My newest quarantine hobby has become crafting delicious cocktails. What makes my new hobby even better is that the holiday is upon us and I can sip a strongly spirited drink next to my twinkling tree.
To save you some time researching what cocktails you might want to whip together for some holiday cheer, I rounded up my favorite ones to try this year!
Gingerbread Eggnog

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1/4 cup sugar, divided
- 4 ounces rum, bourbon or brandy
- 10 ounces whole milk
- 4 ounces heavy cream
- Garnish: grated nutmeg
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- In a large bowl, beat together egg yolks and sugar until fluffy.
- Stir in milk, heavy cream and spirit of choice.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Fold egg whites into yolk mixture.
- Serve in a rocks glass, punch or tea cup.
- Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
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Recipe and image from Liquor.com
Cranberry mimosas

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 1 lime, halved
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 c. sweetened cranberry juice
- 1 bottle champagne
- 12 fresh cranberries
- 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary
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- Rime champagne flutes with lime and dip in sugar. Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into each glass and top with champagne.
- Use a toothpick to poke a hole through cranberries. Thread rosemary skewer through cranberries and garnish mimosas.
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Recipe and Image from Delish.com
Hot Toddy

Ingredients |
Directions |
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ½ ounces whiskey
- 2 to 3 teaspoons honey, to taste
- 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 lemon round
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional, for garnish
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- In a teapot or saucepan, bring the water to a simmer. Pour the hot water into a mug.
- Add the whiskey, 2 teaspoons honey and 2 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir until the honey has disappeared into the hot water. Taste, and add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, and/or 1 teaspoon more lemon juice for more zing.
- Garnish with a lemon round and cinnamon stick (if using). Enjoy!
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Recipe and image from cookieandkate.com
White Christmas Margarita

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries
- 1 cup tequila blanco
- 2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 6 limes), plus 4 lime slices, for serving
- 6 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as triple sec
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons extra-fine shredded unsweetened coconut
- Kosher salt
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- Divide the cranberries among the sections of a standard (12-cube) ice cube tray. Fill the tray sections with water and freeze until frozen, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Add 1/2 cup of the tequila, 1/3 cup of the lime juice, 3 tablespoons of the orange liqueur, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the superfine sugar to a large cocktail shaker. Fill with plain ice cubes and shake vigorously until well mixed and very cold.
- Pour the corn syrup onto a small shallow plate. Mix 1 tablespoon of the superfine sugar with the shredded coconut and 1 tablespoon salt on another shallow plate. Dip the rim of a margarita (or other wide-mouth) glass in the corn syrup, then dip the rim in the sugar mixture until well coated.
- Repeat with 3 more glasses. Pour the shaken margarita mixture into 2 of the prepared glasses. Add 3 of the cranberry ice cubes to each and garnish with a single lime slice.
- Repeat with the remaining cocktail ingredients, dividing it between the remaining 2 prepared glasses and adding 3 cranberry ice cubes and a lime slice to each.
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Recipe and image from foodnetwork.com
Boozy Grinch Punch

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 1 (0.13-oz.) packet Kool-Aid Lemon Lime mix
- 4 c. water
- 4 c. ice
- 3 c. lemon-lime soda
- 2 c. pineapple juice
- 2 c. vodka
- 1 c. ginger ale
- Lime wedges, for rimming
- Red sanding sugar, for rimming
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- In a large pitcher combine Kool-Aid and water.
- In a large punch bowl, combine ice, kool-aid, soda, pineapple juice, vodka, and ginger ale.
- Use a lime wedge to rim glasses and dip in sanding sugar to coat. Pour punch into glasses to serve.
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Recipe and image from Delish.com
Boozy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients |
Directions |
- .25 oz Peppermint Schnapps
- .5 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 cup hot chocolate
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Crushed peppermint candy, for serving
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- Add peppermint schnapps, chocolate liqueur, and hot chocolate to a sauce pan.
- Heat mixture then add to serving glass.
- Garnish with whip cream and crushed peppermint candy.
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Recipe and image from Delish.com
Holiday Sangria

Ingredients |
Directions |
- .2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1/4 cup grand marnier
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 orange, halved and then sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 sticks of cinnamon
- 1 bottle of dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 3/4 cup ginger ale
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- To a large pitcher add agave nectar, grand marnier, brandy, orange, lime, pear, pomegranate seeds, cinnamon sticks. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the entire bottle of red wine.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (the longer it sits the better it will taste)
- Right before you are about to serve add the ginger ale to the sangria mixture.
- Pour over ice or serve chilled.
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Recipe and photo from joyfulhealthyeats.com
Cranberry Gin Fizz

Ingredients |
Directions |
For the Cranberry Syrup:
- 1/2 c. cranberries
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. water
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
For the Cocktail:
- 2 oz. gin
- 3/4 oz. Cranberry Syrup (see below)
- 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. elderflower liquor
- Ice
- Club soda
- Fresh cranberries, to garnish
- 2 sprig fresh thyme, to garnish
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Make the Cranberry Syrup:
- Simmer cranberries, granulated sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and cranberries break down, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in 4 sprigs fresh thyme. Cool to room temperature. Strain; discard solids.
Make the Cocktail:
- Combine gin, Cranberry Syrup, fresh lemon juice, elderflower liquor, and ice in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake until chilled; strain into 2 glasses.
- Top with ice and club soda.
- Garnish each drink with fresh cranberries and 1 sprig fresh thyme.
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Recipe and image from countryliving.com.
Jingle Juice

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 4 c. Cran-Apple Juice
- 2 (750-ml.) bottles red Moscato
- 1 (750-ml.) bottle Prosecco
- 1/2 c. vodka
- 2 c. frozen cranberries
- 1/3 c. mint leaves
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar, for rimming glasses
- 2 limes, sliced into rounds
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- Using a wedge of lime, wet rim of glasses. Dip in sugar until coated.
- Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl, stir together and serve.
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Recipe from Delish.com
Mulled Wine

Ingredients |
Directions |
- 2 bottles dry red wine
- • 1/2 c. raw sugar
- • 2 star anise
- • 3 whole cloves
- • 3 cinnamon sticks
- • 1 lemon, peeled
- • 1 orange, juiced and peeled
- • nutmeg, grated
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- Bring all ingredients except wine to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for 45 minutes (toss in a splash of wine if it reduces too low).
- Add the wine and keep it on very low heat. (Tip: If you want something stronger, add a 1/2 cup of brandy.)
- Serve in glass mugs and garnish with fat orange twists.
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Recipe from esquire.com
If you craft one up, be sure to post on your Instagram stories and tag East Valley Moms.