Easy Christmas Cocktails: 8 Simple Recipes for the Holidays

A good Christmas cocktail does not need a long ingredient list. These eight recipes use three or four ingredients each, so you can mix a round of drinks for guests and still enjoy the evening. Every recipe gives ounces and milliliters, a short method and the tool to use. Want something more festive in the glass? Our Christmas gingerbread martini is a good next step.

Two tall glasses of coral-red iced cocktails garnished with rosemary and citrus, beside a crystal mixing glass with a bar spoon and jigger

Measuring tip before you start

These recipes use the standard bar conversion of 30 ml per ounce: 1/2 oz is 15 ml, 1 oz is 30 ml, 1 1/2 oz is 45 ml, 2 oz is 60 ml and 2 1/2 oz is 75 ml. If your jigger is marked differently, see our cocktail jigger measurements chart.

Red and festive

1. Negroni

Tool: rocks glass, bar spoon, jigger

  • 1 oz (30 ml) gin
  • 1 oz (30 ml) Campari
  • 1 oz (30 ml) sweet vermouth
  • Garnish: half orange slice

Method: Pour the ingredients straight into a rocks glass filled with ice and stir gently. Garnish with the orange slice. For a more polished version, stir in a mixing glass and strain over a large ice cube.

2. Moscow Mule

Tool: copper mug (or Collins glass), jigger

  • 2 oz (60 ml) vodka
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
  • 3 oz (90 ml) chilled ginger beer
  • Garnish: lime wheel; add cranberries or a rosemary sprig for the holidays

Method: Add the vodka and lime juice to a mug filled with ice, top with ginger beer and stir briefly. Garnish.

Sparkling and bright

3. French 75

Tool: Boston shaker, jigger, strainer, flute

  • 1 oz (30 ml) gin
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) simple syrup
  • 2 oz (60 ml) Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
  • Garnish: lemon twist

Method: Shake the gin, lemon juice and syrup with ice until well chilled. Strain into a flute and top with the sparkling wine. Add the lemon twist.

4. Gimlet

Tool: Boston shaker, jigger, strainer

  • 2 1/2 oz (75 ml) gin
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) simple syrup
  • Garnish: lime wheel

Method: Shake everything with ice until well chilled and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with the lime wheel.

5. Margarita

Tool: Boston shaker, jigger, strainer

  • 2 oz (60 ml) blanco tequila
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) orange liqueur
  • 1 oz (30 ml) fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) agave syrup
  • Garnish: lime wheel; salt rim optional

Method: Shake the ingredients with ice until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish.

Glass cocktail mixing pitcher with a diamond-cut pattern, filled halfway with amber liquid and large ice cubes, beside a Barillio illustrated cocktail recipe guide

Stirred and elegant

6. Dry Martini

Tool: mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, strainer

  • 2 1/2 oz (75 ml) gin
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) dry vermouth
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • Garnish: lemon twist

Method: Stir the gin, vermouth and bitters with ice until very cold, about 20 to 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and twist a lemon peel over the top.

Barillio crystal mixing glass on a wooden stand with a muddler, Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon and double jigger

After dinner

7. Espresso Martini

Tool: Boston shaker, jigger, strainer

  • 2 oz (60 ml) vodka
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) coffee liqueur
  • 1 oz (30 ml) fresh espresso (or cold brew concentrate)
  • 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) simple syrup
  • Garnish: 3 coffee beans

Method: Shake everything hard with ice until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with the coffee beans.

8. Eggnog (serves 4)

Tool: two mixing bowls, whisk, measuring cup

  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup (about 60 ml) sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 360 ml) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) rum, bourbon or brandy
  • Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg

Method: Beat the yolks with 3 tablespoons of the sugar until fluffy, then stir in the milk, cream and spirit. In a separate bowl, beat the whites with the remaining tablespoon of sugar to soft peaks and fold them into the yolk mixture. Divide between four glasses and grate nutmeg on top. Raw and lightly cooked eggs carry a risk of food-borne illness.

The tools behind these eight drinks

A jigger, a shaker and a mixing glass cover this whole list. See our guides to how to use a Boston shaker and the cocktail mixing glass, and our winter cocktails guide for more cold-weather ideas.

What's in the Box: muddler, Hawthorne strainer, jigger, mixing spoon, recipe booklet, 20 oz crystal mixing glass and bamboo stand, each labeled

Shaken drinks (French 75, Gimlet, Margarita, Espresso Martini): the Barillio Boston cocktail shaker set.

See the Boston shaker set
Barillio crystal mixing glass set with muddler, strainer, bar spoon, double jigger, bamboo stand and illustrated recipe guide on a white background

Stirred drinks (Negroni, Dry Martini): the Barillio crystal cocktail mixing glass set with stand.

See the mixing glass set
Two hammered copper-colored Moscow Mule mugs on a bamboo stand with a jigger, bar spoon and bent straws

Moscow Mule: the Barillio Moscow Mule mug set with bamboo stand.

See the Moscow Mule mug set

FAQ

What are the easiest Christmas cocktails to make?

A Negroni has three equal parts and is built in the glass, a Moscow Mule needs only vodka, lime and ginger beer, and a French 75 is a quick shake topped with sparkling wine.

What do I need to make Christmas cocktails at home?

A jigger for accurate measures, a shaker for shaken drinks and a mixing glass with a bar spoon for stirred drinks cover the recipes on this page.

Can I make eggnog ahead of time?

This version is best mixed just before serving, because the whipped egg whites lose their volume as it sits. The eggs are used raw, so follow the food-safety note in the recipe.

Please drink responsibly.