Christmas Cocktails

22 drinks · Updated October 2026

Christmas cocktails are an occasion-based selection, not a historically fixed cocktail family. The recurring choices are cream, eggs, baking spices, warm drinks and spirits served alongside holiday food. Drinks on this page include Brandy Alexander, Brandy Milk Punch and Coffee Cocktail. The Brandy Alexander combines brandy, crème de cacao and cream. Brandy Milk Punch uses milk, while the Coffee Cocktail uses port and egg rather than coffee. The seasonal label does not change a drink’s classic recipe or establish when it was invented. It is a way to choose among different structures, temperatures and ingredients for the occasion, with alcohol strength determined by the actual measures and dilution.

• Alexander

  Classic (early 1900s)

  1.5 oz Gin 0.75 oz White crème de cacao 0.75 oz Heavy cream 2 tsp Egg white (optional)

• Brandy Alexander

  Classic (early 1900s)

  1 oz Cognac 1 oz Dark crème de cacao 1 oz Heavy cream

• Brandy Milk Punch

  Classic (New Orleans)

  1.5 oz Cognac 1.75 oz Whole milk 2 tsp Vanilla syrup

• Coffee Cocktail

  Classic (printed in Jerry Thomas's Bar-Tender's Guide, 1887)

  2 oz Tawny port 1 oz Cognac 0.5 oz Rich simple syrup 1 Whole egg

• Eggnog

  Classic (American colonial era)

  0.75 oz Cognac 0.75 oz Aged rum 2 tsp Rich simple syrup 0.75 oz Whole milk 1 Whole egg

• Flip

  Classic (colonial-era tavern drink, 1600s)

  2 oz Brandy (or whiskey, gin or rum) 0.5 oz Rich simple syrup 1 Whole egg

• Grasshopper

  Tujague's, New Orleans (1918)

  8 Mint leaves 1 oz White crème de menthe 1 oz White crème de cacao 1 oz Heavy cream

• Hot Buttered Rum

  Classic (colonial America)

  2 bsp Honey 1 knob Unsalted butter 2 oz Aged rum 2 pinches Grated nutmeg Top Boiling water

• Hot Toddy

  Classic (England, 1700s)

  1.5 oz Blended Scotch 0.25 oz Lemon juice 0.25 oz Honey syrup (3:1) 1 tsp Rich simple syrup 3 Cloves 2 oz Boiling water

• Irish Coffee

  Joe Sheridan, Foynes, Ireland (1940s)

  4 oz Hot coffee 1.75 oz Irish whiskey 1 tsp Sugar 1.75 oz Heavy cream (chilled, lightly whipped)

• Porto Flip

  Classic

  0.5 oz Brandy 1.5 oz Tawny port 0.25 oz Egg yolk

• Sherry Flip

  Classic (printed in Jerry Thomas's Bar-Tender's Guide, 1887)

  2 oz Oloroso sherry 0.5 oz Simple syrup 1 Whole egg

• White Russian

  Classic (1960s)

  2 oz Vodka 1 oz Coffee liqueur 1 oz Heavy cream

• Eggnog Daiquiri

  Nick Dietrich, Manolito, New Orleans (2022)

  1.5 oz Aged demerara rum 0.75 to 1 oz Eggnog 2 to 3 tsp Sugar 1.25 cups Crushed ice

• Almost Forgotten

  Tammy Bouma, Happy Accidents, Albuquerque (2023)

  2 oz White rum 1 oz Champurrado 1 Whole egg 0.5 oz Porter reduction 0.5 oz Passion fruit liqueur

• Bluebird Eggnog

  Paul Benkert, The Bluebird, Baltimore (2024)

  1.5 oz Heavy cream 1 oz White rum 0.75 oz Simple syrup 0.5 oz Smoked apple brandy 1 Whole egg

• Coffee Grog

  Don the Beachcomber, from Jeff "Beachbum" Berry's Sippin' Safari

  1 Sugar cube 1 tsp Coffee grog batter 1 pinch each Ground nutmeg, clove and cinnamon 3 strips Orange peel 1 strip Grapefruit peel 6 oz Hot brewed coffee 0.5 oz Aged Jamaican rum 0.5 oz 151-proof demerara rum

• Hot Whiskey Punch

  Jack McGarry, The Dead Rabbit, New York (2020)

  1 oz Irish whiskey 1 dash Angostura bitters Top Hot whiskey punch base

• Tequila for Christmas

  Steven Tuttle, Kettner Exchange, San Diego (2018)

  1.5 oz Reposado tequila 0.5 oz Mezcal 1 oz Pineapple juice 0.75 oz Lemon juice 0.375 oz Pomegranate syrup 0.375 oz Orgeat

• Jack Frost

  Devon Tarby, Cocktail Codex

  0.75 oz Blanco tequila 0.75 oz Pear brandy 0.75 oz Dry vermouth 1 tsp White crème de menthe 0.75 oz Lime juice 0.5 oz Simple syrup

• Snowfall

  Lot 61, New York (2002)

  0.25 Vanilla pod, split 1.5 oz Vanilla vodka 1.5 oz Heavy cream 0.5 oz Rich simple syrup

• J & Tony's Hot Negroni

  Ewan Bennie, J & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse, San Diego (2021)

  0.5 oz Gin 0.5 oz Campari 0.5 oz Sweet vermouth 1 tsp Lemon juice 1 tsp Rich simple syrup 2.75 oz Boiling water