Christmas Cocktails for Festive Parties

There’s no other time of the year when cocktails are flowing as much as Christmastime. We serve them at Christmas cocktail parties, they go great with Christmas appetizers, and they’re ideal for any Christmas party theme.

I’ve rounded up my favorite drinks for holiday soirees and gatherings, or for simply sitting by the fire with Christmas tree lights and holiday music in the background.

From the easiest eggnog punch to indulgent hot chocolate, you’ll find a recipe you’ll love!

Expert Tips

• Choose a drink by color so you can color-coordinate it to your party theme.
• Give your drink a fun name like Grinch punch, Santa’s Helper, Santa’s “Slay”, Golden Tinsel, etc. Get creative!
• Use seasonal garnishes like orange slices (fresh or dried), candied ginger, cinnamon sticks, frozen cranberries, lemon and lime slices, whipped cream, marshmallows and candy canes.
• For cold punch recipes, chill all the liquid ingredients before combining them.
• Make an ice ring for punch or a wine bottle chiller for white wine, or freeze vodka or tequila in it.
• Keep hot beverages warm by serving them from a slow cooker (set to warm), filling insulated carafes, or from a dutch oven on the stove. Don’t forget the ladle for scooping.
• Provide non-alcohol versions of cocktails so those who don’t imbibe have an equally delicious mocktail to drink.

20 Favorite Christmas Cocktails

It’s always a good idea to serve wine at parties, but Christmas is the time to step it up with one of these “jolly” recipes. Make it your signature drink for a get-together and garnish it with flair.

Christmas Mimosa

If you’re looking for a drink to celebrate with, this champagne and cranberry mimosa is just the thing. The red color is pretty and the bubbles make it extra festive. Plus, a hint of Amaretto adds depth. It’s fabulous for Christmas brunch.

Red Christmas Vodka Cocktail

Another red festive cocktail but this one has vodka, cranberry and sparkling white grape juice. The white grape juice give sweetness to balance the tartness of the cranberry, and it also adds fizz.

Santa’s Helper

We could all use a little help from Santa at the holidays! Serve up this tasty cocktail with vodka, amaretto and cranberry juice. It’s a great addition to cocktail parties or a holiday girls night in.

Christmas Cocktail with Vanilla Vodka

I love to color coordinate a signature drink with party theme decor, and this one is gorgeous for any theme with gold in it. It’s got mango, pineapple, and vanilla vodka!

Midori Cocktail with Champagne

Two things make this drink perfect for Christmas: the green color and champagne! It’s so festive for an ugly sweater party or a Grinch theme. If you need to feed a crowd, make a big batch of this green punch (it’s not just for Halloween).

Cranberry Cinnamon Cocktail

It’s made with cranberry, pineapple and cinnamon schnapps (or Fireball). The cinnamon and cranberry are quintessential holiday flavors and the pineapple adds a flavorful twist.

Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail

This one is a dressed up version of the classic bourbon and ginger ale. With the addition of cranberry juice, it’s ready for the holidays!

Champagne Jello Shots

Turn frat party jello shots into a sophisticated and elegant version with champagne! These are a fabulous addition to a cocktail party and there’s a touch of raspberry liqueur for even more flavor.

Easy Eggnog Punch

As soon as the eggnog hits the shelves at the store, it’s officially Christmas for me. I look forward to making this EASY punch each year and people just love it. It starts with commercial eggnog and gets dressed up for a party.

Coffee Eggnog Punch

Here’s another punch that begins with refrigerated eggnog, but this one has instant coffee added. It’s so good for a holiday brunch, a Christmas dessert party, or a cookie swap. Dress it up with alcohol or leave it as a mocktail. Better yet, divide it in half so you have a pitcher of each.

Best Whiskey Punch

Can I just tell you how much I look forward to making this each year. This punch is similar to a whisky sour but the citrusy flavor is so much more complex because it has homemade salted honey simple syrup. It’s impossible to oversell this delicious punch…just trust me on this one and give it a try!

Champagne Party Punch

It’s not the holidays without a champagne punch on the menu! This one has just 3 simple ingredients to it’s ideal for the busy hostess who’s also on a budget.

Russian Tea with Tang

This delicious drink from my childhood gives me all the nostalgia for Christmas and my dad. He would make a large batch on the stove and serve it for our Christmas Eve parties. I looked forward to it every year and I know you will too! It all starts with an easy powdered mix you can make and store for a few months.

Spiced Hot Cider

Hot cider may be one of the first drinks that comes to mind when you think of seasonal beverages, and this hot toddy couldn’t be easier to make. It’s got just 2 ingredients. Simply heat up the apple cider and let the Fireball do all the work!

Spice Rum Sangria

This make-ahead drink is made with red wine, orange flavors and spiced rum. The spicy rum flavor makes this a great Christmas drink and sangria is always a hit with guests.

Ambrosia Punch

If you’re from the South you probably know what a tradition ambrosia salad is, especially during the holidays. This punch incorporates those flavors in drink form and tastes heavenly! Orange, grenadine, and coconut juices mixed with spiced rum create a cocktail sensation.

Hot Chocolate

Christmas is the most popular time of year to serve hot chocolate and this homemade recipe is rich and indulgent, plus it makes enough for a crowd. This recipe uses real chocolate, not cocoa powder, and tastes like fudgy pudding! Set up a hot chocolate bar for a great party experience.

Hot Mulled Wine

This traditional recipe uses mulling spices for a tasty drink that warms you from the inside. Sip it by the fire while listening to your favorite Christmas playlist, or serve it at a gift wrapping party.

White Chocolate Martini

All you need are three simple ingredients to make this decadent cocktail. It’s rich and creamy with Irish cream, white chocolate liqueur and half and half. It’s ideal for a Winter Wonderland theme party.

Nuts and Berries

This is one of my favorite cocktails from my 20’s. The ingredients actually taste like a combination of hazelnuts and raspberries. The creamy base make it smooth and dessert-like.

Lean into the sweet with more cookie cocktails that would be terrific at your Christmas cookie swap.

Let me know which of these Christmas cocktails is you favorite!