With the cold snap that just blew in, and seeing all the skeletons hanging from the eaves of homes around town and pumpkins plunked in front yards signals my brain that it’s not only time to start shopping for a new fall outfit for my Bitmoji, but that it’s almost that time of year for entertaining, which - as you know - I have a love-hate relationship with.
Groups of people make me panicky, and the thought of being in a group of people makes me panicky. And thinking of panicking while in a group of people makes me panicky.
So, yah. Parties.
I look forward to them about as much as colonoscopy prep, but once I’m there, I usually end up enjoying myself - for a while, at least. My timer runs out a lot faster than most people’s. 🤷
This is an area my friend, Kristan Buck Newton, of Belles & Bucks, and I agree on: parties are simultaneously exhilarating and mentally exhausting.
She and I share not only the fancy spelling of our first name, we also share similar bouts of anxiety AND we both write about it on our blogs.
Know what else we share? A good, wholesome seasonally-appropriate cocktail. 😏
We found a handful of cocktails we wanted to investigate, so we divided up the list and conquered it, bringing you our recommendations for eight holiday cocktails to have at your holiday party, or to sip all by yourself, curled up in front of a fireplace (there’s a dog curled up against you in this vision. And the fire is crackling AND IT’S RAINING OUT. 😍)
I’m sharing seven of the eight cocktails below, and if you pop over to Kristan’s blog, you’ll see her post about the eighth one - the gin-based Cranberry Fizz, which she’s built an adorable gift basket around, making for the perfect holiday party hostess gift.
Here Are Our Favorite Festive Cocktails
Mistletoe Margaritas
I found this recipe at How Sweet Eats. This one is a perfect balance of sweet-and-tart, with the mixture of orange and cranberry. It’s perfect for Christmas time, with its crystal clear color and the rosemary spring and bright cranberries dropped in for garnish.
This one would be best served in a warmer area like Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida.
But if you don’t also have chips and salsa on-hand - BARE MINIMUM - you need to get right with your life. If you’re really living right, you’ll have the chips and salsa, but you’ll also have queso and guacamole. Like a HUMAN.
Spicy Pomegranate Moscow Mule
This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and it’s a delicious spicy-tart twist on the standard Moscow Mule.
Spicy cocktails are the best, especially when it's cold out. A mule already has a spicy bite from the ginger beer*, but this one adds a layer of heat with the jalapenos, then some tartness from the pomegranate.
Served in a frosty copper cup with all the reds and greens from the garnish makes it look super festive!
Caramel Apple Hot Toddy Cocktail
This one’s from The Cookie Rookie. It’s a dessert cocktail: warm, rich, and sweet, and it’s just right for drinking under some mistletoe because you’re gonna be tipsy AF if you go with the bourbon. (Go with the bourbon!)
It’s the holidays!
The Harvest Sparkle
This classy looking concoction comes from Fed + Fit. Sparkly and dainty in a cordial glass, with just a simple sprig of rosemary for garnish, you'll feel this one warming up your belly as soon as it goes down, and you’ll feel your inner finesse coming out before your glass is empty.
White Christmas Sangria
A pretty cocktail recipe from The Crumby Kitchen, this sangria has the traditional tart-sweet of sangria, layered with a spicy bite from the ginger beer (I recommend The Great Jamaican Ginger Beer Co.)
Grinch Punch
This one, from Get Healthy U, is slightly tangy, but more on the sweet side - it's like a milkshake. In fact, it's a great party punch for kids’ parties, too, if you leave out the alcohol.
Incidentally, I’m a huge Grinch fan and have thrown a fair share of Grinch holiday class parties. I’ve got a ridiculous Pinterest board just overflowing green, Whoville goodness. Check that out for party ideas to build around this mocktail.
Mistletoe Shots
Another green drink - this one from Delish - and these are so stinkin cute! You can change up the garnish to make them look Grinchy, or use what the recipe calls for and give them a more sophisticated look.
Make sure you jump over to Belles & Bucks to see how Kristan built a gift basket around the fresh and festive cocktail, Rudolph’s Cranberry Fizz. As a holiday gift under the tree or as a hostess gift, this basket will be so well-received, you’ll look like a movie star showing up with all this fancy-ness.
I’ve pinned each of the drinks in today’s post to my Cocktails board on Pinterest, along with so many more delicious drinks.
Let me know if you try any of these and tell me what you think!
*I recommend The Great Jamaican Ginger Beer Co because it has the right amount of sweetness and the biggest zing of spice.
