Six great Christmas cocktails: how to make festive drinks at home, including classics and new favourites

We all love a good tipple at Christmas - and they taste better if you’ve made them yourself
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Impress your guests this festive season by serving them one of these six delicious seasonal drinks, all of which can be created in the comfort of your own home - whether you’re a cocktail making pro or a complete novice.

To make it even easier for you to make your favourite - or favourites - if you click on the links provided in the ingredients list you can simply add them to your supermarket shopping bag so you can be creating and enjoying these drinks in no time.

Remember to make sure you have plenty of nibbles on hand, and water for between rounds - it’s more fun for everyone if you drink responsibly!

Baileys Chocolate Martini

This is a simple cocktail which can be shaken up in mere moment, but it tastes amazing.

You only need four ingredients too; Baileys Irish Cream, Chocolate liqueur, vodka and chocolate.

Baileys Chocolate MartiniBaileys Chocolate Martini
Baileys Chocolate Martini

To make it, all you have to do is add the Baileys, chocolate liqueur, vodka and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with some shaved chocolate.

Snowball

This cocktail has been popular since 1970s, and it keeps being loved year after year. Its the ultimate retro drink to celebrate the festive season.

This one has just three ingredients; advocaat, sparkling lemonade and lime cordial which is optional.

Snowball CocktailSnowball Cocktail
Snowball Cocktail

To make it, simply fill a glass with ice and if using, add the lime cordial to your taste, if using, pour in the advocaat and lemonade and stir gently.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

If you enjoy a glass of champagne, then this cocktail is a way to make it super sweet for the festive season. The best thing is this recipe always works well with prosecco and cava too so you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get an enjoyable tipple.

It is made using champagne, prosecco or cava (to your choice), Angostura bitters, cognac, orange peel and a sugar cube.

Champagne cocktailChampagne cocktail
Champagne cocktail

There are three simple steps to creating this delicious cocktail; put the sugar cube on a small dish, then drizzle with the bitters, turning a few times so it’s fully coated, drop the cube into a champagne flute, then top up with the cognac. Finally, slowly pour over the champagne, prosecco or cava and twist the orange peel.

White Lady

A classic Christmas time cocktail, this one is made with gin, triple sec, lemon juice and egg white. It’s light and refreshing but packs a real punch.

White Lady cocktailWhite Lady cocktail
White Lady cocktail

There are just two steps to make it too; tip all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, then shake along with ice and strain the mixture. Finally, discard the ice, then return the drink to the shaker and shake again until the egg white is frothy.

Christmas Pudding Vodka

If there’s one thing that is the signature taste of the festive season, it’s a Christmas pudding - the clue is in the name. So, why not taste it in a truly unique seasonal tipple?

Be aware though, this one takes a couple of weeks to create overall, so if you want to enjoy it this Christmas and New Year, it’s a good idea to make it now.

This one is a bit more complicated to make, but it will be worth it. It features all the classic festive flavours we love; oranges, lemons, cinnamon, dried fruit, amaretto and brandy.

Christmas Pudding VodkaChristmas Pudding Vodka
Christmas Pudding Vodka

To create your new seasonal favourite drink, begin by tipping the dried fruit, citrus zests, sugar, spices and vanilla pod into the jar. Pour half the vodka into the jar, seal the lid, then turn the jar upside-down and give it a good shake to evenly distribute the sugar. Remove the lid and add the remaining vodka, the brandy and amaretto.

Then re-seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place, turning or shaking it once a day for the first week. After two to three weeks, strain the vodka through a sieve lined with a clean kitchen cloth. Use the soaked fruit in festive bakes such as a fruit cake, pudding or mincemeat.

What other drinks can I serve to my guests this Christmas?

For alternative festive tipples, which you can gift to all of our friends and family to enjoy on the big day, take a look at our guide to the best boozy presents UK 2022: best alcohol gifts for festive fun - spirits, wines, gift sets and Champagne.

If you’re a beer fan, you can also invest in one of these beer subscriptions. If you’re a wine drinker, you could also get an exclusive bottle of Gary Barlow’s sell-out wine or a wine subscription.

If you fancy making even more drinks yourself, check out our video which will talk you through how to make your own mulled wine.