18 Easy Christmas Gin Cocktails for the Festive Season
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Christmas gin cocktails are festive tipples that mix gin’s crisp botanicals with classic holiday flavours like cranberry, orange, spice, and herbs. From sparkling spritzes to cosy winter warmers, these gin serves bring a touch of seasonal sparkle to any celebration, whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, enjoying a Boxing Day brunch, or winding down by the fire.
So, if you’re building a line-up of holiday gin cocktails for the season, this list is your new best friend. Think sparkly glasses, snug nights in, and festive gin cocktails that feel right at home next to twinkly lights and a full house. Ready to stir up some magic, holidaymakers? Let’s get mixing.
Why gin works for Christmas cocktails
Gin shines during the holidays because its botanicals play so well with the flavours we reach for this time of year. Juniper brings that crisp, pine-like spark, and the citrussy, herbal notes slide right into orange, clove, cinnamon, ginger, and berry combos without stealing the spotlight.
It’s why winter gin cocktails feel so natural, whether you’re pouring a warm drink that wraps around you like a soft blanket or shaking something bubbly. Gin just knows how to carry those seasonal flavours in a way that feels cosy, bright, and totally party-ready.
Learn more: What is Gin Made From? The Ori(gin) Story
18 Winter gin cocktails to deck the halls
1. French 75
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
If a gin Prosecco Christmas cocktail sounds like your kind of drink, may we introduce you to the iconic French 75? Named for a field gun used in WWII, this pretty cocktail has a fair amount of kick but goes down a treat. It combines Bulldog Gin (opens in new window), Prosecco (opens in new window), fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup to create a tasty Prohibition-era drink that never seems to go out of style.
Retro inspo: Prohibition-Era Cocktail Recipes from the Roaring Twenties
2. Cranberry Gin
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
Bright, festive, and beautifully simple, this Cranberry Gin Christmas Cocktail puts the season’s favourite berry centre stage. It’s quick to make, easy to batch, and guaranteed to bring cheerful sparkle to any holiday gathering.
Ingredients
- 45 ml Bulldog Gin
- 15 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 150 ml Cranberry juice
- Ice
- Fresh cranberries and mint, for garnish (optional)
Method
- Fill a rocks glass with ice
- Add gin, lemon juice, and cranberry juice
- Stir gently to combine
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and mint
3. Gin Espresso Martini
Prep time: 10 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
Typically, our Espresso Martini recipe is made with SKYY Vodka, (opens in new window) but we also like to stir things up now and again by making it with gin. Add some coffee liqueur and a shot of fresh espresso, and you’ve got the perfect after-dinner drink ― it’s still one of our favourite types of Martinis today.
4. White Lady
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
This 1920s gin-laced sour is next-level. It combines the zesty tartness of good gin, bitter orange notes and lemon juice, all beautifully tamed by rich, silky egg white for sophisticated sipping.
5. Gin & Tonic
Prep time: 2 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
Christmas cocktails with gin don’t have to be complicated to be amazing. You can keep things really simple by sticking to this classic, especially if you’re on a holiday budget.
6. Rosemary Gimlet
Prep time: 2 min (syrup excluded) | Difficulty Level: Easy
The Classic Gimlet was first mixed back in the 19th century by Surgeon Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette, who prescribed it as a daily tonic to prevent disease in the British Navy.
To take it into a more wintery space, we like to switch out the conventional sugar syrup for rosemary-infused syrup and add a sprig of rosemary as garnish. It’s a small substitution but makes for a fun flavour shift.
7. Sloe Gin Fizz
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
Sloe gin Christmas cocktails have earned their spot in the festive season lineup. And what are sloes? They’re sour berries from blackthorn bushes that grow in the English countryside. Often used in jams, they’re also infused with gin to create a purplish-red liqueur that’s become a winter favourite in the UK.
8. Hot Gin Old Fashioned
Prep time: 10 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
The OG Old Fashioned combines Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon (opens in new window), sugar syrup, and bitters, but we’re also big fans of its cousin, the Hot Gin Old Fashioned. As far as old-school Christmas gin cocktail recipes go, this one hits all the high notes.
Ingredients
- 45 ml Gin
- 15 ml Sugar syrup
- 2 dashes Orange bitters
- 45 ml Boiling water
- Orange twist, for garnish
Method
- Gently heat the gin, sugar syrup, and orange bitters in a small saucepan until warm
- Add boiling water and stir to combine
- Pour into a heatproof cup, teacup, or ceramic beer mug
- Garnish with an orange twist
- Serve
9. Christmas Negroni
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
If you like gin-based Christmas cocktails that let you show off your mixology skills, try the Christmas Negroni. It’s straightforward, but does require a little prep.
10. Gibson Martini
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
One of the most talked-about cocktails of the last decade, thanks to The Queen’s Gambit, where it was Beth Harmon’s drink of choice, the Gibson combines gin, Cinzano Vermouth Bianco (opens in new window), and ice. Strained and served in a chilled Martini glass and garnished with a pickled cocktail onion, this drink is about as iconic as it gets.
11. Winter Mimosa
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
A festive riff on a classic, the Winter Mimosa brings seasonal flair to the familiar orange-and-bubbly combo. Gin, blood orange syrup, and a squeeze of lime create a bright, wintry base that pairs beautifully with a splash of Prosecco.
Ingredients
- 60 ml Gin
- 120 ml Blood orange syrup
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Prosecco, to top
- Blood orange slices, for garnish
- Ice
Method
- Add gin, blood orange syrup, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake until well chilled
- Strain into a Champagne flute
- Top with Prosecco
- Garnish with blood orange slices
- Serve
12. Gin Hot Toddy
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
The comforting Hot Toddy has been around for centuries. It’s one of those drinks that’s easy to switch up so you can feature your favourite base spirit and steeping ingredients. For festive occasions, we like making it with gin, fresh lemon juice, brown sugar, cloves, and sliced lemon.
More coziness this way: Best Warm Winter Cocktails to Keep the Chill at Bay
13. Ginger Rickey (gin & ginger beer)
Prep time: 2 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
With its festive baking-spice warmth and lively ginger kick, this tall gin sipper pairs perfectly with everything simmering and brewing this season.
Ingredients
- 60 ml Gin
- 120 ml Ginger beer
- Ice
- Lime wedge or candied ginger, for garnish (optional)
Method
- Fill a tall glass with ice
- Add gin
- Top with ginger beer
- Stir gently
- Garnish with a lime wedge or candied ginger if desired
- Serve
Even MORE inspo: What to Mix with Gin
14. Aviation
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
The Aviation cocktail is a dapper retro drink that’s making a resurgence thanks to its striking good looks. One of the most famous cocktails with crème de violette, it brings plenty of old-school glamour to the party. Floral notes combined with the sweet-and-sour of gin and cherry liqueur make it a standout cocktail.
15. Mistletoe Martini
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
For a drink that looks like Christmas, mix up a Mistletoe Martini. It’s indulgent and fruity with a vodka base and delicious notes of cranberry and elderflower. Serve it with your best holiday dishes and watch the magic happen.
Fabulously fragrant: What Are Botanicals?
16. Vesper Martini
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Medium
The Vesper Martini is named after Vesper Lynd, a fictional character and double agent in Ian Fleming’s ‘Casino Royale’. She was the first Bond Girl and legend has it, she was also 007’s first true love… although definitely not his last! Slightly sweet and a little bitter with herbal tones and a dry finish, it’s a deeply sophisticated clinker.
Stay debonair, darling: Types of Martinis You Should Know
17. Cranberry Martini
Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
Whatever the festive theme or occasion, the cocktail you can always count on is a Cranberry Martini. It’s easy to shake up but your guests will feel like you’ve gone the extra mile. You can use sweetened or unsweetened cranberry juice, depending on your preference. If you want to make it extra fancy, then rim the glass with sugar and a touch of cinnamon.
18. Clover Club
Pre Prep time: 5 min | Difficulty Level: Easy
A raspberry cocktail with a 1920s gentleman’s club theme? It’s a thing! While the pretty Clover Club cocktail might seem a little girly, back in the early 1900s, it was the go-to drink of a group of gentlemen who liked to hang out at a hotel in Philadelphia. And yes, it tastes as delicious as it looks ― like raspberry ice cream infused with a kiss of gin.
Festive garnishes & presentation tips
The right garnish can flip a simple serve into something that feels straight out of a holiday spread. Think sprigs of rosemary that look like tiny Christmas trees, glossy cranberries that add instant sparkle, curls of orange peel, or a single star anise drifting in the glass ― all creating festive magic. If you’re making cranberry gin cocktails, a skewer of fresh berries or a soft sugar rim adds that extra moment of joy before the first sip.
For glassware, reach for whatever feels fun for the occasion. Flutes for anything bubbly, rocks glasses for slow sippers, and heatproof mugs for your warm pours. Chilled coupe glasses always look gorgeous under fairy lights. A quick wipe of the glass, a clean rim, and a garnish placed with intention can make even a last-minute drink look super luxe.
PRO TIP! Freeze cranberries into ice cubes for party nights. They keep your drink cold and bring major holiday energy without watering things down too fast.
There you have it — 18 Christmas gin cocktails to serve over the festive season. Remember to sign up for our newsletter (opens in new window) so you can get holly jolly articles like this bobsleighing right into your inbox! In the meantime, visit the Bulldog Gin website (opens in new window) to stock up on your festive essentials.
