Updated October 2026
The best Christmas cocktails are warm, rich or sparkling drinks that suit cold nights and a crowd: spiked eggnog and a hot toddy for whiskey fans, hot buttered rum, a White Russian or Espresso Martini for vodka drinkers, the French 75 for gin, the Alexander and Sidecar for brandy, and a Kir Royale or Champagne Cocktail for a toast. Below are easy recipes for every spirit, with the classics built to International Bartenders Association (IBA) specifications.
Holiday drinking tends to happen in long sessions with family and friends, so this guide also shows how strong each drink is. Most of the recipes need only three or four ingredients and a few minutes. Recipes marked “house build” are our own simple versions; recipes marked IBA follow the association’s published specs.
Whiskey and bourbon Christmas cocktails
Bourbon’s caramel and vanilla notes come from new charred oak: under 27 CFR § 5.143, bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn and stored in charred new oak containers. That sweetness makes it a natural fit for holiday spice.
Bourbon eggnog (house build)
Stir 1.5 oz bourbon into 4 oz chilled store-bought eggnog in a rocks glass. Dust with grated nutmeg. For more bottle ideas, see the best whiskey for eggnog.
Hot toddy (house build)
Add 1.5 oz whiskey, 2 teaspoons honey and 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice to a mug. Top with 4 oz hot water, stir, and garnish with a lemon wheel and a cinnamon stick.
Maple Old Fashioned (house build)
Stir 2 oz bourbon, 1 teaspoon maple syrup and 2 dashes aromatic bitters with ice. Strain over a large cube and garnish with an orange peel.
Our dedicated lists of Christmas bourbon cocktails and winter bourbon cocktails go deeper on this spirit.
Rum Christmas cocktails
Hot buttered rum
A spiced butter batter melted into hot water with aged rum. It is the classic cold-weather rum drink, and our full hot buttered rum recipe covers the batter and how to store it.
Rum eggnog (house build)
Stir 1.5 oz aged or spiced rum into 4 oz chilled eggnog and top with nutmeg. See the best rum for eggnog for style advice. Note that many spiced rums are bottled below 40% ABV, so check the label when you count drinks.
For a cream-based twist, try our RumChata Christmas drinks, or a Puerto Rican coquito; our guide to how long coquito lasts explains storage.
Vodka and gin Christmas cocktails
Espresso Martini (IBA)
Shake 50 ml vodka, 30 ml Kahlúa, 10 ml sugar syrup and 1 short shot of fresh espresso hard with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Out of coffee liqueur? See our Kahlúa substitutes.
White Russian (house build)
Pour 2 oz vodka and 1 oz coffee liqueur over ice in a rocks glass. Float 1 oz heavy cream on top and stir just before drinking.
French 75 (IBA)
Shake 30 ml gin, 15 ml fresh lemon juice and 15 ml sugar syrup with ice. Strain into a flute, top with 60 ml Champagne and stir gently. Read more in our Gin Guide.
Brandy and cognac Christmas cocktails
Alexander (IBA)
Shake 30 ml cognac, 30 ml brown crème de cacao and 30 ml fresh cream with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and finish with freshly ground nutmeg. It drinks like a boozy holiday dessert.
Sidecar (IBA)
Shake 50 ml cognac, 20 ml triple sec and 20 ml fresh lemon juice with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. A sugared rim is a festive option.
For sipping instead, see the best way to drink brandy, and for more pairings, what to mix with cognac.
Cream and coffee liqueur drinks
Liqueurs carry much of the holiday sweetness. Under 27 CFR § 5.150, a liqueur or cordial must contain at least 2.5% sugar by weight, and most cream liqueurs are bottled well below the strength of whiskey or vodka.
Irish cream hot chocolate (house build)
Stir 1.5 oz Irish cream liqueur into 6 oz hot chocolate and top with whipped cream. Our guide to the best liquor for hot chocolate lists more options.
Coffee and cream (house build)
Add 1 oz coffee liqueur and 1 oz Irish cream to 5 oz hot coffee. More ideas live in what to mix with Baileys and what alcohol goes with coffee.
Sparkling Christmas cocktails
Kir Royale (IBA)
Pour 10 ml crème de cassis into a flute and top with 90 ml chilled Champagne. The IBA lists this as the Champagne variation of the Kir.
Champagne Cocktail (IBA)
Soak 1 sugar cube with 2 dashes Angostura bitters in a flute. Add 10 ml cognac and slowly top with 90 ml chilled Champagne. Garnish with orange zest and a maraschino cherry.
Cranberry sparkler (house build)
Add 1 oz cranberry juice and 0.5 oz triple sec to a flute and top with 4 oz sparkling wine.
Hosting a crowd? Our Christmas punch recipes scale up for a party, and our New Year’s Eve champagne cocktails cover the next big night.
How strong are holiday cocktails?
The NIAAA defines a US standard drink as 14 grams of pure alcohol: 1.5 oz of 40% spirits, 5 oz of 12% wine or 12 oz of 5% beer. A bourbon eggnog with 1.5 oz of 80-proof bourbon is one standard drink. A Sidecar, with 50 ml of 40% cognac plus 20 ml of triple sec, comes to about 1.6 standard drinks if the triple sec is also 40% (many are lower, so check the label). Rich, sweet drinks hide their strength, so alternate with water, eat with your drinks, and plan a sober ride or a place to stay.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Christmas cocktail?
There is no official count, but spiked eggnog is the classic American choice, with hot drinks such as the hot toddy and hot buttered rum close behind.
What is an easy Christmas cocktail for a crowd?
A batch punch or a sparkling drink such as the Kir Royale. Both take seconds per glass and need no shaker.
Can you make Christmas cocktails ahead of time?
Spirit-forward drinks and punch bases can be mixed a few hours ahead and chilled. Add sparkling wine, soda and ice just before serving so the drink stays bright.
What is a good Christmas cocktail for someone who does not like strong drinks?
Try a Kir Royale, a cranberry sparkler or an Irish cream hot chocolate. They use less spirit or lower-proof ingredients.
What are good non-alcoholic Christmas drinks?
Sparkling cider, cranberry and soda, or hot chocolate all work. Our list of virgin drinks has more ideas.
Explore more in the Bar Basics hub.
Sources
- International Bartenders Association, specifications for the Espresso Martini, French 75, Alexander, Sidecar, Kir (Kir Royal variation) and Champagne Cocktail (iba-world.com)
- 27 CFR § 5.143, whisky class and type standards (eCFR / Cornell LII)
- 27 CFR § 5.150, liqueurs and cordials (eCFR / Cornell LII)
- NIAAA, What Is a Standard Drink?