Holiday Drinks Made Easy (and Delicious)

With what seems like endless holiday parties on your to-do list, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the stress around putting together the perfect event. But let’s be real — the only thing that matters is spending time with your favorite people. Well...and enjoying the tastiest sips while you’re at it. Instead of stressing about adding “Mixologist” to your list of jobs, we’ve gathered some delicious wintry drink recipes for you that all have four ingredients (or fewer). So as Rihanna says, pour it up!

 

Sugar

For those with the sweetest sweet tooth of all, try one of these three recipes as a great dessert drink (or a sugary start to a snowy day in). If you want to take things up a notch, you can try rimming the glasses with anything from cinnamon and sugar to crushed graham crackers. But like we said, we’re all about simplicity, so no pressure.

Dreamsicle Mimosas:

Photo from: Delish

(makes 4 drinks)

1 c. orange juice

1 tbsp. heavy cream

1 bottle of sparkling wine

Whether you want to keep things classic in champagne flutes or you want to go cleanup-free with some plastic cups, these will bring a favorite flavor combo to even the most low-key gatherings. Just mix together the orange juice and heavy cream, divide the mixture between the four glasses, then top them all off with the sparkling wine. Cheers!

Gingerbread Eggnog

Photo from: Delish

(makes 4 drinks)

1 c. eggnog

1 c. vodka

1 c. Kahlúa

2 tbsp. molasses (plus extra if you want to decorate)

Why choose between dessert and drinks when you can just have both? These cocktails are best served cozied up next to the fireplace while wearing your favorite pajamas, but they’re bound to be the most talked about treat whatever the occasion. Mix up all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice, then pour into your glassware of choice (and drizzle the top with the extra molasses for some flair).

Cranberry Mojitos

Photo from: As Easy As Apple Pie

(makes 4 drinks)

8 oz. rum

4 tbsp. lime juice

1 ¾ c. Sprite

20 fresh mint leaves

Sprite really gets a bad rap when it comes to boozy drinks, but when you want a tasty libation and you also want to be able to spend more time enjoying it with friends than whipping it up in the kitchen, Sprite is here to help. Plus, when you bring rum into the mix, anything goes. Just muddle the mint with the back of a spoon in each glass, then add ice, rum, Sprite, and cranberry juice. All that’s left is to gently stir and cheers to taking some well-deserved time off!

Spice

Spice things up just in time for the New Year with these three holiday cocktails with a little kick. For cozy nights in with your closest friends or a way to pep things up after a long day out, just pick your favorite and get to it.

Spiked Hot Chocolate

Photo from: The Spruce Eats

(makes 4 drinks)

4 packets of hot chocolate

8 oz. peppermint schnapps

3 c. water or milk

1 bag mini marshmallows

Your childhood favorite just got even better, but don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the best part about warming up with cocoa: the marshmallows. This is about as easy as drinks come — just mix up some hot chocolate with water or milk (whatever you’re in the mood for), then pour in the peppermint schnapps, and top with as many marshmallows as you can fit. You can even pour your creation into your favorite mugs to bring a personal touch.

Holiday Moscow Mules

Photo from: The Blond Cook 

(makes 4 drinks)

5 oz. vodka

¼ c. lime juice

¾ c. cranberry juice

1 c. ginger beer

For all of your vodka-loving needs, the holidays are the perfect time to bring a tasty update to a classic cocktail. This holiday mule can be easily mixed in a pitcher and then poured into copper mugs if you want to keep things Instagram-worthy. Just mix the vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice in the pitcher, then pour about a ½ cup into each mug, and top them off with the ginger beer.

Iced Coffee (but Better)

Photo from: Benito Martin

(makes 4 drinks)

3 c. iced coffee

4 oz. spiced rum

4 oz. butterscotch schnapps

What are the holidays known for other than being one of the most tiring times of the year? Well, maybe with some extra energy, you can get back to what matters most: drinking with friends and family. Instead of slugging around looking for your next caffeine fix, just plan your get-together around this delicious tropical-inspired iced coffee cocktail. Just mix the iced coffee, spiced rum, and butterscotch schnapps together and pour over ice in each cup. You’re welcome.

Everything Nice (Fireball)

When talking holiday flavors, we all love to hate and hate to love Fireball. Wherever you stand on the issue, there’s no getting around the fact that it mixes with almost anything to give you that perfect sleeping-in-on-a-snowy-weekend-in-your-softest-PJs kind of feeling.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shots:

Photo from: Mantitlement

(makes 4 shots)

3 oz. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

3 oz. RumChata

No holiday drink list would be complete without a delicious shot that will get the night started on the right foot. Whether you want to take a break from family time for a game night with friends or you’re hyping things up on New Year’s Eve, these shots will be a fun (and surprisingly tasty) addition to your hangs. Just mix the Fireball and RumChata in a shaker with ice, then pour into those weird mismatched shot glasses that for some reason you decide to buy on every single trip you take

Spiked Apple Cider

Photo from: Grumpy's Honeybunch

(makes 4 drinks)

4 c. apple cider

1 c. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

4 cinnamon sticks

For a drink with all of your favorite holiday flavors, this updated version of cider will take you almost no time to whip together. Plus, it’ll be the best way to warm you up after a day of skating (or caroling, if you’re into that sort of thing). Just heat up the cider and Fireball, pour it into mugs, and then garnish with a cinnamon stick to add some major hostess points to your tally.

Apple Pie in a Glass

Photo from: Vegan Yack Attack

(makes 4 drinks)

4 oz. vanilla vodka

4 oz. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

2 c. apple juice

4 cinnamon sticks

As we said, Fireball mixes with virtually anything, and we’re here to prove it to you. That’s right, Fireball and vodka might not sound the most appetizing, but when mixed with apple juice, you’ll be ready to toss some ice cream on top and dig in. In case dessert-in-drink-form is your jam, you’re welcome for this treasure. Just mix the vanilla vodka, Fireball, and apple juice in a shaker, then pour into glasses over ice (and top with the cinnamon stick for a little extra pizzazz).