12 Holiday Cocktails (And Mocktails) To Reward Your Hustle-Bustle December 18, 2019
Welcome to your one-stop shop for all holiday cocktails and mocktails…
No one hustles + bustles like the Fresh Fam… especially during the holiday season. So we’d like to officially reward you with a roundup of our best festive and flavorful holiday drinks.
Kick back, relax, celebrate, be merry, and stay — err — hydrated during the most wonderful time of the year.
And for a a good laugh, find your signature cocktail name based of the super scientific formula below. Play this game with your guests and see who ends up with the craziest name!
1. Blood Orange Gin and Tonic
Blood oranges, which are grown primarily around the Mediterranean and California, are in peak season during the colder months of October through late March/early April. Their partially sweet and slightly tart flavor makes them the perfect star in this citursy gin and tonic.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 Ounces Gin
- 2 1/2 Ounces Fresh Blood Orange Juice
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
- 4 Ounces Tonic Water
Instructions:
- Fill a glass with ice. Add gin, blood orange juice, and orange bitters.
- Top with tonic water and stir.
- Garnish with a blood orange slice before serving.
2. Mint Gin and Tonic
The secret to success is to muddle fresh mint leaves. It only takes a few seconds but makes a world of flavor difference.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 3 Sprigs Mint
- 2 Ounces Gin
- Tonic Water
- Lime Slice, for garnish
Instructions:
- Strip leaves from 2 sprigs mint and muddle in a glass.
- Fill glass with ice.
- Add gin and tonic water. Stir, then garnish with remaining sprig mint and lime slice.
3. Moscow Mule
Fun fact: Despite its name and liquor of choice, the Moscow Mule hails from New York City, not Russia.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 Ounces Vodka
- 1/2 Ounce Ginger Syrup
- 1 Wedge Fresh Lime
- 1/2 Can Club Soda
Instructions:
- Pour ginger syrup into a cup over ice. Add vodka and a squeeze of lime.
- Fill with club soda and stir.
4. Blueberry Cinnamon Old Fashioned
This fruity, cinnamon-spiked cocktail may sound fancy, but we promise it’s simple enough for bartending novices and aficionados alike to master (but shhhhh, your guests don’t need to know that). Snag the recipe here.
5. Grapefruit Prosecco
Prosecco, aka the Italian version of champagne, is the perfect bubbly drink to help ring in the new year. Here, we’re combining it with Campari and grapefruit for a zing of refreshing citrus.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- Course Sugar, for rim of glass
- 1 1/2 Ounces (1 Shot) Campari
- 1 1/2 Ounces (1 Shot) Grapefruit Juice
- Ice
- Prosecco
- Grapefruit Twist, for garnish
Instructions:
- Dip glass rim in a bowl of water, then into a bowl of sugar so it sticks.
- Combine Campari and grapefruit juice in a cocktail mixer with ice.
- Shake well and pour into two glasses with ice.
- Top with Prosecco and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
6. Rosemary Blackberry Mocktail
With subtle flavor hints of lemon and pine, rosemary is the perfect fragrant accompaniment to the fruity flavors of this mocktail. It’s blended with lemon juice, which means no one will see the needle-shaped leaves, but everyone will be wondering what the secret ingredient is.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Frozen Blackberries (plus more for garnish)
- 1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries (plus more for garnish)
- 4 Teaspoons Sugar Syrup
- 2 Ounces Lemon Juice
- 1 Sprig Rosemary
- Sparkling Water
- Blackberries, for garnish
- Ice
Instructions:
- Place glasses in freezer to chill.
- Add frozen blackberries, blueberries, and sugar syrup in a pot with a splash of water. Simmer about 15 minutes.
- Add mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain with a sieve and set aside to let cool.
- Meanwhile, rinse blender, then add lemon juice and rosemary sprig. Blend, then strain.
- Remove glasses from freezer and fill halfway with crushed ice. Pour in lemon mixture, then sparkling water. Pour blackberry mixture on top, and garnish with berries.
7. Pomegranate Mocktail
You’ve likely come across pomegranate seeds as a garnish on sweet and savory dishes alike. But have you ever tried them in a mocktail? Game changer — especially when paired with tart lemon juice, sweet sugar syrup, and a splash of bubbly tonic water.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 Ounces Lemon Juice
- 4 Teaspoons Sugar Syrup
- 2 Ounces Pomegranate Juice
- Tonic Water
- Ice
Instructions:
- Add lemon juice, sugar syrup, and pomegranate juice into a jug and stir.
- Pour into glasses over ice and top with tonic water.
8. Paloma Cocktail
Since one grapefruit cocktail wasn’t enough, we dreamed up this tequila – grapefruit – lemonade dream-come-true, also known as a Paloma.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 Ounces Tequila
- 2 1/2 Ounces Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- Lemonade
- Ice
- Grapefruit Slice, for garnish
Instructions:
- Add tequila, grapefruit juice, and lemonade into a glass over ice.
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
9. Apple Orange Punch
Apple + orange + lemon = fruity, triple threat. Combined with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, this mocktail has the holidays written all over it. Get the recipe here.
10. Peach Bellini
Our favorite fuzzy-skinned fruits may be in season in the summer months, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying ’em in juice (and cocktail) form all year long.
Ingredients:
- Chilled Brut Sparkling Wine
- Fresh Peach Juice
Instructions:
- Pour sparkling wine into a glass, then top with peach juice.
11. Spiced Braeburn Apple Gin
Apples are to cinnamon what bananas are to peanut butter. Matches made in heaven — and cocktails are no exception. Get the recipe here (along with a slew of other apple recipes we love).
12. Slow Cooker Spiced Wine
Hustle and bustle through the holidays with this hands-off, set it and forget it spiced wine recipe that comes together with less than 10 ingredients. Get the recipe here, and be sure to check out the HelloFresh Wine Club while you’re at it.
Looking to warm up this holiday season? Look no further than our easy-as-pie pumkin spice latte.