P lanning to throw a house party on Christmas? It’s going to be a chilly evening, make sure you don’t leave your guests shivering with icy cocktails in their hands. We have listed some of the best winter cocktails to make your guests feel warm and happy.These are really easy to make!

1. Winter Sangria

This is our favorite of all, mostly because it based on wine and is so so festive! This fruity winter sangria also smells divine with all those wine-infused fruits. Prep is easy and you can also store this up for a day.

Ingredients

• 1 pear – washed, seeded and sliced
• 4 tangerines – peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 apple – washed, seeded and sliced
• 1 cup pomegranate
• 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 3 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 cup orange juice - freshly squeezed
• Ginger ale or soda for serving
• Ice cubes

Method

• In a large-bottomed glass pitcher, put pomegranate and all sliced fruits
• Add sugar and cinnamon stick
• Pour wine and fruit juice over fruits
• Stir and cover. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours
• To serve, remove cinnamon stick and pour over ice into glasses. Add ginger ale or club soda to taste

2. Classic Cooked Eggnog

This classic Christmas cocktail has seen so many improvisations over the years. We like ours when it’s cooked properly, because raw eggs are just a no no! If you too are not a fan of raw eggs, you can slow-cook yours – it tastes equally good!

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brandy, rum or cognac
• 4 cups light cream
• 1 ground nutmeg

Method

• Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract & ground cinnamon in a saucepan and heat for 5 minutes on lowest heat setting. Slowly bring to a boil
• Take egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk to get a fluffy mixture. Add hot milk and continue whisking
• Pour over saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 3 minutes without letting it boil
• Strain to remove any clove and let it cool for about an hour
• Add rum, brandy or cognac, cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract & ground nutmeg and stir well
• Refrigerate overnight before serving

3. Warm Spiced Vanilla Cocktail

The warmest and tastiest cocktail! Based on bourbon, this is an easy recipe and can be made using ingredients easily available in your kitchen cupboard.

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 5-inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 star anise
• 1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the rims:

• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

• Combine milk, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and star anise in a saucepan
• Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until hot & steaming
• Cook for another 5 minutes over low heat ensuring that it doesn’t come to full boil
• Remove from heat and strain to take any solid spice. Pour the mixture back into saucepan
• Stir in bourbon, Irish cream liqueur and vanilla extract
• For glass rim, pour maple syrup into a plate. Mix together sugar and cinnamon in another plate. Dip glass rim into maple syrup and then dip it into the sugar-cinnamon mixture
• Flip the glass over and pour hot cocktail

4. The Grinch

Mr. Grinch may be a mean one, but this cocktail isn’t! Quintessentially inspired by the character The Grinch, this cocktail is based on Midori liqueur. You can make it in a number of ways but we’ll tell you the quickest & easiest recipe.

Ingredients

• 60 ml Midori liqueur
• 15 ml lemon, lime or pineapple juice
• 15 ml sugar syrup
• Ice cubes

Method

• Fill a cocktail shaker half up with ice cubes
• Pour over all measured liquid
• Shake vigorously until condensation builds up on the shaker
• Strain on martini glasses or highball glases

5. Red Rudolph Cocktail

Inspired by our favourite Christmas character – Rudolph the reindeer, this cocktail is based on vodka and is served warm!

Ingredients

• 15 ml orange curacao
• 22 ml cinnamon schnapps
• 15 ml vodka
• 175 ml cranberry juice
• Whipped cream and sugar sprinklers for garnishing

Method

• Heat cranberry juice until hot
• Pour over orange curacao, cinnamon schnapps & vodka over an Irish mug
• Pour over hot cranberry juice over the mixture
• Let it cool down a bit
• Garnish with whipped cream & sugar sprinkler and serve warm

6. Chocolate Raspberry Martini

There are a number of ways you can make this one but since we like ours strong and more colourful, we add Tia Maria in this cocktail.

Ingredients

• 30 ml raspberry vodka
• 30 ml chocolate liqueur
• 30 ml cream
• 15 ml Tia Maria
• Ice cubes
• Raspberries or chocolate chips for garnishing

Method

• Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes
• Pour vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream and Tia Maria into the shaker
• Shake vigorously until chilled
• Strain the mixture into martini glasses
• Garnish with raspberries or chocolate chips

7. Christmas Cookie Cocktail

Amidst a number of festive and boozy cocktails like eggnog and winter sangria, this Christmas Cookie Cocktail comes as a surprise! It has strong flavours of bitter coffee but we still love this! It is very easy to prepare, so get started..

Ingredients

• Chocolate syrup
• 30 ml peppermint schnapps
• 30 ml Kahlua
• 30 ml Bailey’s Irish cream
• Ice cubes
• Candy canes and cookies for garnishing

Method

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes
• Pour over peppermint schnapps, Kahlua and Irish cream and shake well until chilled
• Line a martini glass with chocolate syrup
• Strain the liquid mixture into martini glass
• Garnish with candy canes or gingerbread cookies