beverage is the perfect drink to prepare before a Christmas party. It’s easy to make, and it’s always a crowd favorite. Plus, you can tell your friends and family it’s healthy, thanks to the fruit and red wine.
This recipe makes six to eight glasses of mulled wine. You can modify as needed to make more or less.
Ingredients:
- 750mL bottle of red wine*
- 4 oz of brandy
- ¼ cup of honey
- 1 orange sliced
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cinnamon sticks for the mix
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)
- 4 oranges for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Combine the wine, brandy, honey, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves, and star anise in a saucepan.
- Bring the mix to a simmer and keep on medium-low heat.
- Gently stir for 10-15 minutes.
- You can set aside and rewarm as needed.
- Serve in glasses with fresh orange slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish.
*Opt for a cabernet sauvignon, like this Dark Horse.
Christmas Mimosas
Mimosas are perfect drinks to start a morning free of any obligations other than opening presents and eating food. Combine mimosas and Christmas, and you have a recipe sure to induce a good time. By following this recipe, you can have Christmas-inspired mimosas.
This Christmas Mimosa recipe yields eight servings.
Ingredients:
- 750mL bottle of Champagne or Prosecco
- 1 cup of sparkling grape juice
- 1 cup of fresh cranberries
- 2 granny smith apples
- 1 cup of green grapes
- 1 cup of pomegranate seeds
Directions:
- In a large pitcher, combine chopped up apples, cranberries, grapes, and pomegranate seeds.
- Add sparkling grape juice and champagne, and stir well
- Store it in the fridge or on the counter until ready to serve
- For optimal serving, serve cold or with a couple of ice cubes
Moscow Mule Punch
Ordering a Moscow mule from a bar is always fun, as you get the fancy copper mug and a beautiful tasting cocktail. Why not recreate the experience at your own home? It’s the perfect cocktail to turn into a punch for the family. No need to get copper mugs; this cocktail punch will be perfectly served in any glass.
This recipe will produce eight glasses of Moscow mules.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz of your vodka
- 4 cups of ginger beer
- 4 cups of ice
- Juice from 1 freshly squeezed lime
- 2 limes sliced
- 1 cup of mint leaves
- Extra mint leaves for garnish
Directions:
- In a punch bowl or pitcher, combine ice, ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, slices of lime, and mint. Stir thoroughly.
- Pour into glasses and garnish with extra mint leaves.
For the best Moscow mule, try Tito’s Handmade Vodka. It’s the perfect easy-drinking vodka to add to any cocktail.
Warm Cranberry Punch
There’s nothing like a warm drink in the afternoon, evening, or even the morning, of a cold Christmas. With heaps of flavor, fresh fruit, and a little pick me up from the gin and vodka, your family and friends will love this punch. Lucky for you, it can be made any time of day and re-heated as you please.
This recipe can serve eight glasses.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz gin
- 4 oz vodka
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cups of apple juice
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 1 cup cranberries
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Directions:
- Add the gin, vodka, cranberry juice, apple juice, sliced orange, sliced apple, and cranberries to a saucepan.
- Add spices, sugar, and cinnamon sticks, and heat on low.
- Before serving, let the mix come to a simmer.
- As you pour into glasses, let the fruit pour in as well.
Christmas Margarita Punch
While you may not think margaritas make sense at Christmas, once you try these cocktails, you will forever change your mind. Tequila and margaritas are year-round drinks, and it’s time that becomes the standard.
This Christmas, Margarita Punch yields six glasses.
Ingredients:
- 10 oz silver tequila
- 8 oz Grand Mariner
- 6 oz coconut rum
- 8 oz lime juice
- 8 oz coconut water
- 12 oz can of coconut cream or milk
- 6 oz simple sugar
- Cranberries and rosemary for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients.
- Simple sugar can be made with one part sugar and one part water heated over a saucepan.
- Whisk well so the coconut cream or milk can thoroughly integrate itself with the other ingredients.
- Pour into glasses rimmed with salt or sugar and add cranberries and rosemary for garnish.
Jose Cuervo Especial Silver is a clean and fresh tequila perfect for these margaritas.
Christmas Sangria
Ah, sangria, the perfect summer Christmas drink. While you may think sangria is for the warm weather, it depends on how you make it. And just like the Spanish do, you can make sangria however you please. Follow this Christmas Sangria recipe to have the perfect Christmas-tailored cocktail.
This recipe will yield six to eight servings.
Ingredients:
- Two 750mL bottles of Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay (whichever you prefer)
- ¾ cup sparkling apple cider
- ¼ cup halved cranberries
- ¾ cup of whole cranberries
- 1 granny smith apple
- ¼ cup of sugar
- Rosemary for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Chop up the granny smith apple into small cubes
- Add all the ingredients to a large pitcher
- Chill in the refrigerator for three to four hours
- Serve fresh out of the fridge with a sprig of rosemary and fruit form the pitcher
Coquito
Coquito is a classic Puerto Rican Christmas drink. It’s almost the equivalent of eggnog, but Puerto Ricans might have to beg to differ. If you’re an eggnog fan, you’ll love this drink. If you’re not, you’ll also be a fan because this isn’t eggnog—it’s better.
This Coquito recipe makes six servings.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz of white rum
- One 12 oz can of evaporated milk
- One 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- One 15 oz can of cream of coconut
- ¼ tsp of cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- In a blender, add all of the ingredients together (except the cinnamon sticks to be used for garnish) and blend well.
- Refrigerate the drink for at least one hour or until you are ready to serve.
- Stir the mix before serving.
- Serve in a glass with cinnamon sticks.
With a distillery in Puerto Rico, you can’t go wrong with Bacardi White Rum for this Coquito.
Apple Bourbon Sangria
Although many typically think of sangria as just a wine-based drink, adding a bit of bourbon takes the notch up quite a bit. Plus, with a bit of twist, you can turn your sangria into a Christmas special.
This Apple Bourbon Sangria can serve up to eight.
Ingredients:
- 750mL bottle of Chardonnay
- 750mL sparkling apple juice
- 6 oz bourbon
- ¼ cup of maple syrup
- A one-inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut in half
- 2 apples
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- More apples for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Add chardonnay, bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, sliced apples, and ginger in a large pitcher.
- Store in the fridge for a minimum of two hours or until ready for serving.
- When you’re ready to serve, pour apple juice over ice and add the sangria on top.
- Garnish with apple slices
The takeaway
Christmas is a time of festivities and celebration. You get to meet up with your family, eat together, and bond over past times and bright futures. At the same time, you can spice things up by bringing out some premade cocktail mixes to liven the party when the time is right.
With these Christmas special cocktails, your family will be impressed and extra thankful on this special day.
