10 Christmas party cocktails to make for friends this winter

If you’re hosting any festive gatherings and want to prepare a few simple but showstopping cocktails for your guests to enjoy, then read on.

In a short list, db has collated 10 of the most impressive festive cocktails outlined by the expert party guidance of hercampus to help with the merriment and to ensure your Christmas shindig is a total hit. See below for a few favourites.

Winter Margarita

Ingredients:

2 ounces Blanco Tequila
1 ounce fresh lime juice
0.5 ounce cranberry juice
0.5 ounce agave nectar
Salt for rim

Recipe:

Salt the rim of the margarita glass. Combine Tequila, lime juice and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in the salt-rimmed glass.

Cinnamon Apple Smash

Ingredients:

2 ounces Bourbon
2 ounces of apple cider or apple juice
1 ounce lemon juice
2 teaspoon maple syrup
Garnish – apple wedge, cinnamon stick, cinnamon/nutmeg

Recipe:

Add ice, Bourbon, apple juice, lemon juice and agave syrup together into a cocktail shaker. Shake and then, in a martini glass chilled with a little crushed ice, strain the shaken cocktail. Cinnamon or nutmeg can be sprinkled over top with an apple slice, or another option would be to gently lay a cinnamon stick on top to finish.

Cranberry Moscow Mule

Ingredients:

4 ounces of ginger beer
4 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces rum
1 lime
crushed ice
cranberries – garnish

Recipe:

Fill copper mugs with crushed ice. While you do this, pour into a cocktail shaker the ginger beer, cranberry juice, rum and juice from half the lime. Shake gently and then pour into the copper mugs and garnish with cranberries.

Peppermint White Russian

Ingredients:

Candy canes
1 ounce Peppermint Schnapps
1 ounce Kahlúa
1 ounce vodka
3 ounces of milk

Recipe:

Combine the Kahlúa, vodka and peppermint Schnapps with a handful of ice cubes in a mixing glass. Then in a serving glass, place ice cubes and strain the mixture into the glass. Once strained, pour the milk on top and stir. To garnish, you can hang a candy cane on the side of the glass to give it a festive feel.

The Jack Frost

Ingredients:

8 cups ice
8 ounces of pineapple juice
4 ounces Blue Curacao
4 ounces vodka or light rum
4 ounces cream of coconut or coconut milk
Rim (optional) – honey & coconut flakes

Recipe:

This recipe makes about four servings. An optional step is to rim the glasses with coconut flakes by dipping the glass into honey, then into coconut flakes. To make the drink, fill a blender with ice, pineapple juice, Blue Curacao, rum or vodka and coconut milk. Blend until the mixture is smooth in texture. Then, pour into the coconut-rimmed glasses.

Cookie Martini

Ingredients:

Vanilla frosting and sprinkles – for rimming the glass
1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
1.5 ounces Irish cream
2 ounces of milk
1 ounce amaretto
Ice

Recipe:

At Christmastime, freshly baked biscuits are a signature scent. This drink is for people who crave something sweet. Rim the martini glass by coating it in vanilla frosting and dipping the frosted rim into red, green and white sprinkles. For the drink, combine the Irish cream, vanilla vodka, milk and amaretto in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the frosted martini glass.

Chocatini

Ingredients:

3 ounces of cream liqueur
1 ounce dark creme de cacao
0.5 ounce vodka
garnish – chocolate shavings

Recipe:

In a cocktail shaker, pour in the cream liqueur, vodka and creme de cacao with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 ounces of coffee
1.5 ounces of Irish whiskey
1 ounce heavy cream, lightly whipped

Recipe:

Brew the coffee of your choice and lightly whip the cream. Then, fill either a mug or latte glass with the coffee till it is about 3/4 full. Mix in the brown sugar until fully dissolved. Add the Irish whiskey and stir. Then add the whipped cream carefully with a teaspoon so that it floats on top.

Dirty Snowman

Ingredients:

1 ounce melted chocolate, for the rim
8 ounces vanilla ice cream
1 cup hot chocolate
1 ounce Baileys or cream liqueur
Garnish – Whipped cream & chocolate shavings

Recipe:

Place the rim of the cup into some melted chocolate and dip that into some chocolate sprinkles. First, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream into the mug. Add the cream liqueur over the ice cream. Then, pour the cup of hot chocolate over top. Put some whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top and serve.

The Grinch

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces melon liqueur (this is the ingredient that makes the drink green)
1 ounce clear rum
5 ounces Sprite or 7UP
Garnish – cherry

Recipe:

Put some ice into the serving glass. Pour the melon liqueur of choice into a glass with the rum. Then, fill the rest of the glass with Sprite or 7UP until it reaches the top. Garnish the drink with a fresh cherry if you wish.

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