Holiday Cocktails To Try And Enjoy This Winter
The winter season ushers in some of the most festive holidays of the year, which include opportunities for hosting fun dinners and parties. For those looking to broaden their entertaining skills, a great way to spice things up is to try out some fun holiday-inspired cocktails. To get the best taste that captures this special time of year, there are flavor profiles to choose from that fit perfectly with the winter season.
There are several main categories of flavors that run the gamut of winter popularity, according to Flavor Insights. These include sweet, spiced, herbaceous, and fruity — each allowing room for unique nuances in flavor, from different variations of spice to different types of fruit. And just like pairing a glass of wine with your meal, the flavors in your signature cocktails can also be paired with whatever you are eating, ideally by matching or contrasting the flavors of the drink to the flavors of the meal.
As noted by Pampered Chef, a great way to do this is to work with individual ingredients of the food and drink. Try finding ingredients that match both, or classic taste combinations such as lemon and mint or cinnamon and sugar. The following categories make up some of the most classic flavor profiles that are popular during the winter holiday. Whether you're looking to serve wine-based boozy drinks or a warm mug of spiked coffee, there's something that will please any guest — as well as yourself.
Highlight one of season's most popular spices — cinnamon
Come winter, cinnamon makes a great addition to any holiday get-together for its overall flavor potency, as well as potential health benefits. A key component of cinnamon is cinnamaldehyde, which according to an article in Food and function (via PubMed) helps fight inflammation. As nutritionist and dietician Cynthia Sass tells Health, cinnamon is what is known as a "sweet spice." While not inherently sweet, it mimics sweetness — similar to nutmeg and ginger. This allows it to work well in both sweet and savory recipes, as it subtly enhances flavors. Sass notes cinnamon can be easily incorporated into your diet, such as sprinkled into your coffee or oatmeal, or even frozen into ice cubes to flavor your drinks.
For those looking for cinnamon in more than just ice cubes, there are many great drinks, with or without alcohol, that feature cinnamon as a key player. You can make a cinnamon coffee at home by just mixing the spice into coffee grounds before brewing. This drink is great solo, but if you feel like spiking the drink, a small ounce of coffee-flavored liqueur or whiskey can make this a fun after-dinner treat. For a more subtle kick, sweet red sangria is a cold cocktail alternative that infuses cinnamon as a background flavor. It's recommended to chill the mixture of wine, rum, fruit, juice, and sugar with the cinnamon sticks for at least 2 hours, to allow enough time to infuse the entire pitcher.
Warm your soul with other specialty spice drinks
Many enjoy the glorious use of cinnamon during the wintertime, but there are other reputable spices that are uniquely special. Some spices, such as anise, clove, and nutmeg, are more intense and can add tremendous flavor in small quantities. Others like allspice and ginger get placed high on the list of go-to holiday flavors. Though all different, these spices work great either together or separately, and can give any tasty drink a wonderful boost in flavor.
Stronger spices such as anise and clove are very herbaceous and earthy, as noted by Flavor Insight, and work best as background flavors in many recipes. In fact, many of these spices work so well in popular holiday recipes, like gingerbread, because they are used to enhance the flavors of other ingredients (via Piccantino). A hot toddy is another great example, as there are only a few simple yet strong elements involved in this drink: honey, lemon, and bourbon. Using spices such as star anise complements the flavors, without being overpowering.
When it comes to cooking, toasting spices before adding them to your dish is known to bring out their natural aromatics (via Tasting Table). This method can also be done when making warm drinks, especially in a delicious gingerbread hot chocolate. Warming the cloves, allspice, ginger, and cinnamon with the other liquid ingredients on a stove helps bring out strong flavors through a gentle infusion. And if desired, spike it with an ounce of chocolate or coffee liqueur.
Embrace the berry in these wintery fruit cocktails
So many holiday drinks highlight sugar and other sweet elements, but for cocktails not everyone wants a sweet drink before or after eating. To balance out the flavors, using berries that are more tart — such as pomegranates and cranberries — helps brighten up the palate. Though pomegranates conveniently grow during peak holiday seasons, many consumers find extracting their beautiful seeds to be a daunting task. While there are tried-and-true methods of deseeding, according to the Food Network there are also some hacks to getting the fruit out easier. These seeds can be eaten whole and used to top salads and appetizers — or enhance the flavor of signature holiday drinks.
A Belmont jewel cocktail is a classic recipe that highlights bright flavors like pomegranate and lemon, paired in a way that makes a heavier spirit like bourbon taste light. Its four simple ingredients make it easy to whip up in large batches if needed. Speaking of large-batch drinks, non-alcoholic Christmas punch is another great berry mocktail alternative to serve at your holiday party. It utilizes pomegranate and cranberry juice as its main liquid components.
Cranberry is another tart fruit that stars in many holiday-themed beverages. A fun batch drink to showcase cranberries at your holiday party is jingle juice. It pairs the classic combo of cranberry and orange together with rosé and sparkling fruit juice. It's recommended to use frozen cranberries, or freeze your berries ahead of time, to chill the drink without adding ice.
Citrus-infused drinks lighten up every event
On the subject of fruits that take the sweet edge off the holidays, citrus fruits are a cornerstone of many cocktail recipes. Fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and many others help to both balance and enhance a wide array of flavors, ranging from savory to sweet. And as noted by the Mayo Clinic, they can help fight against illness with powerful vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.
Some of the best batch drinks to make before holiday parties offer citrus as part of the recipe. This is great if you're hosting a party — or just invited to one and need to bring something ready to enjoy (via Tasting Table). From the tart sour of grapefruit juice in a paloma, or the tangy lime in a Moscow Mule, all the way to the warm sweetness of a mulled wine, citrus plays its part well when used. The only tricky bit is deciding what part you want it to play.
If you're itching to make citrus the star of your signature cocktail, one highly underrated drink is a traditional Russian tea. Served as a hot drink, this tea tastes almost like a hot mulled apple cider, though its components are vastly different. With bags of black tea, spices, orange, lemon, and pineapple juice concentrates, the combination forms a warm hug of a drink. It is both unique and simple, and enjoyed at its best when hot.
When in doubt, go for chocolate
Especially on a cold day, hot chocolate can bring back moments of nostalgia and make those winter days even more memorable. In a OnePoll survey (via StudyFinds) conducted in the winter of 2021 — for "National Hot Chocolate Day" — almost a third of hot chocolate drinkers said they treat themselves to it every day through winter. A great way to encapsulate chocolate and winter around the holidays is to use it in your food or drinks. For adults, that means getting creative and fun with how you utilize it.
A fun, delicious drink to get into the spirit of the season is a twist on an old favorite: a spiced hot chocolate. This slightly seasoned version takes a spicy take on how we think of hot chocolate, by adding favorite sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg — as well as a pinch of chili powder to give it a hint of heat. You can also use rum, bourbon, or brandy if you're looking to spike it for a crowd-pleasing cocktail.
Another great way to celebrate with chocolate is by making the classic mudslide, a decadent yet fun reminder of just how awesome combining chocolate and milk can be. For this beverage, chocolate syrup is shaken with ice, heavy cream, Kahlua, Bailey's, and vodka until a rich, yummy concoction is formed. With a dollop of whipped cream or a dripping chocolate syrup rim, this drink will make you and your guests feel like kids again — with the warm buzz of a well-made cocktail.
Upgrade from candy canes to peppermint cocktails
Peppermint has an interesting history with winter, in that its use as a winter treat is a mystery. According to Content Cucumber, there is no confirmed history of why peppermint became such an iconic flavor during the holidays. Some theorize that it is the scientific makeup of peppermint — how the chemical menthol in peppermint has a reaction with our taste buds and nerves to feel a cooling sensation. No matter the history, peppermint is a key flavor that is highly popular during the winter holidays.
A great way to incorporate peppermint into your drink menu is to combine it with something that will take the edge off of such a strong flavor. One iconic duo is peppermint and chocolate. Balancing the flavors of mint and chocolate has always been a fun concept in the culinary field with varying results, depending on the mint and the chocolate. Bickford Flavors notes that peppermint especially works well with darker chocolates and fudges. Peppermint's distinct cooling effects can parry well with a richer flavor of chocolate.
A Chocolate Peppermint Martini is a great way to incorporate these classic flavors in a boozy, minty treat. The combination of rich chocolate syrup and peppermint schnapps finds a great balance, maxed out with touches of vanilla and chocolate liqueurs for sweetness. To add a fun touch, you can also put a rim of peppermint around your glasses' edge with peppermints and chocolate.
Coffee-infused recipes to wake up your drink menu
The perfect coffee cocktail sounds delicious on the surface, however, as consultant Troy Sidle tells The New York Times, it can be challenging to find the right balance of coffee and alcohol, as "a great cup of black coffee is inherently balanced." This means that adding anything to your perfect cup of coffee can change the flavor and overall effect of the drink. However, many succeed and create iconic, well-balanced coffee cocktails that are known throughout the world. The best way to do so is to enhance the flavor of coffee with other complementary flavors.
A great example exists in the Carajillo, a simple yet effective drink that is equal parts espresso and Licor 43 (via Tasting Table). The Spanish liqueur in the drink does not have a distinguishable flavor other than "sweet," making it the ideal additive to spike a cup of espresso — transforming it into a great cocktail.
For home bartenders looking for an equally simple drink to make that will end any great holiday occasion, there is the Colorado Bulldog. Everyone's favorite coffee liqueur, Kahlua, is the star in this fun, twisted play on a rootbeer float, where cola is mixed with the Kahlua and a healthy dollop of whipped cream. The best way to build the drink is to add the spirits first, then cola, then top with your favorite whipped cream. This drink goes great with dessert as its sweetness is offset by the coffee elements.
Luscious, creamy drinks to satisfy the holiday spirit
Cream or milk-based cocktails aren't always the go-to drink for a party, but for the holidays, these recipes can be as decadent as dessert. One fun cocktail for the more adventurous is the classic Irish car bomb. These cocktails are made by dropping a shot of whiskey and Irish cream into a glass of dark stout beer. However, when it comes to celebrating the holidays, one iconic drink lures many of us in: eggnog.
With a strange name like that, this drink has a history that stretches to medieval times. There were several early variations of a drink similar to eggnog: According to Many Eats, one of the earliest recipes was called posset and was known as a creamy egg-based drink that used ale, instead of liqueurs or brandy. The drink has since evolved into what we know it as today, though many store-bought versions are alcohol-free and often very sweet.
To make the perfect homemade eggnog to enjoy, there are several key items to remember. One important detail is to separate the yolks and remove the egg whites, as chef Laura Sampson says this will help prevent lumps from forming (via Mashed). Other important things to remember are to add vanilla and nutmeg at the very end of the cooking time. These elements are also per your taste, so keep tasting it to get your ideal flavor balance.
Nuts can go farther than the snack bowl with fun holiday drinks
In the wintertime, an unsung food hero happens to be nuts. A broad food category with layers of different flavors, nuts take a wide stance in the winter months: They typically serve as complementary flavors that go well with sweeter elements, such as chocolate and maple. Nuts also find overlay within the alcohol sphere, either as a flavored liquor or as a complementary snack. Many varieties even pair well with different types of wine, according to the California Wine Club, such as hazelnuts with chardonnay and pecans with a pinot noir.
With such quirky flavor profiles, nut-based spirits can be the unexpected signature cocktail flavor at your holiday party. These days, many vodka distilleries make a wide array of flavored vodkas that can provide the perfect flavor for your signature drink. With this in mind, if you're trying to make a signature cocktail, a fun way to do so is to create a dessert-themed drink. One of the season's most beloved desserts is pecan pie: Therefore, a fun cocktail could be a pecan pie martini.
This drink requires a little bit of planning ahead of time for the rim-flavored elements, but the recipe for the drinks themselves is quite simple. One thing to keep in mind is the inherent sweetness of the drinks, as flavored vodkas like these tend to be very sweet, according to Liquor.com. To play this down, add more ice or milk to dilute the sweetness.