12 Festive And Tasty Cocktails To Put A Kick In Your Holiday Party

ACROSS AMERICA — If you’re leaning into the holiday season with festive decorations at every turn, why not go all in with cocktails that add to the ambience?

Here are a dozen cocktails that are as tasty as they are festive and pretty. Some are holiday staples and traditions, and others offer new takes on old favorites. And for people who stray from the typical Christmas palette with their holiday decorating, we have a lovely lavender cocktail that’s making a comeback.

Santa Clausmopoliotans
For this fresh, tart cocktail (main photo), you’ll need vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec and lime juice. Dip the rim of a martini glass in sanding sugar to give it a snowy look, and add fresh cranberries to the glass to dress it up. Get the recipe from Delish.

Toasted Marshmallow Espresso Martini
You can sit around a winter campfire and toast marshmallows as a garnish for this winter take on a vodka martini. Besides vodka, you will need coffee liquor, toasted marshmallow syrup and an espresso shot. For fun, coat the rim in graham cracker crumbs. Get the recipe from The Communal Feast.

White Christmas Margaritas
This wintertime take on margaritas adds coconut cream and coconut milk to the traditional recipe. You’ll also need Blanco tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Rosemary and cranberry garnish give it a festive look. Get the recipe from Rolling Stone.

Peppermint White Russian
This peppermint twist on the classic has a bright, minty finish. You’ll need vodka, Kahlua, peppermint schnapps, heavy cream or milk and some candy canes for garnish. Get the recipe from A Couple Cooks.

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Wassail
Wassail, a hot mulled cider, is traditionally enjoyed during wassailing, an English Christmas ritual in which people gather in the fruit orchards to dance, drink and sing songs encouraging a bountiful fruit harvest the following year. It can be made with or without alcohol — either bourbon or brandy. You’ll need honeycrisp apples, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, apple cider, a naval orange, whole cloves, lemons, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, cranberry juice cocktail and frozen cranberries (optional). Get the full recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Hot Buttered Rum
This drink from the Colonial era was originally intended for medicinal purposes. Start with a good dark or aged rum. You’ll need unsalted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, ground gloves, ground nutmeg, allspice and a stick of cinnamon for garnish. Get the recipe from Wine Enthusiast.

Coquito
Switch up a Brandy Alexander with this Puerto Rican classic winter party drink, a coconut milk-based, rum-spiked version of eggnog. You’ll need silver rum, añejo tequila, coconut milk, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and ground nutmeg. Get the recipe from Wine Pair.

Bloody Maria
A cousin to the Bloody Mary, the Bloody Maria uses tequila and lime juice instead of vodka, but has the same base of vegetable or tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces, horseradish, celery salt and black pepper. It begs for creative toppings that can be set up on a bar for easy customization. Get the recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

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The Smoking Bishop
This classic Victorian mulled punch is mentioned in the final lines of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” You’ll need Seville oranges (or substitute naval oranges and lemon), Demerara sugar, a bottle of red wine (not too dry nor too sweet), a bottle of Ruby port wine, cloves, green cardamom pods and orange peel. Get the recipe from The New York Times

Gingerbread Martini
To make this take on the quintessential holiday cookie, you’ll need to make a gingerbread simple syrup, then add it to the Bailey’s Irish Cream, vodka and Kahlua. Besides the booze, you’ll need peeled ginger, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, granulated sugar, vanilla ice cream and crushed gingerbread cookies for the rim, and whole gingerbread people and whipped cream for serving. Get the recipe from Delish.

Negroni
This Christmas red-colored cocktail uses equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari (a red Italian bitter) garnished with an orange twist in a chilled glass. Get the recipe from the Food Network.

The Aviation
The gorgeous, lavender hued cocktail dating back to the turn of the 20th century is enjoying a revival with newfound availability of the signature ingredient, crème de violette, which disappeared from the U.S. marketplace sometime in the 1960s. You’ll also need gin, maraschino liquor and fresh lemon juice. Get the recipe from Food & Wine.