9 Holiday Cocktails For 2020

As we scramble to find some holiday cheer to end this strange and scary year, it’s time to raise a festive cocktail. Mixologists around the world have been concocting new recipes to celebrate the season; here are nine that we like.

Mistletoe-Politan

1 ½ oz. Aged gin
¼ oz. Green chartreuse
¼ oz. Cassis
¾ oz. Lemon juice
½ oz. Pomegranate juice
2 oz. Angostura aromatic bitters
Rosemary sprig, for garnish

Combine all ingredients and shake. Strain into coupe glass and garnish with rosemary.

The mixologists at Commonwealth in Las Vegas created this recipe.

White Christmas Martini

1 oz. Tia Maria
1 oz. Vanilla vodka
1 oz. Malibu
2 ½ oz. Milk
Granulated brown sugar

Add Tia Maria, vanilla vodka, Malibu and milk into shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with brown sugar stripes 

David Pedro, bartender at Kilkea Castle in County Kildare, Ireland, created this recipe.

Pomegranate Mule

1 ½ oz. Italian gin
¼ oz. Cointreau, or other orange liqueur
1 oz. Pomegranate juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
½ oz. Lemon juice
1-2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2-3 oz. Ginger beer

Combine gin, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, and Peychaud’s bitters in a cocktail glass and stir. Top with ice and ginger beer and give another quick stir. Garnish with an orange slice and serve.

The mixologists at North Italia created this recipe.

Sleigh Wreck

1 oz. Bulleit Rye
1 oz. Baileys Apple Pie liqueur
Dash Earl Grey bitters
Top Hot water
Whipped cream
Ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a coffee mug and top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon.

The mixologists from LH Rooftop at LondonHouse Chicago created this recipe.

Gift Giver

2 oz. Monkey 47 Gin
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. Cranberry syrup*
Pear cider

Add gin, lemon, and cranberry syrup to a shaker, add ice and shake for 5-7 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into the glass of your choice and top with a dry styled hard pear cider of any brand. Garnish with slices of pear and a lemon wheel or a fresh citrus twist and fresh cranberries.

*For Cranberry syrup:
Combine 1 cup of room temperature unsweetened cranberry juice (such as R.W. Knudsen’s Just Cranberry) with 1 cup white sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-weeks.

The mixologists at Monkey 47 created this recipe.

Candy Cane Cocktail

1 ½ oz. Absolut Vanilla vodka
2 oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur
1 oz. Peppermint schnapps

Mix all contents together in a shaker with ice. Pour over light ice in a 9 oz. glass rimmed with crushed candy cane.

The mixologists at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City created this recipe.

Holiday Sour

1 ½ oz. George Dickel Rye
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
½ oz. Apple-honey syrup
4 Dashes Hella Cocktail Co Aromatic Bitters

Mix all ingredients together. Stir and serve in highball glass. Garnish with thin lemon wheel and cinnamon stick.

The mixologists at George Dickel created this recipe.

Candy Cane Martini 

1 oz. Lemon juice
1 oz. Spiced simple syrup
2 oz. Candy-cane-infused Toast vodka
1 oz. Cranberry juice

Garnish the rim of the glass with crushed candy cane. Shake and strain all ingredients into chilled rimmed coupe glass. 

The mixologists at Toast created this recipe.

Gingerbread Martini

1 ¼ oz. RumChata
½ oz. Fireball
¼ oz. Jägermeister
Crushed gingerbread, to garnish
Whole cookie, to garnish

Shake all ingredients well and strain into a glass rimmed with crushed gingerbread. Garnish with a whole gingerbread cookie.

The mixologists at The Parlour Bar at El Cortez Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas created this recipe.

Melissa Dowling is editor of Cheers magazine, our on-premise sister publication. Read her recent piece, The 2020 Beer Growth Brands Awards: The Best of the Industry.