This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.
Now that the holidays are officially in full swing, there is one crucial thing we need to survive…booze! Here are 12 DIY holiday cocktails to get you through the potential family feuds, shopping stresses, and any other dilemma that may come your way.
1. White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
Ingredients
- Crushed ice
- 4 parts Godiva white chocolate liquor (4 ounces)
- 2 ½ parts vanilla vodka (2 ½ ounces)
- 1 ½ parts peppermint schnapps (1 ½ ounces)
- Red sugar sprinkles for garnishing the glass rim (optional)
- Chocolate syrup for garnishing the inside of the glass (optional)
Small peppermint stick for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Fill a cocktail shaker half-way full with crushed ice.
- Pour in all of the liquor ingredients and shake until well mixed.
- Spread red sugar sprinkles evenly onto a large plate.
- Wet the rim of a martini glass with water, then tip the martini glass rim into the sprinkles and spin the glass to coat the rim.
- Drizzle a small amount of chocolate syrup in a spiral design inside the glass.
- Pour contents of shaker into the martini glass.
Place a small peppermint candy cane along the edge of the glass
2. Jack Frost Cocktail
Ingredients
- Light corn syrup for rimming glasses
- Flaked coconut for rimming glasses
- 8 cups ice (more or less depending on desired consistency)
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup blue curacao
- ½ cup vodka or light rum (I used vodka)
½ cup cream of coconut
Directions
- Rim the glasses: Pour a thin layer of corn syrup onto a plate and dip the rims into the corn syrup, then dip in coconut flakes.
- In a blender, blend ice, pineapple juice, blue curacao, vodka and cream of coconut until desired consistency is reached. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
3. Santa Claus-Mopolitan
Ingredients:
- ½ cup cranberry juice
- ½ cup white cranberry-peach juice
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1.2 oz vodka
Directions
- Shake with ice
- Pour into glass rimmed with lime juice, corn syrup, and flaked coconut
4. Sex On A Snowflake
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces Malibu rum
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream
- 6 large ice cubes
Directions:
- Place ingredients together in a blender
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a chilled martini glass.
5. Blackberry Mojitos
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Everclear
- 6-8 fresh blackberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- Top with club soda
- Serve immediately
Directions:
- Muddle together the berries, sugar, mint, lime juice and Everclear
- Divide mixture into 2 glasses filled with ice
- Top with club soda
6. Candy Cane Shooters
Ingredients
- ¼ cup International Delight Peppermint Chocolate Truffle
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 oz white chocolate liqueur
- Marshmallow fluff (opt)
Crushed candy cane (opt)
Directions
- Dip the top of your shot glasses in marshmallow fluff until the rim is coated.
- Dip the coated rim in crushed candy cane until marshmallow fluff is completely covered.
- Add the peppermint truffle creamer, half an half and white chocolate liqueur to a cocktail shaker and shake until combined.
- Pour shots into candy cane rimmed shot glasses.
- Serve and enjoy!
7. Salted Caramel White Russians
Ingredients
- 1 part Salted Caramel coffee liqueur (Bailey’s or Kaluha)
- 2 parts Salted Caramel Vodka
- 1 part Half & Half (milk and cream)
- Caramel sauce to garnish
Directions:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Kahlua, vodka, and half & half. Stir with a spoon to combine.
- Drip caramel sauce down the side of a drinking glass. Add ice until the glass is about three quarters full; then pour in your cocktail. Garnish with a straw and serve.
8. Jingle Juice Holiday Punch
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle (750ml) Whipped Vodka
- 1 bottle Pink Champagne or Sparkling Rosé
- 1 2-liter bottle Cherry 7-up
- Cranberries for garnish, optional
Directions:
- In a punch bowl or large pitcher filled with ice, combine all of the ingredients.
- Stir well.
- Serve over ice and garnish with cranberries.
9. The Grinch Punch
Ingredients
- 2 13oz packets Unsweetened Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 1 12oz Can Pineapple Juice
- 1 12oz Frozen Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
- 1/2 liter of Sprite
- Ice
- Red Sanding Sugar for Glass Trim
Directions
- Pour 2 quarts of water in a 1 gallon pitcher.
- Add the Kool-aid mix and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the pineapple juice and lemonade and stir well.
- To top the rim of a glass, dip the top in water then dip into the sanding sugar.
- Just before serving, add the Sprite and ice.
- Serve and Enjoy
10. White Chocolate Snowflake Martini
Ingredients (makes one drink)
- 2 oz. vanilla vodka
- 2 oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur
- 1 oz. white creme de cacao
- 1 oz. half and half
- Lemon wedge
- Sanding sugar
Directions
- Cut a half-inch slit into the lemon wedge and rub it around the rim of the glass.
- Pour sanding sugar into a shallow dish then dip the rim in the sugar to coat evenly. Gently shake off excess sugar.
- Add the vodka, chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, and half and half into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain mixture into glass.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy with your favorite seasonal tunes next to a toasty fireplace!
11. Vanilla Cranberry Mimosas
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces of vanilla flavored vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces of cranberry juice
- sparkling wine (I use the sparkling wines of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards)
- Optional Garnishes
- fresh cranberries
- whole vanilla beans
Directions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the vanilla vodka, cranberry juice and ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a champagne flute. Fill the glass to the top with sparkling wine. Garnish if desired.
12. Mistletoe Cocktail
Ingredients
- ¼ tsp of lime juice
- ½ tsp honey
- 3 mint leaves
- 1 ounce vodka
- Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic)
- 5 cranberries (3 for garnish)
- 1 sprig of rosemary for garnish
- white sugar for garnish
- 8 oz glass
Directions
- Place mint leaves, 2 cranberries, honey and lime in a dish and use a muddler to mash and set aside.
- Squeeze lime juice into a small dish and sugar into another, big enough for the rim of the glass, and dip the rim of the glass in the lime then in the sugar to rim the glass.
- Place the mash mixture in bottom of the glass, add ¾ the glass of crushed ice and vodka over the ice with ginger beer.
- Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and 3 cranberries.