["plan"]

19 Best Vodka Christmas Cocktails

December 11, 2023 by

Jump to:

Get ready to level up your holiday menu this year. These Christmas cocktails with vodka will be the real crowd-pleasers at your cocktail parties. Sorry Santa! What’s more, they’re ready in 5 minutes or less, ideal to serve when you’re busy getting your Christmas roast just right. 

1. Peppermint Martini

Peppermint Martini with Peppermint candy rim

The Peppermint Martini is a delightful Christmas signature cocktail, with all the freshness of mint combined with the lush creaminess of Irish cream liqueur. It’s a treat for cozy , winter days, and the crushed peppermint candy rim provides just the right amount of sweetness to the day. You can also make it vegan using coconut milk, so everyone will be happy! What else could you ask for?  

2. Christmas Moscow Mule

Cranberry, lime and rosemary festive Moscow Mule

Spread the holiday cheer with this fancy cranberry vodka Christmas cocktail! If you love the freshness of a Moscow Mule, this variation takes it up a notch with the wintery flavors of fresh muddled herbs and cranberries. We’re sure even Santa would want one! 

3. Peppermint White Russian

Two Peppermint White Russian Mocktails on a table in a light bright home kitchen overlooking a snowy scene through the window

If you’re looking for easy Christmas vodka cocktails recipes, this Peppermint White Russian should be on top of your list. Take a traditional White Russian, add Peppermint Schnapps and, just like that Christmas has arrived! Decorate your cocktail with a mini candy cane stick and let the jolly times roll. 

4. Pomegranate Cosmo

Pomegranate Cosmopolitans with dried orange garnish

The aesthetic and enticing pomegranate is the star of this holiday vodka cocktail and is a spin-off to the classic Cosmo we’ve been loving since the 90s. Replace cranberry juice with fresh pomegranate juice and you’ll have the perfect drink to sip on.  

5. Apple Cider Mule

Apple cider mule cocktails with apple. cinnamon and star anise garnish

Hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas? Give your guests a sip of winter deliciousness with this Apple Cider Mule.This fall-themed drink pairs apple cider and ginger beer in a bubbly mix that looks perfectly cozy in its copper mug. You can easily prepare it in a big batch to serve during your pre-dinner gatherings. 

6. Pear Martini

Close up of a Pear Martini in an ornate glass with a gold rim, posed on a serving platter with fresh pears next to it, and an arrangement of pear blossoms in the backdrop

Looking for a sweet and crisp cocktail? The Pear Martiniis an irresistible sipper that we’re sure will become your signature drink to serve during the holidays. It packs all the sweetness of the unofficial winter fruit – pear – and it’s ready in only 5 minutes. Which, by the way, is ideal for when you’re caught up in the heat of the kitchen, with hungry guests waiting to be fed!  

7. Pomegranate Martini

Pomegranate Martini

Take your holiday cocktail party up a notch with this Pomegranate Martini. Sweet and tart, it’s a fruity Martini that similar in taste to a Cosmopolitan. It’s an elegant serve thanks to its scarlet red color and will pair perfectly with savory holiday appetizers like nuts and pretzels.  

8. Chocolate Martini

Lush Chocolate Martini cocktails garnished with chocolate sprinkles

We need to thank the Hollywood star Rock Hudson for this chocolatey riff on the vodka Martini. This dessert-in-a-glass holiday cocktail combines vodka, crème de cacao, chocolate liqueur and half-and-half  into a creamy, lush drink that is pure bliss at every sip. You can also customize it in decadent variations like the White Chocolate Martini, with white chocolate liqueur, the fall-flavored Equinox Martini, with RumChata, or the Nutella Martini, adding a dash of hazelnut liqueur. Success is guaranteed if you serve it as a post-meal treat after your Christmas feasts! 

9. Finnish Mulled Wine

Warm mulled wine with cinnamon garnish

Take a sip down to Santa town with this easy cocktail recipe. The Finnish Mulled Wine is a Nordic treat to warm up on cold winter days while singing Christmas carols. It features red wine, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, orange and lemon for a super spicy concoction, and it must be served with raisins and almonds for good luck. Cheers! 

10. Black Russian

Close-up of Black Russian Cocktail on the rocks

Say hi to one of the easiest vodka-based Christmas cocktails you’ll ever mix! With just two ingredients, vodka and coffee liqueur, the Black Russian is the perfect quick drink when you’re hosting a crowd. You can even turn it into a lavish dessert drink by adding Irish cream liqueur and heavy cream on top. Delicious!  

11. Limoncello Martini

Limoncello martini in cocktail glasses with a lemon twist

Mediterranean flavors meet holiday times in this sweet and citrusy Limoncello Martini. The traditional Italian liqueur is mixed with vodka and simple syrup in this easy after-dinner digestif that will delight even the pickiest of guests.  

12. Eggnog Martini

A trio of indulgent Eggnog Martini cocktails presented in long-stemmed Martini glasses, surrounded by snack bowls on a light grey surface

Take everyone’s favorite Christmas dessert drink and pair it with a classic cocktail. That’s how you get the Eggnog Martini, a lavish drink that will make your holiday menu so much sweeter. It requires just three ingredients – vanilla vodka, amaretto, and eggnog—and it’s ready in 5 minutes. You can even make it vegan using coconut or almond milk in your eggnog.  

13. Vodka Gimlet

A totally classic Samurai Rock cocktail garnished with lime and served on tray

The Vodka Gimlet is a super simple 2-ingredient sipper that was very popular in the 60s and has been updated since. The old-school version would no doubt have been made with lime cordial, whereas today’s recipe calls for fresh lime instead. You can make it either way – it’s such an effortless, tasty mixer for vodka.

Keen to know more? What is a Cocktail Party: Asked & Answered

14. Christmas Martini

Two Christmas Martini cocktails

Our Christmas Martini takes the best holiday flavors and blends them into a cocktail that even old Saint Nick would approve of. Serve them as elegant cocktails this festive season or better yet, serve them in pitchers at your holiday feast. It’s the season to be jolly after all and with Christmas Martinis you’re guaranteed to have a jingle bell blast!

You might also like: 11 Fruity Martini Recipes to Add Some Color to Your Next Party

15. Sugar Cookie Martini

Two Sugar Cookie Martini cocktails with sprinkle rims on a table in the middle of a clutch of decorations and presents for the holidays

This iconic Sugar Cookie Martini is a very merry cocktail that tastes like a delicious holiday cookie with a kick! To make one, combine the 1.5 oz vanilla vodka, 1.5 oz cream liqueur, 2 oz milk, 1 oz amaretto, and a teaspoon of powdered sugar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until frosty, and strain into a serving glass rimmed with frosting and sprinkles for a little extra joy.

16. Pumpkin Martini

Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martinis

The Pumpkin Martini is a delicious dessert drink perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and throughout the holidays. This easy fall cocktail combines vanilla vodka, Irish cream, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin spice for the ultimate sweet surprise at the end of a lingering get-together.

17. Pumpkin Spice White Russian

Pumpkin Spice White Russian Cockail

If a classic White Russian tickles your fancy, you’ve got to treat yourself to a Pumpkin Spice White Russian. Add 1 oz coffee liqueur, 1 oz SKYY Vodka, half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 2 oz heavy cream, and ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Shake together for about 10 seconds, strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, garnish with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice, and enjoy!

18. Gingerbread Martini

Two Gingerbread Martini cocktails on a white table in a home lounge decorated for the holidays, with freshly baked gingermen biscuits around it

The smell of gingerbread is one of those intrinsic holiday memories that most of us will treasure for the rest of our lives. To make a Gingerbread Martini that comes to the party with all the nostalgia and a little zing to boot, combine 1 oz caramel sauce, a pinch of allspice, and a pinch of ground ginger in a cocktail shaker.

Give it a good stir, then add 2 oz cream, 1.5 oz cream liqueur, and 1.5 oz vanilla vodka. Give it a good shake, decant it into serving glasses, and drizzle with extra caramel sauce if you’re feeling indulgent. We love adding a sprinkle rim and some gingerbread cookies just to be completely extra.

19. Mistletoe Martini

Mistletoe Martini with sugared rim and cranberries

If you’re looking for a drink that just looks like Christmas in a glass, then you will get along very well with the mischievous Mistletoe Martini. The festive drink is an indulgent fruity Martini with a vodka base and delicious notes of cranberry and elderflower added to the mix. Serve it with your best holiday dishes and watch the magic happen.

So, which one do you think you’ll try first? Remember to tag us in all your festive Insta snaps, and sign up for our newsletter so we can keep you plied with the freshest inspiration articles throughout the year.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Thanks to its versatility, in many Christmas cocktail recipes vodka is the real star. If you like dessert cocktails, we recommend the Eggnog Martini, Chocolate Martini and the White Russian. If you prefer light and fruity drinks, Limoncello Martini, Christmas Mule and Pomegranate Cosmos is where it’s at.

You can create amazing cocktails by mixing 2 or 3 ingredients with vodka. Our favorite mixers to pair with this spirit are cranberry juice, tomato juice, ginger beer and tonic water.

Stay in the mix

Sign up to our drinkspiration newsletter.