Christmas cocktail recipes

Nov 23, 2012 1:33 AM by Diana De Cicco

Posted in Holidays & Seasons / Christmas / Christmas Recipes

Here are three Christmas cocktail recipes and a few tips for serving your holiday-inspired concoctions.

Prepare a Christmas punch

A retro classic, holiday punch is the way to go if you will be having a lot of guests. A delicious spiked cider is a real crowd-pleaser as is Champagne punch or winter spiced sangria. The nice thing about a holiday punch is that you can control the alcohol content to keep guests from getting over-intoxicated. The best advantage? You, as the hostess, won't be stuck shaking cocktails all night.

Get inspired with your favorite holiday flavors

Some of your favorite holiday sweets may just translate into desserts you can drink. Candy canes make a great base for a peppermint martini, chocolate-covered cherries can translate to a delicious cherry cordial — even a sugar cookie or gingersnap can become the inspiration for a tasty cocktail.

Play up Christmas colors

When creating holiday cocktails, use juices or liquors that reflect the colors of the season. For example, cranberry or pomegranate juice work for red, Sour Apple Pucker works for green and white chocolate liqueur mirrors the winter's white snow.

Get creative with garnishes

Seasonal garnishes are a fun way to finish off your Christmas drinks. Cookies or candy, such as a chocolate chip cookie or a chocolate-covered pretzel can be served in a chocolate-flavored cocktail. Minced coconut can give the illusion of snow, rimming or floating in a white-colored libation. Decorative silver and gold holiday balls or sprinkles can add a festive finishing touch.