These festive drinks are exactly what your Friday night needs

What better way to wind down from a day of frantic Christmas shopping than with a festive Christmas cocktail?

We've pulled together 15 Christmas cocktail recipes from some of our most beloved brands, with options for tequila fans (you can't miss the spiced cranberry paloma), gin aficionados and, of course, the Prosecco crew (hello, fig jam fizz).

Whether you're in the mood for something spiced and cosy on the sofa or a drink fit for a festive party, we've got you covered.

P.S - if you want all the Christmas fun without the booze, we've got recipes for that too...

RELATED: 10 Christmas alcohol-free cocktails for merry (and mindful) sipping

Best Christmas cocktail recipes for impeccable festive vibes

Snow bramble

If you're a fan of the summery blackberry-based cocktail, you'll love this easy winter take on a bramble from luxe rum brand Vapoura.

Serves 1

• 50ml Vapoura Gold

• 10ml vanilla syrup

• 20ml fresh lime juice

• 15ml mulled wine liqueur or cordial

• Orange peel, to garnish

• Fresh blackberries, to garnish

1. Add all ingredients (minus cordial) to a tumbler.

2. Add crushed ice and mix using a cocktail stirrer until the ingredients are combined.

3. Add more crushed ice, pour the liqueur or cordial on top, and garnish with the orange peel and fresh blackberry.

Spiced cranberry paloma

A paloma might seem like a sunshine-on-a-terrace beverage only, but Recuerdo's recipe for a deliciously spiced cranberry version of the agave spirit-based drink will persuade you otherwise.

Serves 1

• 50ml Recuerdo mezcal

• 50ml cranberry juice

• 25ml grapefruit juice

• 25ml lime juice

• 30ml spiced syrup (see below)

• Soda water

• Grapefruit wedge, to garnish

1. Add the Recuerdo mezcal, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice and syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake until well combined.

2. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with soda water.

3. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

To make the spiced syrup:

• 150g granulated sugar

• 150ml water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 cloves

• 1 star anise

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Add the sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and star anise to a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, constantly stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla then leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

3. Remove the spices, then strain into a bottle or jar once cooled.

English frost eggnog

It wouldn't be Christmas without a glass or two of eggnog, would it? This richly spiced recipe from Vapoura is perfect for curling up with on the sofa to watch a festive flick.

Serves 1

• 50ml Vapoura Spiced

• 75ml whole milk or Oatly Barista Edition

• 10ml vanilla syrup

• 10ml Pedro Ximénez

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 cardamom pod

• 2 dashes saline solution

• Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

1. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake hard.

2. Double strain into a handled mug or large coupe and garnish with a grating of nutmeg.

Blackberry sake gimlet

If fruity cocktails are usually your vibe, this deliciously tart and sweet blackberry sake gimlet from Samurai Sake should be your go-to festive drink.

Serves 1

• 100ml Samurai Sake

• 30ml elderflower liqueur

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 2 rosemary sprigs, 1 reserved for garnish

• 5 blackberries, 2 reserved for garnish

1. Muddle three blackberries with a sprig of rosemary in a cocktail shaker.

2. Add Samurai Sake, elderflower liqueur, lime and ice, then shake until well combined.

3. Strain into a gimlet glass and garnish with the final two blackberries speared with a sprig of rosemary.

Sparkling cosmo

Looking for a party drink? This fun sparkling cosmo from Chloe, Poppy and Cara Delevingne's Prosecco brand, Della Vite, is the answer.

Serves 1

• 25ml premium vodka

• 10ml Cointreau

• 25ml cranberry syrup

• 10ml fresh lime juice

• 50ml Della Vite DOC Treviso Rosé Prosecco

• Lemon wedge, to garnish

1. Add all the ingredients (apart from the Prosecco) to a cocktail shaker.

2. Shake and strain ingredients into a martini glass or coupe, then top with Prosecco. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Winter old fashioned

This smoky, spiced old fashioned from Never Say Die is the sort of drink that's just as at home in your hand on the sofa as it as at the end of a festive dinner party.

Serves 1

• 50ml Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon⁠

• 10ml winter syrup⁠ (see below, or use Monin Winter Spice Syrup)

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

1. Add all ingredients to a tumbler and fill with a handful of ice cubes.

2. Using a cocktail stirrer, stir until well chilled and diluted, top up the ice if needed and garnish with a smoldering cinnamon stick.⁠

To make the winter syrup

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 5 cloves

• 2 strips of orange peel

• 250g demerara sugar

• 125ml water

1. Break the cinnamon stick up and add along with the cloves to a frying pan.

2. Heat gently until the aroma of the spices becomes strong. Add the sugar, water and orange peel and bring to the boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.

3. Once all the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has come to a boil, pour the liquid through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool before bottling. To extend the shelf life of the syrup, add 25ml of Never Say Die.

Charlie Chaplin

Bring a little old-school glam to your Christmas party with a sweet and zesty recipe from the 1920s, featuring a modern garnish from Mixologist's Garden.

Serves 1

• 30ml sloe gin

• 30ml apricot brandy

• 30ml lime juice

• Mixologist’s Garden Lime Slices, to garnish

1. Put the sloe gin, apricot brandy and lime juice into a cocktail jug with plenty of ice. Stir briskly for 30 seconds.

2. Strain into a small cocktail glass. Garnish with the lime slices.
   

Figgy fizz

Fig jam isn't just for cheeseboards - this classy recipe from Hernö uses the sweet stuff to create a festive spritz.

Serves 1

• 40ml Hernö Gin

• 20ml Cointreau

• 20ml lemon juice

• 1 tbsp fig jam

• 20ml soda water

• 60ml Prosecco

• Orange peel, to garnish

1. Shake all the ingredients apart from the soda and Prosecco in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes.

2. Strain into a wine glass filled with ice and then top with the soda and Prosecco.

Cider and mezcal margarita

Switch up your usual spicy marg for this wintery cider and mezcal version from Zignum. Don't skip the sweet and salty cinnamon rim - it's the star of the show.

Serves 1

• 50ml Zignum Reposado mezcal

• 75ml apple cider

• 25ml orange liqueur

• 1 lime wedge

• Apple slices, to garnish

To rim the glasses:

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• Lime wedges

1. Mix the cinnamon, sugar and salt together on a small plate. Rub the rim of a martini glass with a lime wedge, then dip the rim into the cinnamon, sugar and salt combination.

2. Fill the glass with ice. Fill a shaker with ice. Pour in the mezcal, orange liqueur and apple cider. Squeeze in the lime wedge then stir thoroughly to combine.

3. Strain into the rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with apple slices.

Blancmange

Part cocktail, part pudding, this treat of a drink from Della Vite is easy to make and delicious to sip.

Serves 1

• 25ml cognac

• 40ml almond milk

• 10ml maple syrup

• 1 Maraschino cherry

• 25ml Della Vite Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G

1. Add the cognac, almond milk and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker, then mix.

2. Add a handful of ice cubes to a tumbler, then pour over the mixture.

3. Top with the Prosecco and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Holly cosmo

If you're looking for a low-effort festive twist on a classic, this holly cosmo is your dream drink. Swap vodka for Hernö gin, add a little almond syrup and garnish with rosemary and you've got yourself a Christmas tipple.

Serves 1

• 50ml Hernö gin

• 25ml cranberry juice

• 20ml lime

• 10ml orgeat

• Rosemary sprig, to garnish

1. Add a handful of ice cubes to a cocktail shaker along with all the ingredients apart from the rosemary sprig. Shake hard for 15 seconds.

2. Strain into a coupe or nick and nora glass. Garnish with the rosemary sprig.

Alpine negroni

One sip of this herbal negroni from Amaro Santoni and you'll be (mentally...) whisked away to a wood-panelled après-ski bar.

Serves 1

• 25ml Amaro Santoni

• 25ml Savoia Americano Amaro

• 25ml Mondino Amaro

• 25ml St. Germain

• 2.5ml Lemon juice

1. Add all the ingredients apart from the dehydrated orange to a cocktail shaker along with a few ice cubes. Stir until chilled and diluted.

2. Pour into an ice-filled tumbler and garnish with the dehydrated orange.

Spiced pear cocktail

This easy pear sour from Hernö is truly sugar, spice and all things nice - the exact vibe we're after in a festive drink.

Serves 1

• 50ml Hernö gin

• 20ml lemon juice

• 30ml pear syrup (see below)

• 1 egg white

• Star anise, to garnish

1. Chill a coupe glass by putting it in the freezer.

2. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice and shake vigorously.

3. Open the shaker, fill with ice and shake again, then strain into the chilled coupe. Garnish with one star anise.

To make the pear syrup:

• 4 pears, sliced

• 1 star anise

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 250g granulated sugar

• 250ml water

1. Add all the ingredients to a pan. Simmer for 20 minutes, then leave to cool completely before straining into a bottle or jar.

White bloody mary

Swap Christmas morning mimosas for this tangy white bloody mary from tasty liqueur brand La Tomato.

Serves 2

• 100ml La Tomato liqueur

• 500g ripe tomatoes

• 2 sticks celery

• 50ml apple juice

• 15ml lemon juice

• 6 dashes Tabasco (or more to taste)

• 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

1. Put the tomatoes, celery, apple juice, lemon juice and tabasco in a blender. Blitz until smooth then strain through a clean kitchen tower or cheesecloth. (Allow the juice to drip slowly, this may take a few hours. Do not stir).

2. Divide the clear tomato consommé between two glasses, then top each glass with 50ml of La Tomato and ice cubes.

3. Finish with 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Winter Pimm's

Turn everyone's favourite summertime refresher into a wintery treat with ginger ale, Prosecco and gorgeous a orange garnish from Mixologist’s Garden.

Serves 1

• 45ml Pimm’s

• 15ml triple sec

• 45ml ginger ale

• 75m Prosecco

• Mixologist’s Garden Orange Slices, to garnish

• Cinnamon stick, to garnish

• Rosemary sprig, to garnish

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, layering a few orange slices in as you fill it.

2. Pour in the Pimm’s followed by the triple sec, ginger ale and Prosecco.

3. Poke a cinnamon stick into the ice and use it to gently mix the ingredients.

4. Wedge 2 orange slices and a stem of rosemary into the glass and serve.
   

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• The best Christmas gifts for foodies, budding chefs and wine lovers

• How to cook Christmas dinner in an air fryer

• How to navigate Christmas with an eating disorder

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