15 Dazzling Winter Cocktails with Your Favorite Seasonal Flavors

Ideal for sipping midsummer, sangria can be one of the best winter holiday cocktails too. When you combine dried apples, cranberries, and raisins with cinnamon and red wine, you create one of our favorite Christmas drink recipes. To elevate the presentation, garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick.

Tiptoe your apple cider from autumn to winter with cozy spices, warming brandy, and in-season produce picks including orange, apple, and pomegranate. Cranberry juice and pomegranate molasses lend not only a vibrant red hue but also a delightful sweet-tart quality. Since an entire pitcher can be made and chilled up to a day ahead, this is one of the best winter cocktail recipes for entertaining.

Keep that maple syrup handy after topping your morning waffle or pancake recipe. In this winter bourbon cocktail, the sweetener lends a lovely rich quality to the kumquat and cranberry, shaken, not stirred, blushing Christmas cocktail. 

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Rosemary isn’t just for garnishes, marinades, or savory meat rub recipes, and cranberries can steal the show in far more than sauce alone! We’re firm believers that little says “winter cocktail recipes” more than the combination of cranberry and orange. Unless you add Prosecco, of course—so we did.

The coldest months of winter are actually prime time for blood oranges. With that in mind, we use the vitamin C-packed citrus, along with fresh lemon juice, to brighten up these winter vodka cocktails. Cherries crank up the sunset-like color even more (who cares if it gets dark at 5 p.m. when you have this in your hand, right?!), while sparkling wine adds a hint of sweetness and some celebratory effervescence.

Spiked eggnog gets a whole new cozy definition with this winter cocktail recipe. Rum and coffee-flavor liqueur ensure all are in good spirits, while coffee brings a buzzy element. With the creamy homemade nog as the base, this is one dreamy after-dinner drink.

Winter vodka cocktails don’t come much more festive—and simple!—than this. Only three ingredients, plus ice, transform into one of the best winter holiday cocktails. A simple garnish of fresh cranberries makes the bubbly beauty totally party-ready.

Related: Become Your Own Bartender with Our Guide to Mixed Drinks

We’ll drink it anytime of year, but winter is prime time for whiskey recipes. The caramel and oak notes often present in the spirit are oh-so cozy. For this winter whiskey cocktail, we brighten things up with three seasonal citrus fruits. The resulting twist on the classic whiskey sour strikes the perfect balance between escape-to-the-tropics and winter-warmer.

This cool vodka drink recipe for winter certainly looks the part! In each cozy mug, a whipped cream “snowman” melts into the silky mix of Kahlúa, cream, and vodka. Finish the cute cocktail with a mug of a different kind: a “face” made with mini chocolate chips and an orange sprinkle.

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If it's named after one of Santa's reindeer, it must be good! (Just be sure to keep it far out of reach from the kiddos, of course.) Whip up these chocolaty, Irish cream liqueur-spiked winter vodka cocktails for your adult guests who are on the "nice list."

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If gin and tonics are your go-to bar drink, consider DIY-ing this, its dressed-up winter cousin. Sure to become one of your favorite winter gin cocktail recipes, this big-batch drink is ready to party with flavors of in-season citrus, Aperol, and, obviously, gin. Grapefruit soda lends just enough sweetness and a refreshing fizz factor.

Notice the red and green color combination happening here? That's all we need to say about these winter gin cocktails that are perfect for the holiday season. Plus, the bit of spice will help warm you on cold winter nights—or during chilly morning brunches.

If you're looking for easy holiday cocktails—emphasis on easy—here's your drink! Two ingredients, one glass, and you’re done. We love offering this when the revelers are ale aficionados or not so fond of fruity or sweet winter cocktails. Choose a seasonal dark beer you can't get year-round to make the beer-infused winter cocktail extra special.

Related: How to Pair Beer with Food

We use this as both a fall and winter cocktail recipe, but it’s so delicious and crowd-pleasing, we’d consider serving it year-round. Put whiskey, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, and apple-cinnamon schnapps into your slow cooker. Between 30 minutes to 3 hours later, depending if you simmer on high or low, out comes a whole batch of one of the simplest and best winter holiday cocktails.

Add a unique twist to the traditional midnight toast by topping off your glass of bubbly with some brandy. Pomegranate seeds add a festive ruby hue. Choose Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, or sparkling wine as the base for this winter cocktail recipe—any of the bubbly white wines (named differently for their various growing regions) work wonderfully.