I love a good beverage and the holiday season is a perfect time to experiment with seasonal flavors. Whether you’re whipping up a flavorful mocktail or sippin’ on a new favorite cocktail, there is something for everyone in this roundup.
Mocktails
Blood Orange Spritzer
Super easy to make and full of flavor! The blood oranges give this a festive color but you can use navel oranges or others if you can’t find them.
Ingredients
8 oz. blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz. lime sparkling water
Directions
Add the honey, blood orange juice, honey, and vanilla to a cocktail shaker or mason jar with a lid. Shake well. Add ice and shake again. Pour the drink evenly into two glasses and top with the lime sparkling water. Garnish with blood orange slice.
Ultimate Holiday Mocktail
This mocktail is brimming with citrus, which is in season AND great for warding off those winter colds. Perfect for making a big batch for large groups just make sure to top each glass with your fizzy beverage last, so it will stay fizzy.
Christmas Peppermint Julep
This is such a festive looking drink. Perfect for adult and kids alike, I can picture this being served up at a holiday party or movie night.
Lamplighter Inn (from Death & Co)
With coffee syrup and an a frothy egg white, no one would every know this was a mocktail!
Ingredients:
1.5 oz heavy cream
1.5 oz coffee grounds syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz egg white
Seltzer
Directions:
Add ingredients, (except the seltzer!) to a cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake. Add ice shake again. Strain into a fizz glass. Top with seltzer and garnish with coffee beans.
Cocktails
Cranberry Pomegranate Bellinis
The perfect brunch or celebration beverage. Not only is it super festive looking but it’s delicious as well. It can also be made non alcoholic by swapping the Prosecco with seltzer. Make sure to use the 100% fruit juices, juice cocktails will make the drink too sweet.
Wassail
Wassail is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale, or wine and spices. This version adds in Brandy or Bourbon. It can be made sans alcohol for a warming mocktail as well. Wassailing is an Old English tradition with pagan roots that celebrates the fall harvest. Revellers would go from house to house to drink toasts and wish good health for the year ahead on the dwellers within. Sounds super neighborly and we should bring this tradition back.
Eggnog
Not everyone is a fan but I am team eggnog all the way. My cousin makes a really tasty eggnog that I look forward to every holiday season, thankfully Andrew isn’t an eggnog person so it’s all for me! You can find ready-made eggnog at your grocery store and just add in some liquor (rum, bourbon, or brandy) but making your own helps to control the sweetness.
Pear Tree Martini
There’s no partridge in this pear tree, but this cocktail is quite festive and refreshing. You could try subbing regular vodka and a splash of pear juice if pear vodka is not something that you keep on hand.
Stranger in the Alps
A Negroni is one of my go to nightcaps and this one has a fun twist. I’m going to be on the lookout for the fir brandy that gives this Negroni a slight piney flavor.
Cheers to the holidays!
