Nothing says the holidays have arrived like a kitchen smelling of cinnamon, citrus, and warm spices. Whether you’re hosting a big family dinner or a casual cookie swap, the right drink sets the mood before anyone takes a bite of food. A good glass of something festive gives guests a reason to linger at the kitchen counter and catch up.
Classic Homemade Eggnog remains the gold standard for traditional Christmas gatherings, thanks to its rich custard base and warm nutmeg finish. If your crowd leans toward bubbly and bright instead of thick and creamy, a Cranberry Prosecco Punch or Cranberry Mimosa might suit the table better. Families with kids or guests who skip alcohol have plenty of options too, from spiced Wassail to a thick White Chocolate Peppermint Milkshake.
This collection covers 19 drinks built for every kind of holiday moment, from slow-cooker sippers that keep warm all party long to quick cocktails you can shake up in minutes.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: Classic Homemade Eggnog, rich and traditional for family gatherings
- Best for a crowd: Slow-Cooker Hot Chocolate, keeps warm for hours with no babysitting
- Best nonalcoholic: Nonalcoholic Wassail, spiced and warm for guests skipping alcohol
- Best make-ahead cocktail: Puerto Rican Coquito, tastes better after a few days in the fridge
1. Classic Homemade Eggnog
This creamy classic earns its spot at the top of every Christmas table. Whisking egg yolks with sugar, milk, and cream creates a custard-like base, then a splash of bourbon or rum adds warmth without overpowering the nutmeg.
Ingredients: 6 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup bourbon (optional).
Method: Whisk yolks and sugar until pale, warm milk gently, temper into yolks, cook until thickened, chill, stir in cream and bourbon. Serves 6. Prep 15 minutes, chill 2 hours. See more in our best christmas drink recipes.
2. Traditional Mulled Wine
Mulled wine fills the house with the smell of orange peel and cloves before a single glass gets poured. Simmering red wine with warm spices mellows the tannins and brings out a deep, jammy sweetness.
Ingredients: 1 bottle red wine, 1/4 cup honey, 1 orange (sliced), 4 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, 2 star anise.
Method: Combine everything in a pot, heat gently for 20 minutes without boiling, strain into mugs. Serves 6. Prep 5 minutes, cook 20 minutes.
3. Slow-Cooker Hot Chocolate
This hands-off hot chocolate stays warm for an entire party without scorching on the stove. Whole milk and chopped chocolate melt together low and slow into something far silkier than packets ever get.
Ingredients: 8 cups whole milk, 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt.
Method: Combine in a slow cooker, cook on low 2 hours, whisk occasionally. Serves 8. Prep 10 minutes, cook 2 hours. Pair it with treats from our best crockpot recipes slow cooker meals.
4. Puerto Rican Coquito
Coquito brings creamy coconut and warm rum together in Puerto Rico’s answer to eggnog. Coconut milk, cream of coconut, and sweetened condensed milk blend into something velvety and deeply spiced with cinnamon.
Ingredients: 1 can coconut milk, 1 can cream of coconut, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup white rum, 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Method: Blend all ingredients until smooth, chill 4 hours, serve over ice. Serves 8. Prep 10 minutes, chill 4 hours. Explore more in our best puerto rican recipes.
5. Cranberry Prosecco Punch
This punch turns tart cranberry juice and bubbly prosecco into a ruby-colored showstopper for any holiday table. The fizz keeps it light, while fresh cranberries floating on top make it look festive without any fuss.
Ingredients: 2 cups cranberry juice, 1 bottle chilled prosecco, 1/2 cup orange liqueur, fresh cranberries for garnish.
Method: Combine cranberry juice and liqueur in a pitcher, top with prosecco just before serving, garnish with cranberries. Serves 6. Prep 5 minutes. Browse our best cranberry cocktail recipes for more ideas.
6. Nonalcoholic Wassail
Wassail delivers all the warm spice of mulled wine without a drop of alcohol, making it a safe bet for family gatherings with kids around. Apple cider simmered with orange and cinnamon smells like Christmas morning.
Ingredients: 8 cups apple cider, 1 orange (sliced), 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1/4 cup brown sugar.
Method: Simmer everything together for 25 minutes, strain, serve warm. Serves 8. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.
7. Peppermint Martini
This martini tastes like a candy cane in cocktail form, pairing vodka with peppermint schnapps and a splash of cream. Shaken hard and poured into a chilled glass, it comes out frothy with a crushed-candy rim.
Ingredients: 2 oz vodka, 1 oz peppermint schnapps, 1 oz heavy cream, crushed candy canes for rim.
Method: Rim glass with crushed candy, shake liquid ingredients with ice, strain into glass. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes. Find more chilled sips in our best types of martinis.
8. Hot Buttered Rum
Hot Buttered Rum melts a spiced butter mixture into dark rum and hot water for a drink that warms you from the first sip. The butter gives it a silky richness that regular hot cocktails don’t have.
Ingredients: 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 oz dark rum, 3/4 cup hot water.
Method: Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon into a paste, spoon into a mug with rum, top with hot water, stir. Serves 1. Prep 10 minutes.
9. Cranberry Orange Sparkler
This sparkler pairs tart cranberry with bright orange for a nonalcoholic option that still feels special enough for a toast. Sparkling water keeps it light and refreshing next to richer holiday dishes.
Ingredients: 1 cup cranberry juice, 1/2 cup orange juice, 2 cups sparkling water, orange slices for garnish.
Method: Combine juices in a pitcher, add sparkling water right before serving, garnish with orange slices. Serves 4. Prep 5 minutes. See similar options in our best cranberry cocktail recipes.
10. Christmas Cosmopolitan
This Cosmopolitan gets a seasonal upgrade with pomegranate and cranberry replacing the usual lime-heavy mix. Vodka and orange liqueur keep the base familiar, while a rosemary sprig garnish adds a festive, piney note.
Ingredients: 2 oz vodka, 1 oz orange liqueur, 1 oz cranberry juice, 1/2 oz pomegranate juice, rosemary sprig for garnish.
Method: Shake all liquid ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with rosemary. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes.
11. Cranberry Mimosa
Swapping orange juice for cranberry juice turns a brunch classic into a holiday-ready pour. The tart cranberry balances the sweetness of champagne, giving this mimosa a deep pink color that looks great on a brunch table.
Ingredients: 1 bottle chilled champagne, 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice, fresh cranberries and orange twists for garnish.
Method: Pour cranberry juice into flutes, top with champagne, garnish. Serves 6. Prep 5 minutes.
12. Gingerbread Latte
This latte brings gingerbread cookie flavor into your coffee mug with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon stirred into espresso and steamed milk. It tastes like dessert but works just as well as a morning pick-me-up.
Ingredients: 2 shots espresso, 1 cup steamed milk, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, whipped cream for topping.
Method: Whisk molasses and spices into hot espresso, add steamed milk, top with whipped cream. Serves 1. Prep 10 minutes. Browse more café-style drinks in 25 coffee drinks recipes.
13. Classic Hot Toddy
A Hot Toddy soothes a scratchy throat and warms cold hands with whiskey, honey, and lemon stirred into hot water. It’s the drink to reach for after an afternoon of shoveling snow or trimming the tree outside.
Ingredients: 2 oz whiskey, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 3/4 cup hot water, cinnamon stick for garnish.
Method: Stir honey into hot water until dissolved, add whiskey and lemon juice, garnish with cinnamon stick. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes.
14. Cranberry Moscow Mule
This mule swaps the usual lime for cranberry juice, giving the classic ginger beer and vodka combo a deep red color and tart holiday twist. Served in a copper mug, it stays ice cold longer than a regular glass.
Ingredients: 2 oz vodka, 1/2 oz cranberry juice, 4 oz ginger beer, lime wedge for garnish.
Method: Fill mug with ice, add vodka and cranberry juice, top with ginger beer, garnish with lime. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes. Find more fizzy combos in our best ginger beer cocktails.
15. Pomegranate Rosemary Gin Fizz
Gin and pomegranate juice meet bubbly club soda in this fizz, with a rosemary sprig that smells like a little pine tree floating in your glass. The herbal note from the gin pairs beautifully with the tart pomegranate.
Ingredients: 2 oz gin, 1 oz pomegranate juice, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 3 oz club soda, rosemary sprig for garnish.
Method: Shake gin, pomegranate, and lemon juice with ice, strain into a glass with ice, top with club soda, garnish. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes.
16. Mexican Champurrado
Champurrado thickens hot chocolate with masa harina, giving it a velvety body that coats the spoon. This Mexican drink pairs cinnamon and dark chocolate with a texture closer to a thin pudding than a regular cocoa.
Ingredients: 4 cups milk, 1/4 cup masa harina, 3 oz chopped Mexican chocolate, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 cup brown sugar.
Method: Whisk masa harina into warm milk, add remaining ingredients, simmer and whisk until thickened, about 15 minutes. Serves 4. Prep 5 minutes, cook 15 minutes.
17. White Chocolate Peppermint Milkshake
This milkshake blends white chocolate and crushed peppermint into vanilla ice cream for a thick, dessert-style treat that kids and adults both love. Topped with whipped cream and a candy cane, it looks like a holiday centerpiece.
Ingredients: 3 cups vanilla ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup melted white chocolate, 1/4 cup crushed candy canes, whipped cream for topping.
Method: Blend ice cream, milk, and white chocolate until smooth, stir in crushed candy, top with whipped cream. Serves 2. Prep 10 minutes.
18. Gingerbread Espresso Martini
This martini combines bold espresso with gingerbread spice for a dessert cocktail that doubles as an after-dinner pick-me-up. Vodka and coffee liqueur give it the classic espresso martini backbone, while molasses adds warmth and depth.
Ingredients: 2 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 1 oz fresh espresso, 1/2 teaspoon molasses, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Method: Shake all ingredients hard with ice until foamy, strain into a chilled coupe. Serves 1. Prep 5 minutes. For more ways to use espresso, check 25 coffee drinks recipes.
19. Cranberry Vodka Jello Shots
These jello shots bring a playful, party-ready twist to the cranberry flavors found throughout this list. Cranberry juice and vodka set into a wobbly, tart shot that looks festive in small red cups.
Ingredients: 1 cup cranberry juice (divided), 1 packet unflavored gelatin, 1/2 cup vodka, 2 tablespoons sugar.
Method: Heat half the cranberry juice with sugar, dissolve gelatin, stir in remaining juice and vodka, pour into cups, chill 4 hours. Makes 12 shots. Prep 10 minutes, chill 4 hours.
How to Choose Drinks for a Mixed-Age Gathering
Mixing kids, nondrinkers, and cocktail fans at one party gets easier when you pick drinks that can go either way. Wassail and the Cranberry Orange Sparkler work for every age group straight out of the pot or pitcher. Cocktails like the Peppermint Martini or Gingerbread Espresso Martini can skip the alcohol and still taste balanced if you swap in extra cream or cold brew.
Here’s how the full lineup compares at a glance:
| Drink | Alcohol | Serve Temp | Make-Ahead Friendly | Kid-Friendly Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Homemade Eggnog | Optional | Cold | Yes | Yes |
| Traditional Mulled Wine | Yes | Hot | Yes | No |
| Slow-Cooker Hot Chocolate | No | Hot | Yes | Yes |
| Puerto Rican Coquito | Yes | Cold | Yes | No |
| Cranberry Prosecco Punch | Yes | Cold | Partial | No |
| Nonalcoholic Wassail | No | Hot | Yes | Yes |
| Peppermint Martini | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Hot Buttered Rum | Yes | Hot | Partial | No |
| Cranberry Orange Sparkler | No | Cold | Yes | Yes |
| Christmas Cosmopolitan | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Cranberry Mimosa | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Gingerbread Latte | No | Hot | No | Yes |
| Classic Hot Toddy | Yes | Hot | No | No |
| Cranberry Moscow Mule | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Pomegranate Rosemary Gin Fizz | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Mexican Champurrado | No | Hot | Yes | Yes |
| White Chocolate Peppermint Milkshake | No | Cold | No | Yes |
| Gingerbread Espresso Martini | Yes | Cold | No | No |
| Cranberry Vodka Jello Shots | Yes | Cold | Yes | No |
For a party with a wide age range, set up a hot drink station with Wassail or Champurrado next to a cocktail bar, so everyone builds their own cup.
Make-Ahead and Serving Tips
Most of these drinks taste better with a little time to rest, so plan your prep around that instead of rushing everything the day of the party. Coquito and eggnog both deepen in flavor after a day or two in the fridge, which makes them two of the easiest make-ahead options on this list.
Punches and sparklers hold up best when you keep the bubbly component separate until serving time. Mix the juice and liquor base ahead, then add prosecco, champagne, or club soda right before guests arrive so the fizz doesn’t go flat.
Hot drinks like mulled wine, Wassail, and hot chocolate do well in a slow cooker set to warm, which frees up stove space for food and keeps the drink at a steady temperature for hours. A ladle and a stack of heatproof mugs next to the slow cooker turns it into a self-serve station.
Jello shots need a full 4 hours to set, so make them the night before a party. Garnishes like rosemary sprigs, citrus twists, and crushed candy canes are best added right before serving to keep them looking fresh and bright.
