Holiday Drinks
Searching for festive yet refined holiday cocktail ideas to celebrate this season? Look no further—we’ve collected the best holiday drinks (and recipes) to elevate your end-of-year libations. From London’s Connaught Bar to New Orleans’ Hotel Monteleone, these signature cocktails bring together artistry, atmosphere, and the unmistakable joy of the season.
1. Gingerbread Hanky Panky
“My favorite Christmas sweet is gingerbread, which reconnects a lot with my childhood memories.”
Federico Balzarini
Former Beverage Manager
Argo Bar Hong Kong
Gingerbread Hanky Panky
The original Hanky Panky cocktail hailed from the American Bar at The Savoy (London) and is essentially a variation of a Sweet Martini (with the addition of Fernet-Branca). However, the holiday version of this cocktail was crafted by Federico Balzarini, who was Beverage Manager at the renowned Argo Bar Hong Kong.
To make a gingerbread hanky panky, you first need to infuse sweet vermouth with gingerbread cookies. This cookie-infused vermouth is used in place of the standard sweet vermouth for a holiday drink with a rich, festive flavor.
“My favorite Christmas sweet is gingerbread, which reconnects a lot with my childhood memories.”
Federico Balzarini
Former Beverage Manager
Argo Bar Hong Kong
How to make Gingerbread Hanky Panky
Chill a cocktail glass, such as a coupe or martini glass, in the freezer. Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the gin, gingerbread-infused vermouth, and Fernet-Branca. Stir until the mixture is well-chilled. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Express the oil from the orange peel over the drink by pinching it, then drop the peel into the glass for garnish.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz London dry gin
- 1.5 oz gingerbread-infused sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Fernet-Branca
- Orange peel, for garnish
The original Hanky Panky cocktail hailed from the American Bar at The Savoy (London) and is essentially a variation of a Sweet Martini (with the addition of Fernet-Branca). However, the holiday version of this cocktail was crafted by Federico Balzarini, who was Beverage Manager at the renowned Argo Bar Hong Kong.
To make a gingerbread hanky panky, you first need to infuse sweet vermouth with gingerbread cookies. This cookie-infused vermouth is used in place of the standard sweet vermouth for a holiday drink with a rich, festive flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz London dry gin
- 1.5 oz gingerbread-infused sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Fernet-Branca
- Orange peel, for garnish
Make the cocktail
- Chill a cocktail glass, such as a coupe or martini glass, in the freezer.
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add the gin, gingerbread-infused vermouth, and Fernet-Branca.
- Stir until the mixture is well-chilled.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
- Express the oil from the orange peel over the drink by pinching it, then drop the peel into the glass for garnish.
2. Santa Nog
2. Santa Nog
Famous for its rotating Carousel Bar and Vieux Carré cocktail, Hotel Monteleone (New Orleans) is also home to Santa Nog—a creamy, dessert-like cocktail spiked with Scotch and Drambuie. This holiday drink is indulgent and carries the familiar comfort of holiday egg-nog, but with adult sophistication.
Santa Nog ingredients:
- 1 oz Drambuie
- 1/2 oz Scotch
- 3–4 dashes chocolate bitters
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 3–4 drops vanilla bitters
- 4–5 oz half-and-half
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Make the cocktail
- Pour all liquids into an ice-filled shaker and shake until well blended and chilled.
- Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
- Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.
3. Ginger Cuvée
The Ginger Cuvée is the kind of cocktail that feels like celebration in a glass—refined, aromatic, and just a little bit indulgent. Created at the award-winning Connaught Bar in the Connaught Hotel (London) for their Christmas menu, this holiday drink blends whisky’s fruit notes with warm spices and an effervescent champagne finish.
Ginger Cuvée cocktail ingredients:
- 1 oz Glenfiddich Grand Cru Whisky
- 1 oz Belsazar Riesling Vermouth
- 0.25 oz Nonino GingerSpirit
- 0.5 oz sugar syrup
- 3 dashes Hendrick’s Absinthe
- 2 oz Laurent-Perrier Champagne
- Wild carrot essence for garnish
Make the holiday cocktail
- Combine all ingredients except the champagne in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well-chilled.
- Strain into a champagne flute.
- Top with the chilled Laurent-Perrier Champagne.
- Garnish with a crystallized ginger cube on a stick and a spray of wild carrot essence.
4. Mulled Wine
“Mulled wine is the ultimate winter elixir, where spices and red wine blend in perfect harmony to warm both body and soul.”
Philip Bischoff, Beverage Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
On a cold winter day, mulled wine will warm you up from the inside out. This version of the cocktail recipe has been perfected at the BKK Social Club within the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok. Customize it to your liking by adding fresh red apples, pears, cranberries, or raisins while warming all ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 25 oz (one bottle) full-bodied red wine
- 0.75 cup white sugar
- Half orange
- 10 pieces cloves
- 3 pieces star anise
- 3.5 oz brandy (e.g. Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac)
- Cinnamon, star anise, and dried orange slices
Make the Mulled wine
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Heat mixture and keep it warm.
- Serve in a mulled wine glass garnished with cinnamon, star anise and dehydrated orange slices.
5. Winter Old Fashioned
5. Winter Old Fashioned
This seasonal evolution of a timeless classic is familiar yet festive. The Winter Old Fashioned from The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, captures a cozy sophistication of the holidays while honoring the cocktail’s deep New Orleans roots. The rye provides the signature bold backbone, while the apple-clove syrup and cranberry bitters infuse it with winter warmth.
Winter Old Fashioned ingredients:
- 2 oz Sazerac Rye
- 0.5 oz apple-clove syrup
- 3 dashes orange bitters
- 3 dashes cranberry bitters
- Orange peel, for preparation
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Make the cocktail
- Wipe the inside of a rocks glass with an expressed orange peel.
- Fill the glass with all ingredients, then pour fresh ice on top of the mixture.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
“Fresh cranberries or a cinnamon stick really make a cocktail pop—adding not only the flavors and aromas that you associate with a winter holiday but the colors as well. You can also tie a bow on the glass!”
—Jonah Tidyman, Bartender at the Sazerac Bar, at The Roosevelt New Orleans
“Fresh cranberries or a cinnamon stick really make a cocktail pop—adding not only the flavors and aromas that you associate with a winter holiday but the colors as well. You can also tie a bow on the glass!”
—Jonah Tidyman, Bartender at the Sazerac Bar, at The Roosevelt New Orleans
Nicole Bump
Nicole is a seasoned content strategist and writer with 15+ years of experience turning complex ideas into compelling stories. As founder of Bump Inbound, she helps brands connect with audiences through thoughtful strategy, sharp planning, and standout writing.