If you're ready to eat, drink, and be merry this holiday season, don't forget the cocktails. Whether you're in the thick of it, eyeing New Years' Eve cocktails as your last hurrah of the holidays, or you're just beginning to surround yourself with glittery cocktails for the holiday season fit for any formal or cozy gathering or night, having just the right special drink for holidays from Thanksgiving through the New Year can help to make your holiday season bright and delicious.
Thanksgiving Cocktails Worth a Gobble
A turkey leg isn't the only thing worth drumming up on the big day. If you can't wait to share your cocktails with family or cheerfully volunteer to bring the booze to the dinner, you can choose from a tasty list of cocktails that'll make anyone thankful to be together at the table. Do you happily find yourself at the kid's table? Are you not drinking this year, for whatever reason, and especially not because you went out for a little too long the night before? Pour yourself and others a nonalcoholic Thanksgiving mocktail to join in the festivities without the booze. Don't forget your friends as you reunite or celebrate your own Friendsgiving with cocktails that you'll be posting to your IG for weeks to come.
Are you a planner? Don't forget to map your day with the appropriate drinks, perfect for sipping before the turkey and as you enjoy dessert. Or, if you want to really kick things up and off, have a few shots prepared as you gather together and watch the football game. Warm up after a walk with family or after shoveling the driveway to make space for all the cars with a warm Thanksgiving cocktail that'll have you peeling off your outer layers in no time. After you're winding down, enjoy a dessert Thanksgiving cocktail -- with or without a slice of pie.
What you don't need to do is add to your work on Thanksgiving, so take it easy on yourself with easy Thanksgiving drinks that don't require you to run to the store or miss out on any of the family gossip, or bring the drinks with you with an easy Thanksgiving punch. Let your old-fashioned riff be the talk of the party and not your career that you've explained countless times. This won't be the time they understand.
Christmas Cocktails Brimming With Merry
Slip into something a little bit more festive during the Christmas season with a cocktail that even the man in a red suit can't decline. Who could ever say no to a peppermint twist martini? And if your uncle in red can't quite decide on a drink, offer up a Manhattan riff that'll remind him of your place on the nice list and maybe an extra ten bucks in your Christmas card. Get cozy around the fireplace, certainly not roasting chestnuts, but warming up your toes by the fire and your fingers with a warm cocktail in hand, perfect for any Christmas party or quiet moment during the holiday.
No Christmas time is complete without a festive and jolly cocktail party, be it with friends, coworkers, neighbors, or your own family. With a menu of classic cocktails, spirited Christmas shots that even Blitzen and Prancer can't say no to, or a regal-looking martini that sparkles brighter than tinsel, you'll be the host with the most Christmas spirit. Want to go one step further? Whip up eggnog that'll knock the winter boots off any guest. Of course, some people prefer boots on, so you can always offer nonalcoholic eggnog that'll send scarves gently flying instead. Sweep guests off their feet with a special eggnog martini, or keep that secret cocktail to yourself while you're eating junk and watching rubbish.
If you're feeling a bit grinchy, or maybe just a bit green, go ahead and let the Grinch steal the show, but not the spirit, with an intoxicatingly green and delicious punch. It fits in quite nicely next to the Festivus pole. And for those who still munch on candy canes year after year, pour a peppermint martini complete with a candy cane rim.
New Year's Cocktails to End the Year With a Bang
Sparkles. Bubbles. Honestly, what more does anyone need to ring in the New Year? Cocktails. Break out the bubbles, your flutes, and your coupes to serve up a cocktail with none other than prosecco as the star. A little pear, some elderflower, and lemon juice is the base for one of the easiest and most elegant prosecco cocktails you can serve. Keep it classy with a throwback to a beloved cocktail, the boozy French 75. If you're someone that likes to turn heads but you don't want to part with your usual drink, stir your way to a Sbagliato.
After appropriately bedazzling and decorating your space, you can leave your guests' chilled bottles of prosecco on your cocktail table. Consider meaningful New Years' Eve drinks. A spiced old-fashioned, complete with a cinnamon stick garnish, is a reminder not to sweep away their luck in the new year, the perfect touch. A tart and juicy cherry punch, a beautiful red, will attract luck the whole year. Then again, you can never go wrong with a timeless classic martini.
Winter Holiday Cocktails for All Occasions
The winter holidays are a great time to try new cocktails that're perfectly jovial and colorful -- so fitting for the decorations that adorn street lights and all homes alike. No spirit captures the aroma and taste of winter holidays like the juniper notes you find in gin. Serve a warming Negroni with crackling winter flavors or winter sage gin martini to bring the festivities to any cocktail table.
Surprise yourself and your friends with a tequila cocktail that'll prove it can be both an outdoor fireside and indoor fireside drink. With a little chili liqueur, tequila takes a hot chocolate from ordinary to spicy and warm; drinking it will have you switching into a lighter sweater.
Taking a Cocktail from Ordinary to Festive
A dash of a magical sparkle or a garnish filled with love is all it takes to go from an everyday cocktail to one that's festive, merry, and bright.
- Give your cocktails, or even just a glass of prosecco, a glittering edge. Make your cocktails sparkle using food-grade glitter. Mix and match colors and patterns to fully customize your drinks, from fine glitter to appropriately star-shaped pieces. Better yet, leave some out for your guests to create their own Insta-worthy artwork, posting pictures with the appropriate party hashtag, of course.
- Shake your cocktails with edible petal dust. The same ingredient bakers use to give cakes that little extra something. Giving any cocktail a beautiful opaque swirl requires no more than an eighth of a teaspoon of petal dust.
- Go big on your garnishes! Not only will a sugar rim add a pop, but consider doing so in conjunction with edible glitter or use just glitter. Instead of a traditional citrus wheel, swap that for a dehydrated citrus wheel.
- If your drink calls for ice, opt for colorful food-safe ice cubes, using plastic ones or adding food dye to your ice molds. Take it one step further and add reusable flashing, colorful ice cubes.
A Little Extra Cheer With Holiday Cocktails
Slip into your coziest sweater, slide into your best dancing shoes, or put on a stretchy pair of pants as you navigate the holiday season with the perfect cocktail in hand. Whether you're prepping for a party or hosting your own movie marathon for one, the holiday season won't be the same without a glittering drink.