Try these delicious bourbon Christmas cocktails for the holidays, from the hot toddy to spiked hot chocolate!
Love bourbon at the holidays? When I’m entertaining in fall and winter, I often tend towards whiskey. This spirit is great for the holidays because its warm, sweet notes of caramel and vanilla are cozy and pair well with winter flavors like cranberry, pomegranate, and apple.
As a cocktail expert, I’ve reviewed my list of cocktail recipes to find all my favorite bourbon Christmas cocktails for the season! From spiked hot chocolate to hot toddys to signature drinks with seasonal flavors, there’s something for everyone in this list.
Top Bourbon Christmas Cocktails
This cranberry bourbon cocktail is the perfect signature bourbon Christmas cocktail! It’s balanced, sweet tart, and complex, fruity with intriguing notes from sweet vermouth. The cranberry and bourbon pairing make it ideal for winter entertaining, like Christmas dinner or appetizer hour.
Ingredients: Bourbon whiskey. sweet vermouth, orange juice, 100% unsweetened cranberry juice. simple syrup
Here's a bourbon Christmas cocktail that’s been around for centuries: the Hot Toddy! This historic drink used to be a cure for the common cold, and with one sip you’ll know why. A burst of warm bourbon melds seamlessly into the lemon and honey. Also try my Apple Cider Hot Toddy.
Ingredients: Bourbon whiskey, honey, lemon, and hot water
There’s nothing better at taking the chill off than Bourbon Hot Chocolate! This mug of liquid cocoa is rich and creamy, with an intense depth in chocolate flavor. A hint of bourbon and it gives it a warming complexity with notes of vanilla and oak.
Ingredients: Bourbon, cocoa powder, 2% milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips
Here’s a classic bourbon drink that will warm you to the bone: Hot Spiked Apple Cider! There’s something about the combination of sweet cinnamon and cloves with the subtle spicy finish of bourbon that’s absolutely soul warming. The liquor melds seamlessly into the hot cider, making a smooth sip and a cozy finish.
Ingredients: Apple cider, bourbon whiskey, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks
This easy Christmas Punch recipe pairs cranberry juice, pineapple, and ginger ale for a festive crowd-pleaser. Spike it with bourbon in the punch bowl, or you can add it to individual cups for ultimate flexibility.
Ingredients: Cranberry juice blend, pineapple juice, ginger ale, bourbon
This Apple Cider cocktail pairs cider with sweet and spicy bourbon in a sophisticated drink. It’s got a hint of lemon and a surprise ingredient that rounds out the flavors into a meld that’s intriguing, complex and highly drinkable.
Ingredients: Apple cider, bourbon, sweet vermouth, lemon juice
Here's a bourbon Christmas cocktail for those who love boozy drinks: the Maple Old Fashioned! This twist on the classic uses maple syrup instead of sugar, along with the classic whiskey and bitters. Give it a swirl and a taste, and it’s even smoother than the original! The maple syrup adds hints of caramel and vanilla that give even more nuance and sophistication to each sip.
Ingredients: Maple syrup, Angostura bitters, bourbon whiskey:
This creamy, cold cocktail that’s exceedingly delicious at Christmas! You might not expect it, but the richness of milk perfectly compliments the oak and vanilla notes in the bourbon. Add a vanilla and nutmeg, and this historic cocktail is a festive holiday drink.
Ingredients: Whole milk, bourbon whiskey, simple syrup, vanilla extract
Another spirit-forward bourbon cocktail for the holidays? Try a Bourbon Manhattan! While a Manhattan is classically made with spicy rye whiskey, we prefer it made with bourbon. The notes of oak, vanilla and caramel oak in bourbon are the perfect match for sweet vermouth.
Ingredients: Bourbon whiskey. sweet red vermouth, Angostura bitters
Last up in my bourbon Christmas cocktails, the always-festive New York Sour! First you have the bourbon sour layer: sweet tart and sweetened with maple for some nuance. Then float a layer of red wine over the top and it adds intrigue, complexity and a fruity acidity.
Ingredients: Red wine, bourbon whiskey, lemon, simple syrup
More Holiday Drinks
Want more drinks for the season? Here are a few more winter cocktail ideas using many types of spirits:
- 21 Winter Cocktails
- 10 Winter Vodka Cocktails or 10 Vodka Christmas Cocktails
- 10 Top Hot Alcoholic Drinks
- 15 Hot Drinks to Take the Chill Off
- 40 Best Holiday Drinks
Bourbon Christmas Cocktails: Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail & More!
Pin Recipe
Print RecipeThis cranberry bourbon cocktail is sweet tart and complex, offset by orange and sweet vermouth. It’s the ideal signature bourbon Christmas cocktail for entertaining!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces* bourbon whiskey
- 1 ounce sweet red vermouth
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 1 ounce 100% unsweetened cranberry juice**
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice, for serving (try clear ice!)
- For the garnish: fresh or frozen cranberries, rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Place the bourbon, sweet vermouth, orange juice, unsweetened cranberry juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake until cold.
- Strain the drink into an ice-filled lowball glass. If desired, garnish with fresh or frozen cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
- Pitcher variation (8 servings): Add 1 ½ cups bourbon, 1 cup sweet vermouth, 2 cups orange juice, 1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice, and ½ cup simple syrup to a pitcher. Add 2 handfuls ice and stir until cold.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
**If all you can find is sweetened cranberry juice, cranberry juice blend, or cranberry juice cocktail, omit the simple syrup or add it to taste.
More Cocktail Recipes to Try
There are so many cocktails to try outside of these bourbon Christmas cocktails! Here are 300+ cocktail recipes for every occasion:
- Classics: Try Classic Cocktails or Great Cocktail Recipes.
- Easy: These Easy Mixed Drinks and Cheap Drinks have just 2 to 3 ingredients.
- Fancy: Opt for the best in Craft Cocktails.
- The Big 5: Try all our cocktails with Gin, Vodka, Whiskey, Tequila or Rum.
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/3Ed5VHt
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