Spirt.Ed: Check Out Our 2025 Holidays Drinks Guide

The holidays are in full swing this week, and folks are driving, taking trains, or catching flights to connect with family, friends, and loved ones. Over here, we’re angling to do the same, and we’ve got some cocktails and other adult beverages to get those parties started.

Is it just me, or did the end of the year happen essentially overnight? As it stands, we’re barrelling full speed ahead toward 2026, and we’re back with a cocktail guide for the holidays that covers both Christmas and New Year’s for those who celebrate.

For this year’s roundup, we’re focusing on some of the usual suspects, and I’m excited to share my favorite cocktails and bottles of 2025 with readers in a separate post. We’ve got some booze-free options on deck this year, and plenty of drinks that lean into the spices, flavors, and themes of the season. We even have an RTD in the list.

Pardon the late post, but I do hope this guide carries you through Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We look forward to seeing you in 2026 with big plans for Spirit.Ed that I believe readers will truly enjoy. Do stay tuned.

For now, Happy Holidays to all, and may all your dreams come true. As always, sip safely and surely.

Cheers!

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Photo: Getty

BND Mulled Wine (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine, fruity and medium body
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 medium piece fresh ginger, cut up
6 whole cloves
3 star anise pods
250 milliliters Remy VSOP

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat over medium high until it just begins to simmer. Do not let it boil or the alcohol will evaporate. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for two to three hours so the flavors meld. Strain to remove the spices and fruit and serve hot in a mug.

Candy Shop

‘2 oz YoCo Vodka
1 oz Bailey’s
½ oz Creme de Cacao

Directions: Drizzle chocolate syrup on bottom of martini glass. Rim glass with crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients together, pour over chocolate syrup drizzled glass and then top with a candy cane garnish and additional peppermint crumbles

Carpano Americano

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Carpano Classico Rosso Vermouth
1 ½ oz Carpano Botanic Bitter
Soda water, chilled
Garnish: Orange slice

Directions:
Pour the Carpano Botanic Bitter and Carpano Rosso into a tall glass filled with ice. Top off with the soda water and stir gently to combine. Garnish with an orange slice.

Casa Bells

Ingredients
1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Cranberry Juice
.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Dill Syrup* or Simple Syrup
.25 oz. Luxardo® Maraschino Liqueur
2 Dashes Peychaud’s® Bitters
Garnish Fresh Cranberries and Dill Sprig

Instructions
Combine all ingredients into tin shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into rocks or a stemless martini glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.

_*To create Dill Syrup / Makes 1L – Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then add 2 cups of white granulated sugar. Lower heat to a simmer and stir until fully dissolved. Add 1 oz of dried dill weed, stir in and simmer for 8 – 10 min then let cool. Once cool, fine strain syrup into a glass container with lid and refrigerate. Good for 2 – 3 weeks if stored properly.

Dam Winter Punch

Ingredients:
2 parts Damrak Virgin
2 parts Fresh OJ
2 parts Cinnamon tea
5 parts Apple Cider
1 part Honey syrup or ½ part honey
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Garnish with seasonal spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, orange zest

Method: Mix all ingredients in a pitcher, best to let rest for 1 hour before serving.

Fa-La-La-La Limeade

Waterloo Cherry Limeade Sparkling Water
6 Fresh Raspberries
2 Fresh Strawberries
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Lime Wheel

Directions: In a cocktail shaker muddle raspberries, strawberries and lemon juice; strain into a glass. Add ice to the glass and top with Waterloo Cherry Limeade. Give a good stir and finish with a lime wheel for garnish.

Holiday Punch (Jim Beam)

Ingredients:
750 ml Jim Beam
16 Brewed Black Tea
48 Lemon Sour
8 Grenadine

Instructions:
Batch ingredients without soda water and stir to combine. You can make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, pour over ice and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon/orange wheels and cinnamon sticks.

Kamora Old Fashioned

1 oz Kamora Coffee Liqueur
1 oz Douglas & Todd Bourbon Whiskey
¼ oz Trader Vic’s Chocolate Liqueur
Dash of cocoa bitters
 
Instructions: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Pour into a lowball glass with a large ice cube. Squeeze orange peel over the glass to extract oils. Garnish with orange peel and a dark chocolate piece.

Lambrusco Punch

Ingredients (Serves 12):
25 fl oz Riunite Lambrusco, chilled
25 fl oz pomegranate juice
8.5 fl oz triple sec
25 fl oz vodka
1 whole orange
2 cups pomegranate seeds
1 cup granulated sugar

Prepare the Garnish:
Slice the orange into thin rounds, then quarters. Place orange quarters and pomegranate seeds evenly in a large ice-cube tray. Fill with water and freeze for 3–4 hours. Makes ~12 cubes.

Directions:
Make simple syrup: combine sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat until dissolved. Let cool. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

In a large bowl, mix pomegranate juice, triple sec, vodka, and ¼ cup simple syrup. Chill for at least 1 hour.

In a punch bowl, add the ice cubes with pomegranate seeds and orange, pour in the chilled mixture, and top with Riunite Lambrusco. Stir gently and serve.

Lone River

The Ranch Water is a classic West Texas cocktail noted for its refreshing taste and simplicity. Lone River takes care of the construction of the cocktail with their RTD (ready-to-drink) canned cocktails. We can confirm that these are delicious, low in ABV and calories, and always hits the mark.

Learn more here.

MAKE Matcha x St-Germain Hugo Spritz Recipe

1 1/2 oz St-Germain
2 oz M&R Prosecco
2 oz Sparkling Water
3/4 oz MAKE Matcha Tea

Mi Campo-Cosmo

1 1/2 oz Mi Campo Blanco Tequila
1 oz Orange Liqueur
1 oz Cranberry Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice, Freshly Squeezed
2 Slices Jalapenos + 1 Rosemary Sprig

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add jalapeño slices to a shaker and gently press (don’t fully muddle — you want brightness, not heat overload). Then add tequila, orange liqueur, cranberry, and lime. Shake with ice for 20 seconds, and then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Lastly, garnish with a rosemary sprig, cranberries, and/or a jalapeño float.

Oaxacan Hot Toddy

Ingredients:
1.1 oz Mezcal Unión Uno
1.1 oz. Hot Water
1.1 oz Apple Cider (homemade if possible)
0.8 oz Agave Honey
0.5 oz Herbal Liqueur
0.5 oz Lemon Juice

Instructions: Mix ingredients together and pour into a rocks glass. Include a slice of lemon. Enjoy!

Glassware: Rocks
Ice: N/A
Garnish: Lemon Slice

Pink Nora

1 oz Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur
1 oz Edinburgh Rhubarb & Ginger Gin
1 oz Limoncello
0.5 oz Pink Grapefruit

Instructions: Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Prohibition Era Manhattan

Ingredients:
2 oz Remus Bourbon
1 oz Dry Vermouth
Dash of Bitters

Directions:
Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive and a lemon twist.

The French Blonde

1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
¾ oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ oz Aperitif Wine (or Dry Vermouth)
1½ oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 Dash Lemon Bitters
Grapefruit twist for garnish

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

The Perfect Vesper

3 oz Prairie Organic Gin
1 oz Prairie Organic Vodka
½ oz Lillet Blanc Apéritif
Lemon twist

Instructions: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Winter Bellini

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 star anise

Bellini
2 oz pear juice or nectar
1.5 oz Vita Coco Coconut Water
3 oz chilled Prosecco (to top)
Pear slices (for garnish)
Rosemary sprig (for garnish)

How To Prepare: Simmer simple syrup ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, and then let it steep off heat for 15-20 minutes before straining out the spices. Combine simple syrup and Bellini ingredients in a glass and stir. Top with Prosecco and garnish with pear slices and a rosemary sprig!

Winter Fruit Sake Spritz

Ingredients:
quarter ounce lemon juice
quarter ounce simple syrup
1 ounce cranberry hibiscus juice tea blend (four parts tea to one part cranberry juice)
1 ounce Sake Ono
quarter ounce Clear Creek Pear Brandy
2 and one half ounces prosecco brut
1 ounce club soda
Garnish: hibiscus flower and mint sprigs dusted with powdered sugar

Instructions:
In a wine glass, build the drink over ice. Add lemon juice, simple syrup, tea blend, sake and pear brandy. Top with prosecco and club soda. Garnish with a hibiscus flower and mint sprigs dusted with powdered sugar so it looks like snow in the glass.

Winter White Sangria (Kim Crawford Wines)

1 bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
1 ½ cups of white cranberry juice
1 lime, thinly sliced
1 (12 oz) can lemon-flavored club soda

Instructions:
Combine wine, cranberry juice, and fruit slices in a large pitcher. Pour into 406 ice-filled wine glasses and garnish with a thyme sprig. Note: Regular cranberry juice works perfectly fine if you can’t find white.