15 Easy Christmas Cocktails

By Carl Hanson
Updated December 15, 2020
Credit: Getty Images

Celebrate the holidays with Christmas cocktails that are simple, food friendly, and festive. With these top-rated tipples, you'll turn a handful of simple ingredients into holiday cheer.

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Cranberry Martini

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A quick, festive cocktail for the holidays. Shake up vodka, orange liqueur, vermouth, cranberry juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker.  Garnish with fresh cranberries. "I had this cranberry martini recipe at a holiday party and everyone loved it," says Ed Grivner. "The cranberry juice mixes nicely with the liquor. It's a perfect smooth drink."

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Negroni Cocktail II

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It doesn't get easier than this. Just three ingredients (gin, campari, and sweet vermouth) in equal measure create a cocktail that's complex, delicious, and strong! It's all booze in there. Bonus: this cocktail is the color of santa's suit!

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Simple Moscow Mule

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Spicy ginger beer gives this simple vodka cocktail instant Christmas cred, while "Moscow" puts us in the mood for snowscapes, sleigh rides, and big furry ushanka hats. Squeeze lime juice and vodka over ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime slices. 

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Poinsettias

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Gorgeous and low alcohol, champagne with a splash of cranberry juice will make your holiday celebration special. "This is a nice holiday cocktail," says Kathy Roy Larsen. "We always serve this at our Christmas Eve open house. It has such a nice taste!"

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Jack Rose Cocktail

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Applejack, fresh lemon juice, and a touch of grenadine creates terrific cocktail for the holidays. Float fresh cranberries on top for a festive finish.

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Original Champagne Cocktail

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This classic drink dates back to the Civil War era and Angostura bitters and a sugar cube transform less expensive sparkling wine into a classic cocktail that tastes great and isn't too boozy. "Easy," says Cindy D. "Subtle bitters taste balanced by the extra sugar."

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Manhattan Cocktail

Credit: Meredith
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A bracing mix of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters. A maraschino cherry makes it festive for the holidays. "Classic indeed!" says Big Steel. "This one straddles the fence between sweet and smoky."

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Candy Cane Drinks

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This peppermint schnapps, creme de cacao, and cream cocktail was made for a party -- the recipe serves 16. 

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Christmas Mimosa

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Fill a Champagne flute with cranberry juice topped with sparkling wine and a splash of orange liqueur. "A wonderful Christmas morning drink with a pink hue that looks lovely when garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs and sugared cranberries," says ERIKIM21.

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Rudolph-Tini

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Here's a fun one! "Cinnamon sticks and a cherry are used as the antlers and reindeer nose on the edge of the glass for garnish!" says PSOCONNOR. 

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Shaggy's Perfect Martini

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Easy and potent. Pimento-stuffed green olives will give this classic cocktail instant Christmas cred. "This refreshing cocktail will remove the furrows from your brow," says shaggy. "Skewering the olive with a toothpick makes it easier to pick out when you're ready to eat it."

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Nectar of the Gods

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Agave nectar gives this simple Champagne and Chambord cocktail a tasty Southwest twist. "I'm not a champagne drinker, but I'm hooked on this one," says DIZ. "I used a cheap bottle of pink champagne and couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised by the sweet raspberry taste."

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Amaretto Eggnog

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Prepared eggnog gets a bump of almond-flavored liqueur. You'll simply stir amaretto liqueur into prepared eggnog that you've heated up in the microwave. "If you like eggnog and amaretto, you will like this!" says Kim's Cooking Now. "I think next time I will thin out the eggnog with a bit of milk before warming to cut down on the sweetness a bit."

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Easy Mojitos for a Crowd

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Tangy-and sweet, this super-simple mojito-inspired punch blends frozen limeade, mint leaves, and rum. It's a pitcher of Christmas cheer, Cuban style, to put your holiday party on island time. 

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Gingerbread White Russian

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"White Russians are delicious on their own. Adding gingerbread syrup takes it up to another level of tastiness," says recipe creator Yoly. 

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