Bring on the Jolly: 19 Best Christmas Cocktails with Vodka

Get ready to level up your holiday menu this year. These Christmas cocktails with vodka will be the real crowd-pleasers at your cocktail parties. Sorry Santa! What’s more, they’re ready in 5 minutes or less and ideal to serve when you’re busy getting your Christmas roast just right and looking after your thirsty guests at the same time. Consider this Christmas cocktail list our gift to you this year. Ho-ho-hope you love it!   

 1. Peppermint Martini

The Peppermint Martini is a delightful Christmas signature cocktail, with all the freshness of mint combined with the lush creaminess of Irish cream liqueur. It’s a treat for cosy, winter days, and the crushed peppermint candy rim provides just the right amount of sweetness to the day. You can also make it vegan using coconut milk, so everyone will be happy! What else could you ask for?  

2. Christmas Moscow Mule

Spread the holiday cheer with this fancy cranberry vodka Christmas cocktail! If you love the freshness of a Moscow Mule, this variation takes it up a notch with the wintery flavours of fresh muddled herbs and cranberries. We’re sure even Santa would want one! 

3. Peppermint White Russian

If you’re looking for easy Christmas vodka cocktails recipes, this Peppermint White Russian should be on top of your list. Take a traditional White Russian, add Peppermint Schnapps and just like that Christmas has arrived! Decorate your cocktail with a mini candy cane stick and let the jolly times roll. 

4. Pomegranate Cosmo

The aesthetic and enticing pomegranate is the star of this holiday vodka cocktail and is a spin-off to the classic Cosmo we’ve been loving since the 90s. Replace cranberry juice with fresh pomegranate juice and you’ll have the perfect drink to sip on.

5. Apple Cider Mule

Hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas? Give your guests a sip of winter deliciousness with this Apple Cider Mule. This autumn-themed drink pairs apple cider and ginger beer in a bubbly mix that looks perfectly cosy in its copper mug. You can easily prepare it in a big batch to serve during your pre-dinner gatherings. 

You might also like: The 14 Best Mule Cocktails to Make at Home

6. Pear Martini

Looking for a sweet and crisp cocktail? The Pear Martini is an irresistible sipper that we’re sure will become your signature drink to serve during the holidays. It packs all the sweetness of the unofficial winter fruit – pear – and it’s ready in only 5 minutes! Which, by the way is ideal for when you’re caught up in the heat of the kitchen, with hungry guests waiting to be fed!

7. Pomegranate Martini

Take your holiday cocktail party up a notch with this Pomegranate Martini. Sweet and tart, it’s a fruity Martini that is similar in taste to a Cosmopolitan. It’s an elegant serve thanks to its scarlet red colour and will pair perfectly with savoury holiday canapés like nuts and pretzels. 

8. Chocolate Martini

We need to thank the Hollywood star Rock Hudson for this chocolatey riff on the vodka Martini. This dessert-in-a-glass holiday cocktail combines vodka, crème de cacao, chocolate liqueur and single cream into a  lush drink that is pure bliss at every sip. You can also customise it in decadent variations like the White Chocolate Martini, with white chocolate liqueur, the Autumnal Equinox Martini, with RumChata, or the Nutella Martini, adding a dash of hazelnut liqueur. Success is guaranteed if you serve it as a post-meal treat after your Christmas feasts! 

9. Finnish Mulled Wine

Take a sip down to Santa town with this easy Christmas cocktail recipe. The Finnish Mulled Wine is a Nordic treat to warm up on cold winter days while singing Christmas carols. It features red wine, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, orange and lemon for a super spicy concoction, and it must be served with raisins and almonds for good luck. Cheers!  

10. Black Russian

Say hi to one of the easiest vodka-based Christmas cocktails you’ll ever mix! With just two ingredients, vodka and coffee liqueur, the Black Russian is the perfect quick drink when you’re hosting a crowd. You can even turn it into a lavish dessert drink by adding Irish cream liqueur and heavy cream on top. Delicious!  

11. Limoncello Martini

Mediterranean flavours meet holiday times in this sweet and citrusy Limoncello Martini. The traditional Italian liqueur is mixed with vodka and simple syrup in this easy after-dinner digestif that will delight even the pickiest of guests.   

12. Eggnog Martini

Take people’s favourite Christmas dessert drink and pair it with a classic cocktail. That’s how you get the Eggnog Martini, a lavish drink that will make your holiday menu so much sweeter. It requires just three ingredients – vanilla vodka, amaretto and eggnog – and it’s ready in 5 minutes. You can even make it vegan using coconut or almond milk in your eggnog. 

13. Vodka Gimlet

The Vodka Gimlet is a super simple 2-ingredient sipper that was very popular in the 60s and has been updated since. The old-school version would no doubt have been made with lime cordial, whereas today’s recipe calls for fresh lime instead. You can make it either way – it’s such an effortless, tasty mixer for vodka.

Keen to know more? What is a Cocktail Party: Asked & Answered

14. Christmas Martini

Our Christmas Martini takes the best holiday flavours and blends them into a cocktail that even old Saint Nick would approve of. Serve them as elegant cocktails this festive season or better yet, serve them in pitchers at your holiday feast. It’s the season to be jolly after all and with Christmas Martinis you’re guaranteed to have a jingle bell blast!

You might also like: 11 Fruity Martini Recipes to Add Some Colour to Your Next Party

15. Sugar Cookie Martini

This iconic Sugar Cookie Martini is a very merry cocktail that tastes like a delicious holiday cookie with a kick! To make one, combine the 45ml vanilla vodka, 45ml cream liqueur, 60ml milk, 30ml amaretto, and a teaspoon of powdered sugar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until frosty, and strain into a serving glass rimmed with frosting and sprinkles for a little extra joy.

16. Pumpkin Martini

The Pumpkin Martini is a delicious dessert drink perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and throughout the holidays. This easy autumn cocktail combines vanilla vodka, Irish cream, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin spice for the ultimate sweet surprise at the end of a lingering get-together.

17. Pumpkin Spice White Russian

If a classic White Russian tickles your fancy, you’ve got to treat yourself to a Pumpkin Spice White Russian. Add 30ml coffee liqueur, 30ml SKYY Vodka, half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 60ml heavy cream, and ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Shake together for about 10 seconds, strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, garnish with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice, and enjoy!

18. Gingerbread Martini

The smell of gingerbread is one of those intrinsic holiday memories that most of us will treasure for the rest of our lives. To make a Gingerbread Martini that comes to the party with all the nostalgia and a little zing to boot, combine 30ml caramel sauce, a pinch of allspice, and a pinch of ground ginger in a cocktail shaker.

Give it a good stir, then add 60ml cream, 45ml cream liqueur, and 45ml vanilla vodka. Give it a good shake, decant it into serving glasses, and drizzle with extra caramel sauce if you’re feeling indulgent. We love adding a sprinkle rim and some gingerbread cookies just to be completely extra.

19. Mistletoe Martini

If you’re looking for a drink that just looks like Christmas in a glass, then you will get along very well with the mischievous Mistletoe Martini. The festive drink is an indulgent fruity Martini with a vodka base and delicious notes of cranberry and elderflower added to the mix. Serve it with your best holiday dishes and watch the magic happen.

So, which one do you think you’ll try first? Remember to tag us in all your festive Insta snaps, and sign up for our newsletter so we can keep you plied with the freshest inspiration articles throughout the year.