Holiday cocktails, holiday drinks, holiday cocktail guide, holiday drink recipes

Vices Channel / Bullz-Eye Home

There is nothing sexier than a guy who can mix a great cocktail. The holiday party scene is your opportunity to showcase your mixing skills. These recipes will inject the spirit of the season into your next holiday gathering. Or, cozy up to a crackling fire with your favorite hottie and a cup of hot chocolate with a punch! – Shelly Perry

Our latest mixed drink content can be found in the cocktails tag in our new magazine format.


Golden Hot Buttered Rum

Makes 2 drinks.

  • 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) dark rum
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) cold unsalted butter

In a small saucepan, heat cider, cinnamon stick, honey, and lemon juice over low heat. Bring slowly to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) rum in each of 2 mugs. When cider is ready, pour into mugs. Discard cinnamon stick. Top each drink with 1 tablespoon (14 g) cold butter. Serve immediately.

Recipe from:

Christmas Carol Cookbook
by Sarah Key, Jennifer Newman Brazil, Vicky Wells
$7.95 (hardback)
Abbeville Press Publishers
ISBN: 1-55859-584-8


Holiday Manhattan

Manhattan has four basic ingredients:

  1. Whiskey (2 oz)
  2. Sweet Vermouth (1/2 oz)
  3. Bitters
  4. Maraschino Cherry

Pour 2 ounces of whiskey, 1/2 ounce of sweet vermouth, and ice into a shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with red and green maraschino cherries.

Infusion: In a basic tall glass jar with a tightly fitting lid, pour whiskey over red maraschino cherries, add dash of bitters and let it sit for a few days to infuse.

Whiskey: It is known that the original Manhattan was mixed with a straight rye whiskey (Some rye whiskies are still available). Today Manhattan is usually mixed with either Canadian whiskey or bourbon whiskey.


Egg Nog Kentucky Style

(serves 2 people)

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 oz bourbon
  • 1 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cups milk


Egg Nog Caribbean Style

serves 2 people)

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 oz light rum
  • 1 cups whipping cream
  • 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cups of coconut milk

All ingredients should be kept cold in a refrigerator in advance. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Add vanilla and nutmeg and continue to beat. Add brandy, rum, whipping cream and milk and stir. Chill before serving.


Egg Nog

(serves 2 people)

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 oz brandy
  • 1/2 oz dark rum
  • 1 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cups milk

All ingredients should be kept cold in a refrigerator in advance. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Add vanilla and nutmeg and continue to beat. Add brandy, rum, whipping cream and milk and stir. Chill before serving.


Poinsettia Martini

  • 1-1/2 oz. Absolut Vodka
  • 1/4 oz. Chambord
  • 1/4 oz. Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.

(from Linda Bett, Longneckers Saloon, Houston, Texas)


Poinsettia Cocktail

  • 1/2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
  • Champagne
  • 3 oz cranberry juice

Chill all of the ingredients beforehand.
Pour the Cointreau and cranberry juice into a chilled Champagne flute.
Stir well. Top with Champagne.


Hot Chocolate with Rum

  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 1/2 ounces best-quality dark chocolate, bittersweet or semisweet, as preferred
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum, or to taste

Put the milk into a saucepan and break the chocolate into pieces and add to the milk along with a cinnamon stick, honey, and sugar and heat gently until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla and mix with a small hand whisk and still whisking, add a spoonful of the rum first and taste to see if you want more. Add more sugar if you want this sweeter, too. Take out the cinnamon stick and pour into 2 cappuccino or caffe latte cups.


Mulled wine with Cinnamon and Cognac

  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 2 bottles red wine
  • 1/2 cup Cognac
  • Lemon twists

Bring water, cinnamon and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add in the wine, heat slowly until hot again. Stir in the cognac, and remove from heat.

Add lemon twists to each serving.


Glogg with Vodka

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 3 Tbsp Madeira
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 2 sticks cinnamon
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 orange peel
  • 1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup vodka

Combine everything but vodka in a large pot. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Just before serving, add in vodka.