4 Christmas Cocktails You Need on Your Holiday Table
We took all your favorite holiday flavors and turned them into festive drinks!
Ryan Liebe
If you’re someone who’s holiday season always begins the moment coffee shops like Starbucks and Dunkin’ release their holiday beverages, you’ll love these brand-new cocktail recipes from Food Network Magazine. Drawing inspiration from Christmas flavors like gingerbread, peppermint, sugar cookie and hot cocoa, these bubbly and bright libations are perfect for serving at upcoming holiday functions and gatherings, including cookie swaps, tree-trimming parties, movie-watching marathons and everything in between. Prosecco fans won’t be able to resist our Sugar Cookie Sparklers, which combine the sparkling wine with fragrant vanilla vodka and some eye-catching nonpareil sprinkle garnishes. Kids can also get in on the fun with a virgin version of our ice cream-based Gingerbread Milkshake. Keep reading to see how you can make each one, plus an ombre Peppermint Tonic and decadent Hot Cocoa Martini.
Sugar Cookie Sparkler (starting from far left): Mix 2 tablespoons each sugar and holiday nonpareils in a small shallow dish. Put some water in a second shallow dish. Dip the rim of a champagne flute in the water, then dip in the sugar-nonpareil mixture. Drop a sugar cube into the glass and sprinkle with a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Add 1 ounce chilled vanilla vodka, then top with prosecco.
Peppermint Tonic: Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in 1 ounce grenadine, then add 2 ounces gin or vodka and 1/2 ounce peppermint schnapps. Top with 6 ounces tonic water and garnish with a peppermint stick. Stir before drinking.
Gingerbread-Rum Milkshake: Make the gingerbread syrup: Combine 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon and allspice and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 5 minutes. Let cool. Dip the rim of a glass in the gingerbread syrup, then dip in crushed ginger cookies. Blend 2 ounces dark rum, 1/4 cup gingerbread syrup, 1/2 cup salted caramel ice cream and 1 1/2 cups ice in a blender. Pour into the glass; garnish with a ginger cookie. NOTE: For a nonalcoholic shake, just leave out the rum!
Hot Cocoa Martini: Freeze a martini glass for 10 minutes. Drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside, letting the syrup drip into the bottom of the glass, then return to the freezer. Combine 1 1/2 ounces cold chocolate liqueur and 1 ounce each cold hazelnut liqueur and rye in a shaker with 1 or 2 ice cubes. Stir well, then strain into the martini glass. Whisk 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl until thickened but still pourable. Spoon the cream over the drink and top with shaved chocolate.
Story Credits:
Photograph by Ryan Liebe for Food Network Magazine.
Story introduction written by Michelle Baricevic for FoodNetwork.com.
Recipes by Jessica D’ambrosio, Melissa Gaman, Khalil Hymore and Steve Jackson.
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