20 Festive Cocktail Recipes to Help Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

As the holiday season unfolds and the air fills with the enchanting melodies of carols, there’s no better time to gather with loved ones and raise a glass to the joy and merriment that surround us. This festive season, elevate your celebrations with a curated collection of dazzling gin cocktails that promise to add a touch of glamour and flavor to your gatherings.

From timeless classics with a holiday twist to innovative concoctions that dance on the taste buds, here are 20 festive gin cocktail recipes to help you get into the holiday spirit.

Peppermint Southside

• 2 oz Gin (recommendations here)
• 3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps
• 3-5 Mint leaves
• Garnish: Mint sprig

In a shaker, muddle the fresh mint leaves gently to release their oils and aroma. Then, add the gin, fresh lime juice and peppermint schnapps to the shaker and fill it with ice. Shake well for about 15 seconds before straining the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy immediately.

Big Sur Sunset

•  2 oz Gray Whale Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• .75 oz Raspberry syrup
• .5 oz Orgeat
• 1 Egg white
• Garnish: Raspberries and mint leaves

Reverse dry shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.

Amante 1530 Moonraker — by Jason Snopkoski of Drinks for Days

• 1.5 oz Gin (recommendations here)
• .75 oz Amante 1530
• .75 oz fresh lemon juice
• .5 oz green tea simple syrup*
• (3) 1⁄4” cucumber rounds

Quarter two of the three cucumber wheels and muddle with the lemon juice in a shaker tin. Add the other ingredients and shake well with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the last cucumber wheel as a garnish.

*Green Tea Syrup: Equal parts room temperature Ito En Unsweetened Green Tea (or home-brewed tea of your choice) and white sugar Shake well to combine, let sit and reshake until fully dissolved.

Cygnet Bees Knees

• 50 ml Cygnet 22 (read about its launch here)
• 15 ml Honey Syrup
• 25 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Combine Cygnet 22, freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey syrup in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Pistachio Sour

• 2 oz Freeland Gin 
• 1 oz Pistachio syrup
• ¾ oz Lemon juice
• 1-2 dashes Mole bitters
• 1 oz Egg white
• Garnish: Crushed pistachio

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (without ice) for 45 seconds. Add ice and shake for another 10-15 seconds. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with crushed pistachios.

The Community Spirit x Peace Coffee Espresso Martini

• 2 oz The Community Spirit Vodka
• 1 oz Peace Coffee Espresso
• .5 oz Coffee liqueur
• .5 oz Simple syrup or 3 sugar cubes

Pull a fresh shot of Peace Coffee espresso and pour it into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Add The Community Spirit Vodka, coffee liqueur and simple syrup (or sugar cubes) and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with three whole espresso beans and enjoy.

This drink calls for vodka, but your favorite spice-forward gin would also work wonders!

Apple Blossom

• 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin (read about its launch here)
• .5 oz Rich demerara syrup
• 4 oz Hot apple cider
• .5 oz Orange blossom water
• Garnish: Clove-studded orange swath

Rinse a warmed-up mug with orange blossom water and discard the excess. Add Elderflower Rose Gin and rich demerara syrup, and top with hot apple cider. Stir gently to incorporate, and garnish with a clove-studded orange swath.

Engine Negroni

• 1 oz Engine Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 oz Red vermouth
• 1 oz Red bitter liqueur
• Garnish: Lemon Peel and Sage Leaf

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon peel and sage leaf.

Fig & Juniper

Muddled ingredients:

• ¾ oz Fig simple syrup
• 5-6 dashes Sage bitters
• 1 small bar spoon Brown sugar
• 1 pinch of Pink salt
• Fresh sage (5-6 leaves)

Remaining ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz Freeland Dry Gin (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz lemon juice
• ¾ oz egg white

Add bitters, brown sugar, fresh sage, salt and fig simple syrup to a shaker tin and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients and dry shake (no ice) for 45 seconds. Add ice and shake again for another 10-15 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with half a fig and olive oil drops.

Suegra’s Casserole

• 2 oz Las Californias Citrico (aggregated reviews here) infused with sweet potato and pumpkin spice*
• .5 oz PX Sherry
• .5 oz Sweet vermouth
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir until cold and diluted. Strain into a coupe and garnish with flamed marshmallow.

*Pumpkin spice-sweet potato infusion: Cube a sweet potato and lightly toss in apple juice or water. Add a tablespoon of pumpkin spice and toss until evenly covered. Roast for 1 hour at 350F, let cool. Add potato to a container with 2 cups of Las Californias Citrico, shake and seal, and let rest for five days. Fine strain and bottle.

The Last Word — by Erik Lindholm, owner and master distiller of Wildwood Spirits

• 1 part Kur Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 part Green Chartreuse
• 1 part Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 part Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

Pour the ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Hendrick’s Wintertide Punch

• 2 parts Hendrick’s Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 part Fresh lemon juice
• ½ part Spiced apple cider syrup
• ½ part Elderflower liqueur
• Top with chilled champagne
• Garnish: Cucumber wheels, pomegranate seeds and apple slices

Add ingredients to a punch bowl over a block of ice and mix well. Serve in punch glasses with cucumber wheels, pomegranate seeds and apple slices. Enjoy!

Winterberry Soda

• 2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 3-4 oz Soda water
• Garnish: Blackberries

Build in a chilled Copa glass on ice. Garnish with blackberries. Enjoy!

Got Apricaught — by Hendrick’s Gin East Coast Ambassador Erik Andersson

• 1 ½ part Hendrick’s Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• ½ part Blanc vermouth
• ½ part Apricot liqueur
• 2 Dash Angostura Bitters
• Garnish: Orange twist, grated nutmeg and star anise

Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass over ice. Stir well, and garnish with an orange twist, star anise and grated nutmeg. According to Andersson, the 11 botanicals infused in Hendrick’s Gin mix delightfully with the apricot for an aromatic floral, yet citrus, aroma.

Citrus Is a Winter Fruit

• 1.5 oz Las California Citrico (aggregated reviews here)
• .75 oz Alma Finca
• .5 oz Lime juice
• .25 oz Agave syrup
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Fever Tree Ginger Beer

Add all ingredients to the tin except ginger beer. Shake with ice and strain into new ice. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

Rose Milk Tea

• 1.5 oz. Atian Rose Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 0.5 oz. Honey
• 4 oz. Rose Tea (Steeped)
• 1.5 oz. Milk

Pour hot tea into a glass over Atian Rose Gin and honey, and stir well. Add milk of your choice (we enjoyed it with almond milk) and garnish with dried rose petals. Serve hot and enjoy!

The Automobile Cocktail

• 1.5 oz Engine Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 Barspoon Blended Scotch whiskey
• 1 oz Vermouth Rosso Vermouth
• 1/3 oz Benedictine
• 2 dashes Orange bitters

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a Nick and Nora glass.

No-Groni (Non-Alcoholic) — by Erik Lindholm, owner and master distiller of Wildwood Spirits

• 2 oz. Ginnocence
• 2 oz. Cranberry juice
• .5 oz. Pomegranate juice
• .5 oz. Cherry juice
• 4 dashes of Orange bitters
• Garnish: Orange swath

Combine all ingredients in a stirring glass filled with ice. Stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange swath.

Strange Magic

Muddled ingredients:

• .5 oz White miso paste
• 1 oz Wild mushroom simple syrup
• 4-5 Dashes black pepper bitters
• Fresh dill (2-3 sprigs)

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 oz Freeland Forest Gin (aggregated reviews here)
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• 1 Small spoonful of “silver gray” glitter

Add fresh dill, bitters, miso paste and mushroom syrup to a shaker tin and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients. Add ice and shake for 10-15 seconds. Double strain over ice into a Collins glass with a black salt rim.

Sloe Gin Fizz

• 1.5 oz Sloe gin (recommendations here)
• 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• .5 oz Simple syrup (leave out or adjust to taste)
• Club soda
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: Lemon wheel and rosemary sprig

In a cocktail shaker, combine the sloe gin, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds. Strain the mixture into a tall glass filled with ice. Top the drink with as much club soda as you’d like. Stir gently to combine. Garnish the drink with a lemon wheel and a festive rosemary sprig.

Read next:

Thyme After All: A Big-Batch Cocktail Ready to Unlock Your Holiday Party

8 Christmas-Inspired Gins Sure to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

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