Our Favorite Christmas Cocktails for 2025
- SK Carr
- Dec 8
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
The holiday season is in full swing, and we’re sharing our favorite Christmas cocktails of the year. Festive, cozy, and perfect for holiday sipping and hosting. When a cocktail works well for making ahead of time, we’ve included batching instructions for six. We’ll also point out which ones can be poured from a pitcher and which are better shaken one at a time.
We hop you love these as much as we do. Whether you’re hosting a crowd or mixing just for two, we promise these Christmas cocktails will make celebrating the season even more beautiful.
Jump to one of our Christmas Cocktails
Christmas Mai Tai
A tropical-meets-holiday Mai Tai made with rum, citrus, allspice dram, and a hint of almond. Festive, bright, and beautifully spiced for Christmas.
Ingredients
2 oz aged or dark rum
½ oz fresh blood orange juice
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz allspice dram
½ oz simple syrup
Garnish: blood orange wheel, cranberries, mint sprig
Instructions
Fill a shaker with ice.
Add rum, blood orange juice, lime juice, allspice dram, and simple syrup.
Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
Garnish with citrus, cranberries, and mint.
Notes from the Bar
Aged rum gives warm vanilla + caramel.
Add ¼–½ oz orgeat for a richer, more classic tiki profile.
Blood orange can be swapped for regular OJ.
Crushed ice gives ideal tiki texture.
Top with nutmeg or rosemary for extra holiday aroma.
Batch for 6
12 oz rum
3 oz blood orange juice
4½ oz lime juice
3 oz allspice dram
3 oz simple syrup
Cranberry Margarita
A festive twist on a classic margarita with tequila, cranberry, lime, and agave. Tart, bright, and perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
2 oz tequila
1 oz cranberry juice
½ oz triple sec or Cointreau
¾ oz lime juice
¼ oz agave
Optional: salt or sugar rim
Instructions
Rim a rocks glass with salt or sugar. Fill with ice.
Shake all ingredients with ice until chilled.
Strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with lime and cranberries.
Notes from the Bar
Blanco tequila = bright + crisp; reposado = warm + subtle spice.
Salt rim for tart balance; sugar rim for festive sweetness.
Add bubbles for a lighter spritz version.
Use 100% cranberry juice for a more refined flavor.
Batch for 6
12 oz tequila
6 oz cranberry juice
3 oz triple sec
4½ oz lime juice
1½ oz agave
Winter Spiced Daiquiri
A chilled, elegant daiquiri infused with citrus and warm spice. Smooth, bright, and holiday-perfect.
Ingredients
2 oz white rum (or aged rum for more warmth)
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz allspice dram
¼ oz simple syrup
Optional: pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg
Garnish: lime wheel or star anise
Instructions
Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora.
Garnish with lime or star anise.
Add optional spice dusting.
Notes from the Bar
White rum keeps it bright; aged rum adds depth.
½ oz allspice dram gives bold warmth; reduce for subtle spice.
A micro pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg elevates the aroma.
Shake with cracked ice for best texture.
Batch for 6
12 oz rum
4½ oz lime juice
3 oz simple syrup
3 oz allspice dram
Maple & Sage Bourbon Fizz
A cozy, winter bourbon fizz made with maple, sage, citrus, and cream. Silky, aromatic, and topped with a dramatic bubble-dome.
Ingredients
2 oz bourbon
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz maple syrup
1 egg white
¾ oz heavy cream
1 sage leaf
1 oz plus additional seltzer water
Garnish: lemon + sage
Instructions
Shake bourbon, lemon, maple, egg white, cream, and sage with a large ice cube.
Remove ice, shake again.
Add 1 oz seltzer to the glass.
Strain in cocktail.
Freeze 5–10 minutes.
Poke a hole in the foam, add more seltzer for the dome.
Garnish with sage and lemon.
Notes from the Bar
Choose mid-range bourbon with warm vanilla/caramel notes.
Use pure maple syrup.
Cream + egg white create the iconic foam.
Freezer rest stabilizes the dome.
Spiced Hibiscus Bourbon Smash
A cozy, ruby-hued cocktail that layers bourbon warmth with floral hibiscus brightness.
Ingredients
2 oz bourbon
¾ oz spiced hibiscus syrup (see below)
½ oz lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2–3 blackberries
Crushed ice
Garnish: basil + cinnamon stick
Instructions
Muddle hibiscus syrup and blackberries.
Add bourbon, lemon, bitters, and ice.
Shake until cold.
Strain over crushed ice.
Garnish with basil and cinnamon.
Spiced Hibiscus Syrup
2 cups water
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
2 orange peels
1 cup sugar (or equal to the amount of brewed tea)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine water, hibiscus flowers, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and orange peels.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract the liquid (you should have about 1 cup).
Return the liquid to the saucepan and add sugar, stirring over low heat until fully dissolved.
Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar or bottle and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Notes from the Bar
Hibiscus syrup adds floral spice + vibrant color.
Basil + star anise are gorgeous seasonal garnishes.
Works beautifully as a batched cocktail for parties.
Batch for 6
12 oz bourbon
4½ oz hibiscus syrup
3 oz lemon juice
12 dashes bitters
Blood Orange Sparkle Spritz
A bright, sparkling cocktail with Aperol, blood orange, hibiscus syrup, and Prosecco.
Ingredients
1½ oz Aperol
1 oz fresh blood orange juice
½ oz hibiscus syrup (see below)
1–2 oz Prosecco
Optional: sparkling water
Optional: edible glitter
Instructions
Fill a stemless glass with crushed ice.
Add Aperol, blood orange, hibiscus syrup.
Top with Prosecco.
Garnish with orange wheel.
Spiced Hibiscus Syrup
2 cups water
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
2 orange peels
1 cup sugar (or equal to the amount of brewed tea)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine water, hibiscus flowers, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and orange peels.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract the liquid (you should have about 1 cup).
Return the liquid to the saucepan and add sugar, stirring over low heat until fully dissolved.
Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar or bottle and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Notes from the Bar
Less Prosecco keeps balance light.
Hibiscus adds winter spice.
Glitter = instant holiday magic.
White Christmas Rum Punch
A creamy coconut-meets-tropical sip that tastes like Christmas in a glass.
Ingredients
2 oz white rum
1 oz cream of coconut
1 oz pineapple juice
½ oz lime juice
Garnish: nutmeg + cranberries
Instructions
Shake all ingredients with ice until frothy.
Strain into rocks glass with fresh ice or straight up in a coupe.
Garnish with nutmeg and cranberries.
Notes from the Bar
Coconut rum makes it sweeter + cozier.
Crushed ice gives beach-at-Christmas vibes.
Nutmeg makes it feel instantly holiday.
Batch for 6
12 oz rum
6 oz coconut cream
6 oz pineapple juice
3 oz lime juice
Blackberry Thyme Gin Smash
Winter berries, herbaceous gin, and a sparkling fresh finish.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
¾ oz simple syrup
¾ oz lemon juice
4–5 blackberries
Optional: thyme
Instructions
Muddle berries + syrup.
Add gin, lemon, ice; shake.
Strain over fresh ice.
Garnish with blackberries + thyme.
Bar Notes
Empress gin adds dramatic jewel tone.
Thyme adds earthy holiday aroma.
Serve in a small rocks glass for best vibe.
Batch for 6
12 oz gin
4½ oz simple syrup
4½ oz lemon juice
Shake each portion individually.
About Us
Hi, we’re Kevin & Kate — the husband-and-wife team behind the scenes.
Every week, we craft a restaurant-quality menu, elevated cocktail, and curated playlist designed to help couples slow down, savor connection, and make date night a beautiful ritual.
Explore More Cocktails for the Season
These are just a few of the cocktails we've been shaking up all season long. Sip into more handcrafted drinks from our collection:
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