With ideas for winter vodka cocktails and sparkling sips that feel fancy (but are a breeze to make), these best winter cocktail recipes will be the talk of your snowy-weather soiree. Serve our winter cocktails as Christmas party additions, New Year's Eve sips, or simply while relaxing with family and holiday guests. Just one sip of these liquor-, beer-, and wine-infused recipes will warm you up from the seasonal chill outside.
Apple-Cinnamon Winter Sangria
Ideal for sipping midsummer, sangria can be one of the best winter holiday cocktails too. When you combine dried apples, cranberries, and raisins with cinnamon and red wine, you create one of our favorite Christmas drink recipes. To elevate the presentation, garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick.
Pomegranate Cider Sangria
Tiptoe your apple cider from autumn to winter with cozy spices, warming brandy, and in-season produce picks including orange, apple, and pomegranate. Cranberry juice and pomegranate molasses lend not only a vibrant red hue but also a delightful sweet-tart quality. Since an entire pitcher can be made and chilled up to a day ahead, this is one of the best winter cocktail recipes for entertaining.
Blushing Maple Cocktail
Keep that maple syrup handy after topping your morning waffle or pancake recipe. In this winter bourbon cocktail, the sweetener lends a lovely rich quality to the kumquat and cranberry, shaken, not stirred, blushing Christmas cocktail.
Cranberry-Orange-Rosemary Cocktail
Rosemary isn't just for garnishes, marinades, or savory meat rub recipes, and cranberries can steal the show in far more than sauce alone! We're firm believers that little says "winter cocktail recipes" more than the combination of cranberry and orange. Unless you add Prosecco, of course—so we did.
Café Rompope (Mexican Coffee Eggnog)
Spiked eggnog gets a whole new cozy definition with this winter cocktail recipe. Rum and coffee-flavor liqueur ensure all are in good spirits, while coffee brings a buzzy element. With the creamy homemade nog as the base, this is one dreamy after-dinner drink.
Winter Cranberry Sipper
Winter vodka cocktails don't come much more festive—and simple!—than this. Only three ingredients, plus ice, transform into one of the best winter holiday cocktails. A simple garnish of fresh cranberries makes the bubbly beauty totally party-ready.
Melting Snowman Cocktail
This cool vodka drink recipe for winter certainly looks the part! In each cozy mug, a whipped cream "snowman" melts into the silky mix of Kahlúa, cream, and vodka. Finish the cute cocktail with a mug of a different kind: a "face" made with mini chocolate chips and an orange sprinkle.
Chocolate Blitzen
If it's named after one of Santa's reindeer, it must be good! (Just be sure to keep it far out of reach from the kiddos, of course.) Whip up these chocolaty, Irish cream liqueur-spiked winter vodka cocktails for your adult guests who are on the "nice list."
Apposta Cocktail
If gin and tonics are your go-to bar drink, consider DIY-ing this, its dressed-up winter cousin. Sure to become one of your favorite winter gin cocktail recipes, this big-batch drink is ready to party with flavors of in-season citrus, Aperol, and, obviously, gin. Grapefruit soda lends just enough sweetness and a refreshing fizz factor.
Spicy Tomato Gin and Tonic
Notice the red and green color combination happening here? That's all we need to say about these winter gin cocktails that are perfect for the holiday season. Plus, the bit of spice will help warm you on cold winter nights—or during chilly morning brunches.
Dandy Shandy
If you're looking for easy holiday cocktails—emphasis on easy—here's your drink! Two ingredients, one glass, and you're done. We love offering this when the revelers are ale aficionados or not so fond of fruity or sweet winter cocktails. Choose a seasonal dark beer you can't get year-round to make the beer-infused winter cocktail extra special.
Cinnamon-Pumpkin Toddy
We use this as both a fall and winter cocktail recipe, but it's so delicious and crowd-pleasing, we'd consider serving it year-round. Put whiskey, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, and apple-cinnamon schnapps into your slow cooker. Between 30 minutes to 3 hours later, depending if you simmer on high or low, out comes a whole batch of one of the simplest and best winter holiday cocktails.
