Spirited drinks and the spirit of the holiday season just seem to go together. We’ve curated some of the prettiest, most festive holiday cocktail recipes from some of the top restaurants, lounges, and hotels around the U.S. We think they’ll give a little extra splash of holiday cheer to your gathering. 

Save these festive Holiday Cocktail recipes to Pinterest so you can add some spirits to the season.

Hungry for more? Get the recipes for Holiday Desserts from our travels.

Holiday Cocktails: Jingle Bells White Chocolate Peppermint Martini

Recipe courtesy McCoy’s Oceanfront at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, Pompano Beach, Fla.

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Vanilla Stoli Vodka (or your favorite brand)
½ oz. simple syrup (equal parts water and white sugar into a sauce pan and heat until the sugar is melted. Store in refrigerator.)
½ oz. peppermint schnapps
1 oz. Godiva white chocolate liquor
Dark chocolate syrup
Dark chocolate shavings

Method:
Add vodka, simple syrup, schnapps and Godiva to a shaker and add a scoop of ice. Shake hard 20 times. Drizzle dark chocolate on the sides and bottom of a martini glass. Strain drink into the glass and sprinkle the top with chocolate shavings.

Cool mint and smooth white chocolate are a wintery delight.

1602 Alexander

Keep a batch of the infused milk in the fridge and this decadent drink becomes a breeze to whip up on a moment’s notice.

Recipe courtesy Henry’s Hotel Bar at Harbor View Hotel, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Copper & Kings brandy (or your favorite brand)
½ oz. dark crème de cacao
1 ½  oz. Lavender + Clove Infused Honey Milk (recipe follows)*
Dark chocolate, grated

Method:
Shake all ingredients very well with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated dark chocolate.

Lavender + Clove Infused Honey Milk recipe:
In a quart container:
½ cup dried lavender
½ cup cloves
¾ quart milk
¼ quart honey syrup (1:1 honey/water)

Method:
Combine all ingredients, shake, and allow to sit for at least 48 hours. Strain out solids and re-bottle.

This decadent version of the 1602 Alexander is a breeze to whip up.

Hungry for more? Make German Spitzbuben Cookies at a Virtual Cookie Party.

Mistletoe Mojito

Mint and raspberries bring Christmas color to this holiday twist on a tropical favorite. This recipe also calls for simple syrup. Put equal parts water and white sugar into a sauce pan and heat until the sugar is melted. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy 3800 Ocean at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, Riviera Beach, Fla.

Ingredients:
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
1 ¾ oz. rum
½ oz. soda water
6 mint leaves
Several raspberries

Method:
Combine lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves. Muddle lightly. Add ice, rum, mint, and raspberries to glass, staggering the mint and raspberries. Stir and double strain into a pre-garnished highball glass. Top with a mint sprig.

Raspberries and mint bring Christmas color to a tropical favorite in this Mistletoe Mojito.

Holiday Tree

Ruby red Campari and cranberry topped with frosty white foam make this a festive addition to your cocktail list. For simple syrup, heat equal parts water and white sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar is melted. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy KANU Lounge at Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, N.Y.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Tanqueray
1 oz. Campari
2 oz. cranberry juice
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
3 dashes of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters (or your favorite bitters)
1 egg white

Method:
Shake all ingredients without ice. Then add ice and shake. Double strain into a coupe, and add apple and cinnamon garnish.

This Holiday Tree brings a festive flare to your holiday cocktail list.

Hungry for more? Here’s our gift list for food and travel lovers.

Santa’s Mule

Cranberry turns this classic cocktail into a holiday treat.

Recipe courtesy Gaby Bar at Sofitel New York.

Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 spoon of apple purée
Splash of lime juice
Top up ginger ale
Lime wedge
Fresh mint leaves
Peppermint candy

Method:
Shake vodka, cranberry juice, apple puree and lime juice. Pour over ice in a copper mug. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with lime wedge, fresh mint leaves and peppermint candy.

Cranberry brings the holiday to this classic cocktail, Santa’s Mule.

Apple Pie a la Mode

This cocktail makes the ideal end to an autumn evening.

Recipe courtesy Seaway Grill at 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, Clayton, N.Y.

Ingredients:
In a hurricane glass, place the following –
¾ oz. apple pie moonshine
¾ oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 ½ oz. ginger ale

Method: 
Garnish with a slice of apple.

The Apple Pie a la Mode holiday cocktail.

Gettin’ Figgy With It

As the familiar carol goes, we won’t go until we get some of this tasty drink. This one calls for Amaro Avena, a citrusy Italian liqueur produced on the Island of Sicily. Luxardo cherries are maraschino cherries also made in Italy that have a sweet-tart flavor. Both are available at better liquor stores.

Recipe courtesy W XYZ Bar at Aloft Boston Seaport, Boston, MA.

Ingredients: 
1 ½ oz Fig Infused Privateer Rum
½ oz. Averna Amaro
½ oz. vanilla brown sugar syrup
2 dashes walnut bitters

Method:
Top with muddled orange twist and Luxardo cherry.

The Gettin’ Figgy With It holiday cocktail.

Even more holiday cocktail recipes…

The Peppermint Patty

This minty cocktail will make visions of candy canes dance in their heads.

Recipe courtesy 3800 Ocean at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, Riviera Beach, FL

Ingredients:
Build in a glass with a crushed peppermint candy rim –
½ oz. Peppermint Schnapps
½ oz. vanilla vodka
½ oz. cream
½ oz. Frangelico
½ oz. chocolate liqueur

Method:
Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

The Peppermint Patty Cocktail.

Poinsettia Cocktail

Recipe courtesy Red’s Restaurant & Lounge at Sea Crest Beach Hotel, North Falmouth, Mass.

Ingredients:
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz cranberry juice
3 oz Champagne

Method:
Serve in a Champagne glass

The Poinsettia Cocktail.

The Jingle Berry

Recipe courtesy McCoy’s Oceanfront at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bacardi tangerine
.5 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz cranberry infused simple syrup
Spoonful of cranberry compote
Splash of ginger beer

Method:
Serve in a highball with mint garnish and a cranberry

The Jingle Berry holiday cocktail.

Rudolph’s Milk

Recipe courtesy KANU Lounge at Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, NY.

Ingredients:
2 oz vanilla vodka
.5 oz cherry liquor (bottom float)
.5 oz white crème de cocoa
1 oz Godiva white chocolate
.75 oz  peppermint syrup

Method:
Shake and strain in glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy.

Rudolph’s Milk cocktail.

Coconut Rum Milk Punch

Recipe and photo by Shanna Schad (www.pineappleandcoconut.com)

Ingredients:
28 oz Coconut Milk (3.5 ounces per cocktail) (carton not canned)
1 1/2 cup Koloa Coconut Rum
1/3 cup coconut or cane sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract

Garnish:
Sweetened whipped cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
Shredded coconut

Method:
In a saucepan heat the coconut milk with the vanilla and sugar, stirring well until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot and simmering, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if a sweeter drink is desired.

Remove from heat. Divide the coconut rum amongst 8 glasses, 1.5 ounces of rum per glass, top with the hot coconut milk. Top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg and a tablespoon or so of shredded coconut. Serve immediately.

You can also serve this cold or over ice. Heat the coconut milk as stated above then let chill completely. Add the rum and pour into glasses with ice or without ice. Garnish the same way as above.

Koloa Rum’s Milk Rum Punch. Photo by Shanna Schad.

Hungry for more? Here are some rum cocktail recipes for every season.