The holiday season is here, so you need to add some delicious holiday drink ideas to your menu!

The holidays are coming, so it’s time to start planning your drinks menu. After all, you’ll soon be catering holiday parties or simply serving guests in search of a festive drink.

However, the list of possible drinks for your cocktail bar is endless, so choosing the right beverages for the holidays is a tall order. Should you add a martini or Moscow Mule? What about a hot drink?

If you’re a little lost, don’t worry! Here are some holiday drink ideas to get you started.

What is the Most Popular Holiday Drink?

You can’t go wrong with eggnog (a.k.a. milk punch), the most popular holiday drink! It’s a classic for a reason and is the perfect holiday drink idea for your menu.

Not only is eggnog sweet, but the crowd-pleasing drink is also rich and quite versatile. Most people drink eggnog cold, but it can also be served at room-temperature or even hot! You can add a dash of vanilla or a sprinkle of cinnamon to elevate your eggnog or switch out rum for brandy, bourbon, or whiskey.

What Are Some Christmas and New Year’s Eve Shots Ideas?

Looking for some shots ideas? You’ve come to the right place! Consider:

Mistletoe Shots

Mistletoe shots will inject some holiday spirit into your drink menu! You’ll need a lime wedge, red sanding sugar, 1 cup of water, two 3-oz packets of lime Jell-O, 8 oz of chilled vodka, mint leaves, whipped cream, and Red Hot candies to make these shots.

First, you’ll need to run the lime wedge around each shot glass’ rim and dip each glass into the red sanding sugar. Then, bring your cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the lime Jell-O packets. Stir until everything is completely dissolved before turning off the heat. Then, pour in the vodka and mix. You can then pour the mixture into shot glasses and refrigerate them for around two hours so the Jell-O can set. Finally, you can take them out and top them with whipped cream, Red Hot candies, and mint leaves!

Hot Cocoa Pudding Shots

These shots are sure to please the chocolate lovers out there! All you’ll need is one 3.9-oz package of instate chocolate pudding mix, a 0.73-oz packet of hot cocoa mix, 2/3 cup of whole milk, 2/3 cup of Baileys Irish Cream, ½ a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, whipped cream, and marshmallow bits.

Combine and whisk your chocolate pudding mix, cocoa mix, and milk in a large bowl. Then, add the Baileys and vanilla before whisking again. Once everything is incorporated, pour the mixture into cups and refrigerate them for around two hours.

After the mixture has thickened, remove your cups from the fridge and top your shots with whipped cream, cocoa powder, and marshmallow bits.

Glittery NYE Shots

What’s better to ring in the new year with than glittery shots? They’re both festive and delicious!

You’ll need two cups of vodka, 0.5 cups of simple syrup, one teaspoon of champagne-gold luster dust, and ¼ teaspoon of yellow-gold luster dust to make the glitter vodka. Once you’ve chilled the glitter vodka, you can make the shot.

Add ¼ teaspoon of champagne-gold luster dust and two tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl, and add two tablespoons of simple syrup to a separate bowl. Then, dip the shot glass rim into the syrup followed by the sugar mixture. Finally, combine the chilled glitter vodka with lemon juice and ice in a cocktail shaker, shake, and pour the drink into the glasses.

What Are the Best Holiday Cocktails Ideas?

There are plenty of holiday cocktails out there, but here are a few of our favorite holiday drink ideas:

The Grinch Cocktail

The Grinch Cocktail will add a bright splash of green to your Christmas cocktail menu and, despite its name, will have your guests feeling quite festive. You can make this melon-flavored cocktail with vodka, white rum, or tequila. The secret to this drink is having a melon liqueur like Midori on hand to add that fruity flavor and bright color to the cocktail. If you feel like it, add a candy cane to make the drink even more visually appealing.

The Pomegranate Gin Fizz

The Pomegranate Gin Fizz is the perfect item for all the gin lovers. Not only is this fizz fruity, but it’s also well-suited for the holiday season thanks to its rich flavor and beautiful red color. Just mix gin, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and soda water or ginger ale together, and make sure to use egg white to make a velvety foam to top off the drink.

The Cranberry Martini

Simple yet sophisticated, this four-ingredient martini recipe strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart. It’s an elevated version of the classic Cosmo and replaces plain or citrus vodka with blackberry or currant vodka. Once you have flavored vodka, all you’ll need is cranberry juice, lime juice, and triple sec!

The Cranberry Moscow Mule

Another cranberry-based drink, the Cranberry Moscow Mule is sure to brighten up your Christmas cocktail menu. Adding cranberries and cranberry juice to vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, and simple syrup is a recipe for success! Just make sure you have plenty of copper mugs on hand to help insulate the chilled ginger beer and enhance the flavor and aroma of the vodka, ginger beer, and lime.

Which Holiday Dessert Cocktails Ideas Are Worth Adding to the Menu?

While the internet is full of holiday dessert cocktails ideas, some are better than others. Here are a few holiday dessert cocktails ideas that we think are definitely worth adding to your menu:

The Tiramisu Tini

What’s better than tiramisu? Tiramisu in liquid form!

To make this delicious holiday dessert cocktail, you’ll need 1.5 oz of Mr Black Cold Bre Coffee Liquor, 1 oz of Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva Rum, 0.25 oz of cinnamon syrup, and 0.5 oz of Aquavit. Then, combine everything in a shaker over ice, shake, and strain your mixture into a coupe glass. You can then top the drink with a hand-whipped cream float and a light dusting of cocoa powder.

The Gingerbread Martini

Another of our favorite holiday dessert cocktails ideas is the gingerbread martini. You’ll need vanilla vodka, Irish cream, half-and-half or vanilla ice cream, and gingerbread liqueur or gingerbread syrup.

You can also make a gingerbread espresso martini cocktail to give your guests their caffeine fix.

The Christmas Godfather

The Christmas Godfather dessert cocktail will transport drinkers back to the 1970s with just one sip. All you need to make this festive cocktail is 100 ml of scotch whisky, 50 ml of amaretto, 100 ml of double cream, and some ground nutmeg.

Making the Christmas Godfather is simple. Just shake some ice, scotch, amaretto, and cream in a cocktail shaker. Then, strain your mixture into a chilled martini or coupe glass and sprinkle some nutmeg on top.

The Holiday Peppermint White Russian

White Russians just sound wintery, but adding peppermint schnapps will make them perfect for the holidays, too! All you need is milk or cream, vodka, coffee liqueur, and peppermint schnapps, and you’ll have a drink that’s ready for any time of day!

To give your Holiday Peppermint White Russian extra holiday flair, rim the glass with chocolate syrup or crushed candy canes!

The Christmas Cake Martini

This drink tastes just like Christmas cake — and it’s easy to make. Just combine 50ml of whisky, 5ml of cherry brandy, 5ml of almond-flavored sugar syrup, 5ml of lime juice, 5 ml of cognac, and some ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain the ingredients into a chilled martini glass before adding a cherry coated in cinnamon.

What Are Some Special Christmas Drinks?

If you’re planning a special Christmas cocktail menu, you need to come up with some special Christmas drinks! Don’t worry if you don’t have time to scour the internet for yourself. We’ve gathered a few of the best special Christmas drinks for you!

Jingle Juice

Jingle Juice sounds great, doesn’t it? The good news is that it tastes great, too!

This holiday drink includes red wine, vodka, cranberry juice, orange juice, prosecco, and candy canes. However, the recipe isn’t set in stone. You can change things, depending on your desired flavor profile. You can make this cocktail as strong or weak as you want, and it may end up anywhere between a pink and a deep red.

The Frostbite

To make this drink, you’ll need1.5 oz of Casamigos Blanco Tequila, 0.75 oz of white chocolate liqueur, 0.25 oz of Crème de Menthe, 1 oz of cream, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, some whipped cream, and some crushed peppermint candy. After combining the ingredients into a shaker with ice, shaking, and straining into a champagne glass, it’s time to add the finishing touches: some whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy.

Hot Buttered Rum

A favorite of our holiday drink ideas, hot buttered rum is sure to get anyone in the holiday spirit. It’s sweet, warm, and perfect for nursing by the fire!

All you’ll need is melted butter, sweetener, rum, hot water or cider, and some spices. A little brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, or nutmeg will go a long way in creating a toasty drink that puts people in the holiday spirit.

What Are the Best Signature Holiday Drinks?

Some of our favorite signature holiday drinks are:

White Christmas Margarita Punch

Even though margaritas are typically associated with summer, that doesn’t mean you can’t continue drinking margaritas throughout the year. Just alter the traditional margarita by adding some coconut milk and cranberry juice. The result will be a foamy white drink that everyone will love!

The Peppermint Martini

A delicious peppermint martini will make the perfect addition to your Christmas cocktail menu. You’ll need 1.5 oz of vodka, 1 oz of cream, 1 oz of peppermint schnapps, 1 oz of Better Body Foods organic agave, two peppermint sticks, and a drop of red food coloring.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, you just need to fill a shaker with ice, add your vodka, cream, and peppermint schnapps, and shake. Then, strain everything into a chilled martini glass and top the drink off with a peppermint stick.

Mulled Wine

Hoping to warm up guests and make them feel comfortable in your bar or restaurant? Serve them some hot mulled wine!

Most mulled wines feature red wine and ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and cloves, but you can add different ingredients to make your mulled wine extra special. Consider including maple syrup or brown sugar. Even adding orange peels or raisins can give your mulled wine that extra something special.

Cider

While cider is generally associated with colorful autumn days, it’s also the perfect drink for a cold winter evening! Hot cider will warm anyone who drinks it up in minutes, while sparkling cider can make your cocktails more festive.

Hot Toddy

The hot toddy is a classic holiday cocktail that not only warms people in the cold winter months but also soothes their throats. Plus, it’s super easy to make!

The simplest form of the hot toddy includes a mixture of hot water, honey, lemon, cinnamon, and brandy, whiskey, or scotch. However, if that’s too plain, you can add black tea, amaro, hot apple cider, or ginger liqueur.

Find The Ingredients You Need to Make Delicious Drinks with Valley View’s Help

Adding holiday drink ideas to your menu can put guests in a festive spirit! There are plenty of delicious drinks out there to choose from. However, in addition to choosing the right drinks, you’ll need to source the best possible ingredients. That’s where Valley View Produce comes in.

As a B2B food supplier, we have plenty of experience providing restaurants and bars with fresh, wholesale produce. Whether you need limes, berries, or mint, we have everything you need to bring your holiday cocktails ideas and shots ideas to life! Contact us today with any questions you have.