A menu is incomplete until all the aspects, including the drinks, have been chosen. Whether cocktails and mocktails or, just the best complimentary beverage, the attention to detail will matter. This goes for all of the Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and holiday parties you will be throwing this season as well!
A good host looks at the details and the big picture and perfectly balances both. This means that while planning a menu, you want an overall cohesive tone to your menu and you want the individual elements to play well together, even down to the drinks.
Narrowing down drinks usually starts with a theme. For a holiday cocktail it’s less theme, and more of common details. Think holiday colors such as white, blue, red, gold, and metallics. Even better, holiday flavors such as cranberry, apple, cinnamon, and chocalate. Not only will following where these details lead you allow you to align closely to your menu, it will also help you find cocktails that are not necessarily marketed as holiday cocktails but still fit the bill.
If all else fails, just take a look at our suggestions below. We have found the some of the best tasting cocktails and grouped them into the best categories to fit your mood and likely menu for your holiday party. If you need any more inspiration for holiday parties, be sure to check here!
Types of Holiday Parties & Menus
Crafting holiday parties, can take some skill, but there is always a place to start. There are three main types of holiday parties you can throw or are likely to attend. A casual dinning party with food that is a bit more substantial than punch and chips but not a full dinner party. This type of holiday party usually includes holiday games, good music, and free flowing spirits.
A step-up from the casual dining parties are the holiday dinner parties. These parties are much more curated in nature. They usually have a set food menu with carefully crafted complimentary drinks. The food and drinks are the centerpiece of the night at dinner parties, so you have to select well.
The third type of holiday party are the punch party types. These parties often rely on batch cocktails and punches so that the drinks and small bites serce the evening well but are not the main star of the night. Despire that, people always take not when the drinks and snacks pass expectations, so why not be the host that sets the bar.
Casual Dining
Causual dinning style parties often have less rigid menus but still have a cohesive feel. Think several complimentary appetizers, or large grazing boards. These parties are the best time to create bite-sized or paired down versions of meals such as mini-beef wellingtons or cranberry brie bites.
1. Spiced Up Christmas Margarita
If there ever were a drink that could stake a real claim at tasting like Christmas, it’s probably this margarita. It plays around with pomegranate and orange flavors that are complimented with cinnamon, ginger, and rosemary, making them perfect for a holiday dinner. They can be slightly more work than a batch or cocktail with only a few ingredients making them perfect for a more casual dining setting where you can pair it with foods with fruity and warm flavors.
2. Cranberry Moscow Mule
Vodka, ginger beer, cranberry juice, and lime are all familiar favorites making this cranberry mule a fun holiday spin on some old faithful ingredients. This mule is incredibly easy to put together and the ingredients are staples meaning it will likely go with anything you have planned for your menu.
3. Gingerbread Martini
If you prefer something on the softer, sweeter side, or if you’d like a sweeter option to go with a more tangy option, this gingerbread martini is not only perfectly suited ingredient wise, it so on theme it would be a crime to skip on it. If you like chocolate martinis or espresso martinis, give this one out. It uses brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and Irish cream. It just doesn’t get much better and easily pairs with subtly sweet menu items.
4. Peppermint White Russian
Something peppermint has to be on the menu at a casual holiday party, I don’t make the rules. Or maybe I do! If you’re seeking something with that refreshing cool, consider this peppermint spin on a White Russian that pairs coffee liqueur and peppermint in a well-balanced dance.
Dinner Party Vibes
Dinner party menus tend to be slightly more elevated as there are fewer selections and each one has to be intentional. There are often drinks that are served before the dinner, while guests are arriving. Then there are the main drinks that are served during dinner. This can be the same but offers two chances to impress your guests. Here are some selections that put a holiday spin on some classic crowd-favorites.
5. Jack Frost Cocktail
If your dinner party menu is leaning into elegant winter wonderland vibes, this is the perfect cocktail to pair with it. This blue beauty uses empress gin, vanilla ice cream, pineapple juice, and blueberry syrup to create an icy delight. The flavors however, are everything but, offering up a bit of tang, a bit of floral, and a bit of sweet. If you have any fruity or floral notes in your menu, consider this recipe.
6. Frosted Pine Gibson Martini
Dinner party aiming for a classic, understated tone? This is the cocktail for you, especially if your menu pairs well with some dry, earthy notes. This martini opts for gin, vermouth, and rosemary, so it will pair well with foods that lean into herbaceous and floral notes, or recipes that have citrus. It also looks extremely festive with, each drink looking like the chosen Christmas tree for the year.
7. Juniper Martini
Juniper is an underutilized holiday motif, but when done correctly, it works so well. This martini ups the juniper already found in gin with a juniper garnish and gives a festive look that is simple to make. The colors look stunning and well put together. This drink will also pair well with herby recipes or recipes with lots of greens. It will also work well to play with any floral or fruity notes.
8. Toasted Marshmallow Espresso Martini
Put a little bit of a wintertime flair on everyone’s favorite the espresso martini with the addition of toasted marshmallow and marshmallow vodka. This recipe leans heavy into the coffee flavors and the burnt sugar notes, with a hint of smoke. Pair it will roasted or smoked items or save it for dessert and pair it with something chocolate.
Punch Party
Punch parties are a lot less pressure because you mostly just need to be on theme. The foods can be a lot less cohesive which allows for some fun and creativity when it comes to the drinks. These are also some of the best parties to prepare punches or batched drinks for.
9. Spiked Apple Cider
Don’t leave the apple cider behind after Thanksgiving, apples work for the entire holiday season. Even better this spiked cider combines apples, whiskey or bourbon, and cinnamon in a simple but effective option. Punch parties don’t require a rigid menu but this will play well with anything buttery or anything with fall and winter spices.
10. Red Winter Sangria
Sangria recipes are a cheat code when it comes to hosting groups and this one is a good cheat. This sangria combines brandy, red wine, cinnamon, and an abundance of fruits that create a light, but slightly dry, flavor. It will work well with any kind of tapas or charcuterie board set ups you create.
11. The Mistletoe Kiss
Create an easy-going crowd pleaser with this Mistletoe Kiss punch. It combines vodka, club soda, lemon juice, and rosemary syrup for a very subtle, herbaceous flavor with a bit of tang to follow it up. Most things will go well with this recipe but be sure to include at least one salty option if you really want it to work.
12. Rudolph’s Tipsy Punch
This festively red Rudolph’s punch is a familiar favorite and easy to make. It combines orange juice, cranberry juice, ginger ale, and vodka. It’s sweet with a bit of tartness that balances out the sweetness which, luckily, means it will most likely go with most of the bites you choose!
Planning out your menu, down to the drinks, lets your true prowess as a host really shine. Your guests will really appreciate the attention to detail and the festivity that you took care to put into your party. No matter the party vibe, you have tons of options to move and adjust to your liking.
