Top cocktail recipes for December 2025
We’ve lined up a bumper edition of cocktail recipes for December to guide you through Christmas, New Year and the rest of the festive season.
Whether it’s a punch to end all punches, indulgent wintry nightcaps or festive fizzes to set the tone on Christmas morning, we’ve tried to cover every possible base in December’s extra-long roundup of recipes.
The final month of the year might just be the most important when it comes to cocktail making – so the more the merrier, we say.
And if you still need a few more recipes under your belt, find our previous month’s roundups from October and November.
Chocolate & Cherry Rye Manhattan
This decadent Manhattan will look wonderful on the table at your next dinner party.
Ingredients:
- 60ml Elijah Craig Straight Rye whiskey
- 20ml Sweet vermouth
- 1tsp Cherry syrup
- 5 Dashes of chocolate bitters
- Garnish: Brandied or whiskey cherry
Method: In a mixing glass with ice, add ingredients and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.
Wolfie’s Spicy Cider Spritz
Turn a summer favourite into a cold-weather staple with this hot spiced Spritz recipe from Rod Stewart’s whisky brand Wolfie’s.
Ingredients:
- 35ml Wolfie’s whisky
- 10ml Hot honey (honey infused with fresh chillies)
- 100ml Dry apple cider
- 50ml Mango juice
Method: Add all ingredients to a rocks glass and stir briefly. Garnish with a fresh (or pickled) chilli.
Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin Sour
Get fancy in the home bar with this Japanese-inspired Gin Sour from Ukiyo.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin
- 20ml Raspberry and rhubarb cordial
- 15ml Pineapple sherbet
- 15ml Lemon juice
- 1 Egg white
Garnish: Freeze-dried raspberry
Method: Dry shake all ingredients for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Fine strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with the freeze-dried raspberry on top.
Bloody Maria
The Tequila version of Bloody Mary, also known as an elixir for Sunday mornings.
Ingredients:
- 60ml Sierra Tequila Blanco
- 120ml Tomato juice
- 2 Lemon wedges
- 3 Dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Dash Tabasco sauce
- Pinch of black pepper
- Olives
- Celery stalk
- Garnishes: Lemon wedges, olives
Method: Rim a Highball or Collins glass with celery salt and smoked paprika, then fill with ice. In a shaker, combine tomato juice, Tequila, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and black pepper. Mix and pour.
Cutty Sark Ginger Highball
“When in doubt, make a Highball” are words to live by. Cutty Sark’s Ginger Ale variation delivers in both ease and taste.
Ingredients:
- 30ml Cutty Sark Whisky
- 90ml Ginger ale
- Fresh lime and ginger
- Ice cubes
Method: Fill a Highball glass with ice cubes. Pour Cutty Sark and ginger ale over the ice cubes, and squeeze a twist of lime over the top of the glass. Garnish with slices of ginger and lime.
Chill Holiday Fizz
All you need is a can of Nirvana Chill to crush the cocktails at your next corporate event.
Ingredients:
- One full can of Nirvana Chill
- Splash of club soda or elderflower tonic
- Garnish: sugared rosemary sprig and strawberry slice.
Method: Pour one full can of Nirvana Chill over crushed ice in a coupe or wine glass. Top with a small splash of club soda or elderflower tonic. Garnish with a sugared rosemary sprig and lemon slice.
Pistola Añejo Manhattan
This Manhattan recipe subs out whiskey for aged Indian agave spirit Maya Pistola Añejo, and may also make you look like a bartending genius.
Ingredients:
- 45ml Pistola Añejo
- 22ml Sweet vermouth
- 5ml Cinnamon Syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to a mixing jar with ice, and stir well. Serve in a coupe, and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
Renais Winter Citrus Punch
Still figuring out how to juggle everyone’s demands for Christmas drinks? Punch always wins…
Ingredients:
- 30ml Renais Gin
- 15ml Blood orange juice
- 15ml Clementine juice
- 15ml Pink grapefruit juice
- 15ml Lemon juice
- 15ml Cinnamon syrup
- 15ml Ginger syrup
- 45ml Cold-brewed Earl Grey tea
Method: This punch recipe can be scaled up as you see fit. Add all ingredients to a bottle and pop it in the fridge. To serve, pour over ice and garnish with a fresh orange wedge and a toasted cinnamon stick.
Ultimate Hot Cider
Cap off a long day on the mountains (in a perfect scenario) with this warm, therapeutic cider recipe from Slovak spirit Tatratea.
Ingredients:
- 35ml Tatratea 67% Apple & Pear
- 15ml Dark rum
- 20ml Melted butter
- 30ml Apple purée
- 10ml Verjus
- 80ml Apple cider
Method: Melt butter in a small pan, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Heat to 70°C and pour into a ceramic cup. Garnish with a caramelised apple slice.
Pantalones Tequila Santa Pants
This Christmas-themed cocktail from Pantalones will sleigh its drinkers.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Pantalones Tequila Blanco
- 50ml Cranberry juice
- 12ml Lime juice
- Top with ginger beer
- Garnish: cranberries and a sprig of rosemary
Method: Add Pantalones Tequila Blanco, cranberry juice, and lime juice to an ice-filled shaker and shake. Pour and top with ginger beer. Garnish.
Fonthill Fizz
Forget the presents, this fizz recipe from Witchmark could be the real highlight of Christmas morning.
Ingredients:
- 20ml Witchmark London Dry Gin
- 5ml Local honey
- 100ml English sparkling wine
Method: Pour gin and honey into a chilled flute, incorporate and top with English sparkling wine. Garnish with orange zest.
Desi Daru Mango Negroni
When you fancy something tropical, but also just want to make a Negroni, this recipe from Desi Daru offers the best of both worlds.
Ingredients:
- 25ml Desi Daru Alphonso Mango Vodka
- 25ml Campari
- 25ml Sweet vermouth
Method: In a mixing glass, add all ingredients. Stir for 15-20 seconds, or until your mixing glass is cold. Strain into a cold rocks glass with ice. Add the fresh mango.
Generous Gin Bramble
This Bramble has the right amount of both tartness and sweetness – anchored by the botanical depth of Generous Gin.
Ingredients:
- 7 Blackberries
- 50ml Generous Gin Purple
- 30ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Blackberry cream (crème de mûre)
- 20ml Sugar syrup
Method: Muddle four blackberries in your shaker. Squeeze in lemon juice, add Generous Gin Purple and sugar syrup, and shake for about 20 seconds. Before pouring the contents into your glass, fill it with crushed ice or small ice cubes. With the strainer attached, pour the contents of the shaker into your tumbler glass, and the crème de mûre over the ice. Thread the remaining blackberries onto a cocktail stick, and place it on your drink.
Spiced Espresso Martini
This spiced rum interpretation of an Espresso Martini can be served at all hours, from morning pick-me-ups to indulgent nightcaps.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Chairman’s Reserve Spiced
- 30ml Coffee liqueur
- 10ml Sugar syrup
- 1 Strong espresso
Method: Shake ingredients with ice. Garnish with three coffee beans.
The Frozen Flame
A pair of complementary cocktails from Sir Edmond Gin for the festive season: Frosted Elegance and Crimson Rebellion.
Frosted Elegance
- 50ml Sir Edmond Gin
- 60ml Clear apple juice
- 10ml Honey water (1:1 honey + warm water, cooled)
- 10ml Lemon juice
- Ice
- Garnish: cloves or orange zest
Method: Fill a Lowball glass with ice. Pour Sir Edmond Gin over the ice. Add clear apple juice, then honey water, then fresh lemon juice. Give it a quick stir to combine all ingredients. Garnish with a few cloves or a strip of orange zest.
Crimson Rebellion
- 50ml Sir Edmond Gin
- 40ml Cranberry juice,
- 20ml Pomegranate juice
- 10ml Cinnamon syrup (or sugar and a pinch of cinnamon)
- 5ml lime juice
- Ice
- Garnish: cloves or star anise
Method: Fill a Lowball glass with ice. Pour Sir Edmond Gin over the ice and add cranberry juice. Then add pomegranate juice, followed by cinnamon syrup and fresh lime juice. Give it a quick stir to combine all ingredients. Garnish with a few cloves or a star anise.
Cotswolds Boulevardier
Make faces very merry (and very red) this Christmas by stirring up this rich and warming Boulevardier.
Ingredients:
- 25ml Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky
- 25ml Campari
- 25ml Sweet vermouth
- Garnish: Orange twist
- One large ice cube or handful of ice
Method: Add whisky, Campari and vermouth to a rocks glass. Fill the glass three-quarters full with ice, and using a bar spoon, stir the ingredients to combine and incorporate the ice. Top with more ice if necessary. Garnish with an orange twist.
Related news
Top 10 cocktail recipes for November 2025
