20+ Showstopping Cocktails For Your Holiday Soiree

The holidays are a time to celebrate, and what better way to make them merry than with a festive cocktail in hand? Whether you're busy whipping up edible gifts, exhausted from all that shopping, or hosting your own amazing holiday party, here are several wonderful, wintry cocktails to help you get into the spirit. Cheers to the season!

— Additional reporting by Aemilia Madden

Pumpkin Mojito
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Pumpkin Mojito

Muddle spiced rum with pumpkin, brown sugar, and mint for an unexpected twist on the perennially popular cocktail.

Apple Cidercar
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Apple Cidercar

Gather your nearest and dearest for a round of Apples to Apples, and make the game even more interesting with the addition of an elegant apple cider and brandy provision served up in a sugar-rimmed martini glass.

Classic Eggnog
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Classic Eggnog

It doesn't quite feel like the holidays until you've enjoyed a rich and creamy glass of eggnog.

Honeyed French 75
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Honeyed French 75

Love the French 75 cocktail but looking for something with even more punch? Try this version that has twice as much gin and still goes down almost too easily.

Sparkling Bourbon Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Sparkling Bourbon Cocktail

Bourbon and sparkling wine in one drink? It might sound odd, but trust us when we say you'll love the unexpected combo. Surprise guests with the cocktail recipe that's crisp and earthy all at once.

Hot Toddy
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Hot Toddy

You don't need to be feeling under the weather to enjoy a hot toddy. (Though it's just the thing to fix you up if you are.)

Euphoria
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Euphoria

To balance out that gluttonous holiday diet, there's something called Euphoria. And there's only one way to describe the elixir made with gin, citrus, and sage: glorious.

Ramos Gin Fizz
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Ramos Gin Fizz

A light and frothy Ramos gin fizz is just the drink to kick off a holiday brunch in a festive spirit.

Gingersnap Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Gingersnap Cocktail

It doesn't get much simpler (or more festive) than this three-ingredient gingersnap cocktail.

Hot Buttered Rum
POPSUGAR Photography

Hot Buttered Rum

Warm up from the inside out with a steaming mug of hot buttered rum.

Sage Sangria
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Sage Sangria

Keep the festivities fun — but not out of hand — by serving a wine-based cocktail, like this sage sangria.

Cranberry Mint Martini
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Cranberry Mint Martini

Need a pick-me-up after a long day of food prep? This seasonal and festive cranberry martini should do the trick!

Ginger Sidecar
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Ginger Sidecar

Ginger and maple syrup give the sidecar — a classic, war-era libation — a seasonal spin.

Cran-Limoncello
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Cran-Limoncello

Take limoncello and mix it with tart cranberry juice and a splash of seltzer for some extraspecial cheer.

Cognac Sparkler
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Cognac Sparkler

This unusual cocktail is great, because unlike other cocktails, it's a sparkler that doesn't call for Champagne. Instead, it makes use of cognac and sparkling apple cider — and what could be more seasonal than that?

Cranberry-Vodka Cocktail
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Cranberry-Vodka Cocktail

This isn't your average cranberry-vodka cocktail.

Adult Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
POPSUGAR Photography | Brinton Parker

Adult Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

If the weather outside is frightful, warm up with this spiked gingerbread spice hot chocolate.

Cranberry Margarita
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Cranberry Margarita

Margaritas in the Winter? ¿Por qué no? Especially when it's a festive cranberry recipe designed to be shaken in large batches to get the party started.

Pumpkin Irish Coffee
POPSUGAR Photography | Susannah Chen

Pumpkin Irish Coffee

If you find yourself still craving Thanksgiving flavors come December, a pumpkin Irish coffee ought to do the trick.

Bubbly Poinsettia
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Bubbly Poinsettia

The bubbly poinsettia is a Christmas-appropriate cocktail if there ever was one. Keep party guests guessing at the secret ingredient in this special drink. Spoiler alert: it's maraschino liqueur.

Pumpkin Old Fashioned
Inspired by Charm

Pumpkin Old Fashioned

This bourbon old fashioned contains maple syrup and real pumpkin.

Cider Mulled Wine
Inspired by Charm

Cider Mulled Wine

This seasonal wine/cider hybrid will warm you right up on a cold day.