I love Christmas, and its the perfect time of year for me to get creative with gin cocktails – the drink of choice for craft connoisseurs. And what could be better than a bracing, botanical pour – gin – teamed with a selection of flavourful accents to suit the festive season.
Many of my favorite Christmassy flavors with gin cocktails are cinnamon, cranberries and rosemary, and this is good news if you select gin as your base. This means that it is fairly straightforward to create an exciting gin cocktail.
In this blog you will find my favorite Christmas gin cocktails perfect for seasonal get-togethers or entertaining guests.
The 20 Best Christmas Gin Cocktails
1. Christmas Negroni
For me, one of the great pleasures of the festive season is creating a special seasonal-themed cocktail. Here’s one of my staples.
It combines classic and Christmas notes, a mixture of gin with a splash of Campari, infused vermouth and a little cinnamon. Tastes like Christmas to me.
Ingredients
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- Orange peel for garnish
- Ice cubes
- Cinnamon stick (optional for a holiday twist)
Instructions
1. Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes.
2. Pour in the gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
3. Stir the mixture until well chilled, about 30 seconds.
4. Strain the mixture into a chilled rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
5. Garnish with an orange peel, expressing the peel’s oils over the drink and dropping it in.
6. For an extra festive touch, add a cinnamon stick as a garnish.
2. Festive French 75
I would drink this any day, but as a holiday-themed variation on the classic French 75, that seems appropriate. Gin and lemon juice are the building blocks here, with a splash of sparkling wine, topped with a festive touch: either a half-ounce of cranberry syrup or a twist of lemon, one or the other.
I love this clever drink, it’s like a Christmas miracle in a glass.
Ingredients
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3 ounces Champagne or sparkling wine
Lemon twist, for garnish
Ice
Instructions:
1. Put a handful of ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup.
2. Shake well until the ingredients are thoroughly chilled.
3. Strain the mixture into a Champagne flute or coupe glass.
4. Top up the glass with the Champagne or sparkling wine.
5. Stir gently to combine.
6. Garnish with a lemon twist for a festive touch.
3. Mistletoe Martini
The Mistletoe Martini is my favorite holiday cocktail, made with vodka, cranberry juice and a splash of sparkling wine, garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Ingredients
2 ounces gin
1 ounce white cranberry juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Fresh cranberries, for garnish
Lime wheel, for garnish
Instructions
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Put gin, white cranberry juice, simple syrup and fresh lime juice in the shaker.
3. Shake well until the mixture is chilled.
4. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a lime wheel.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Mistletoe Martini!
4. Winter Wonderland Gin & Tonic
Something about gin and tonic, in the holiday season, always has a siren call for me – juniper berry as a cool, wintery thing, and a twist of rosemary making it more special– a splash of Elderflower and a lemon twist and it feels festive.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
4 oz tonic water
1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 star anise
1 twist of lemon peel
Ice cubes
Instructions
1. Fill a balloon glass with ice cubes to chill it.
2. Add the gin and elderflower liqueur to the glass.
3. Gently pour in the tonic water, being careful not to lose the fizz.
4. Stir gently to combine the ingredients without agitating the tonic too much.
5. Garnish the concoction with a rosemary sprig, a star anise, and a lemon peel twist.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy the winter wonderland vibes.
5. Yuletide Bramble
Whenever the winter holidays come around, I look for festive cocktails that evoke the season. This particular drink with its festive ingredients and vivid color is among my favorite recipes.
The heady combination of blackberrys, gin, lemon juice and rosemary sprigs provides the perfect blend of holiday flavors in a glass.
Ingredients
50ml gin
25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
12.5ml sugar syrup
12.5ml crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
1 sprig of rosemary
Fresh blackberries for garnish
Crushed ice
Instructions
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice.
2. Add gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup to the shaker.
3. Shake well until the mixture is chilled.
4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice.
6. Garnish with fresh blackberries and a sprig of rosemary. Serve immediately.
6. Spiced Apple Gin Fizz
The gin, apple cider, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters help make this drink come alive !
As I cracked a cinnamon sticks over the cocktail shaker, I suddenly felt as if it were any old autumn evening, cosy and relaxed. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz apple cider
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 1 oz club soda
- Ice cubes
- Apple slice and cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
1. Shake gin, apple cider, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters over ice, in a shaker.
2. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
3. Strain the mixture into a chilled glass filled with ice.
4. Top with club soda and stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick before serving.
6. Enjoy your festive Spiced Apple Gin Fizz!
7. Holiday White Lady
There is one of those classic seasonal cocktails I like to imbibe – part sophisticated, part festive – that’s superb in its simplicity: gin, citrus. Pure pleasure.
I prefer mine to be made with gin, fresh lemon juice and an underlying note of Cointreau. I like to add a lemon twist and an egg white to make it a deliciously frothy treat.
Ingredients
2 ounces gin
1 ounce Cointreau or triple sec
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg white (optional, for a frothy texture)
Ice cubes
Lemon twist or cherry, for garnish
Instructions
1. Put the gin, Cointreau or triple sec, lemon juice and egg white in your mixing glass or shaker.
2. Shake vigorously without ice about 15 seconds to achieve good emulsification.
3. Shake again with ice until chilled (15-20 sec) 3 ice cubes Last, top off with club soda. Chill in a refrigerator until frosty. We should all drink our bubbles this way.
6. Place in a wider aperture glass such as a balloon or collins. Top with club soda straight from the bottle. Chill in refrigerator until frosty. Everybody should drink their bubbles this way.
4. Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry before serving.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your Holiday White Lady cocktail.
8. Berry Merry Gin Sour
I love this drink because the flavors of it are so festive yet it is so easy to mix up and enjoy. I use gin, cranberry juice and lemon for the base and then add in some cranberries with some fresh rosemary and a touch of simple syrup.
It is warming and festive and one of my favorite cocktails for a holiday party.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz triple sec
Fresh cranberries and rosemary sprig for garnish
Ice cubes
Instructions
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice, then add the gin, lemon juice, cranberry juice, simple syrup and triple sec.
2. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
4. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Berry Merry Gin Sour!
9. Gin Rudolph Red Nose
I like to get into the holiday spirt, so my dream gin would be something that reminds me of a spiced cocktail, it would have a lovely juniper freshening , followed by tart cranberries and rosemary to finish.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
Splash of club soda
Fresh cranberries for garnish
Lime wheel for garnish
Sprig of rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- First, fill a shaker with ice, then pour in the gin, cranberry juice, lime juice and simple syrup.
2. Shake well until the mixture is chilled.
3. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice.
4. Top up with a splash of club soda.
5. Garnish with fresh cranberries, a lime wheel, and a sprig of rosemary.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive cocktail!
10. Nutmeg Gin Old Fashioned
There is something about pairing the spicy aromatics of nutmeg with the elegant purity of a gin. Yes, this is my own special version of an Old Fashioned and, yes, it’s relaxing and warming.
Mine includes premium gin, a little nutmeg, a slice of citrus, and a splash of simple syrup.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 tsp simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ice cubes
Orange peel, for garnish
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions
1. In a mixing glass, combine the gin, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters.
2. Fill the mixing glass with ice cubes and stir for 30 seconds to chill.
3. Strain the cocktail into an Old Fashioned glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
4. Wring an orange peel over the drink and then drop into it to garnish.
5. Sprinkle grated fresh nutmeg on top to add a festive scent and flavour.
11. Cranberry Gin Spritz
The Cranberry Gin Spritz is a great cocktail to have on hand for a festive get-together, as well as for an evening sipper.
Tangy cranberry juice combines with Gin, the Sparkling Water and a bit of tonic to make a seasonal reason to cheer!
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz tonic water
1 oz soda water
1/2 oz simple syrup
Fresh cranberries, for garnish
Rosemary sprig, for garnish
Ice cubes
Instructions
1. Fill a glass with ice cubes.
2. Add the gin, cranberry juice, and simple syrup to the glass.
3. Stir gently to mix the ingredients.
4. Top with tonic water and soda water.
5. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Cranberry Gin Spritz!
12. Pine-Infused Tom Collins
Here’s a classic cocktail with a cool, piney twist. Mine is bracing and bright with a fragrant infusion of pine that adds intrigue to every sip.
Gin, fresh pine needles, lemon juice and a splash of simple syrup…it’s a delicious combo!
Ingredients
2 ounces gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
0.75 ounces simple syrup
2 ounces club soda
Pine sprig, for infusion
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Ice
Instructions
1) Infuse your gin with a pine sprig Put the pine sprig in a bottle of gin, give it 24 hours to infuse and you’re off and running.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker
3. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds or until the outside of the shaker feels cold and frosty.
4. Strain the mixture into a tall glass filled with ice.
5. Top with 2 oz club soda and gently stir.
6. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a small pine sprig to make it festive. Serve.
13. Cinnamon & Orange Gin Mule
For me, when I think of a nice fresh take on a classic mule, I think of using the brightness of orange with the surrounding spice notes of cinnamon in a gin mule. Gin, fresh orange juice and a dose of cinnamon, it fills my senses with wonderful seasonal goodness.
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz fresh orange juice
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Ginger beer
- Orange slice, for garnish
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish
- Ice cubes
Instructions
1. Combine the gin, fresh orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and ground cinnamon in a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until fully chilled.
3. Strain into a copper mug or a highball glass with ice.
4. Top off with ginger beer, leaving some room for garnish.
5. Garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick. Stir gently before serving.
14. Pomegranate Gin Punch
I love creating this cocktail, and this colorful punch never fails to impress. Bright pomegranate seeds, orange slices and fresh mint grab my attention each time.
A dash of lemon juice and a double shot of gin make the perfect concoction.
Ingredients
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup gin
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup club soda
Ice cubes
Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Orange slices for garnish
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Instructions
1. Fill a large pitcher with the pomegranate juice, gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup. Stir to combine.
2. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour, to let the flavours mingle.
3. Just before serving, add the club soda to the pitcher and stir gently.
4. Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the punch over the ice.
5. Garnish each glass with pomegranate seeds, an orange slice, and a sprig of fresh mint.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive pomegranate gin punch!
15. Mulled Gin & Juice
It’s the perfect starter to a long winter evening, and there is little better than creating something special, something that’s yours, as you create this peaceful and warming cocktail. I like to add star anise to infuse it for a couple of days if you have time before drinking for an extra warming depth, and I also like to add cloves and honey.
A small amount of fresh apple juice also adds a nice fresh twist.
Ingredients
1 bottle of gin (750ml)
500ml apple juice
500ml cranberry juice
2 cinnamon sticks
4-5 cloves
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2-3 star anise
2 tablespoons honey or to taste
Instructions
1. Pour the gin, apple juice, and cranberry juice into a large saucepan.
2. Put the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, orange slices and lemon slices in the pan.
3. Simmer gently over low heat for 15-20 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t boil.
4. Stir in the honey, adjusting to taste.
5. As soon as the gin is heated through, strain it to remove the spices and citrus, then serve in preheated glasses.
6. Add a fresh orange slice or a cinnamon stick to garnish, if desired. Warm up your mulled gin and juice by stirring.
16. Gingerbread Gin Flip
A Gingerbread Gin Flip has just the right warmth and spice on a cold night. Sip it, and it truly feels like a holiday cocktail.
I like adding a little luxury – the syrup, the dash of nutmeg and perhaps even a little bitters with the gin turns the drink into winter dessert in a glass.
Ingredients
2 oz gingerbread-flavored gin
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz simple syrup
1 whole egg
1 dash of aromatic bitters
Ice
Ground nutmeg for garnish
Instructions
1. Place the gingerbread gin, heavy cream, simple syrup, whole egg and (just a dash) of bitters in a cocktail shaker without ice.
2. Shake dry (without ice) for 15-20 seconds to emulsify the egg and fully marry all the ingredients.
3. Pour in ice into shaker and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds to chill the cocktail.
4. Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
5. Grate a small amount of nutmeg over the top for garnish.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Gingerbread Gin Flip!
17. Evergreen Martini
I love making a martini that ‘breathes’ in a cleansing, herbal way, and this is a fine example. A little gin is a traditionally solid base, and fresh rosemary and a hint of lemon offer a bright, awakening twist – a fine sip to deploy any time you feel in need of a brisk cocktail.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz rosemary simple syrup
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
Fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish
Lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions
1.Make the rosemary simple syrup by bringing equal parts sugar and water to a simmer with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, then cool completely.
2. Shake the cocktail shaker filled with ice, containing gin, rosemary simple syrup and a splash of fresh lemon juice.
3. Shake the mixture well until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
4. Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a twist of lemon.
18. Snowdrift Gin & Soda
It’s a sparkling gin and soda that comes to mind when I think of an effortless sipper that is as refined as it is uncomplicated: botanicals on the palate, and a drop of elderflower liqueur and a twist of lime. Perfect for every purpose.
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 4 oz club soda or tonic water
- 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- Ice cubes
- Fresh lime wheel or wedge for garnish
- Sprig of rosemary for garnish
Instructions
1. Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
2. Pour the gin, elderflower liqueur, and fresh lime juice over the ice.
3. Top up with club soda or tonic water and gently stir to combine.
4. Garnish with a fresh lime wheel or wedge.
5. Add a sprig of rosemary for an aromatic holiday touch.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Snowdrift Gin & Soda.
19. Cranberry Rosemary Gin Smash
This gin smash is a refreshing cocktail and is bursting with flavors and creativity. Cranberries lend tart sweetness to the drink inside the glass, while rosemary adds a savory aromatic note.
I’ve found the perfect combination is adding gin and a splash of sparkling water. This is one of my favourite cocktails to make when we have people over.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz cranberry juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Fresh cranberries (for muddling and garnish)
1 small rosemary sprig
Ice cubes
Club soda (optional, for topping)
Lime wheel (for garnish)
Instructions
1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle a handful of fresh cranberries with the rosemary sprig to release their flavors.
2. Add the gin, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and lime juice to the shaker.
3. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until chilled.
4. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice cubes.
5. Optionally, top with a splash of club soda for a fizzy touch.
6. Garnish with additional cranberries, a rosemary sprig, and a lime wheel. Serve immediately.
20. Vanilla & Fig Gin Sour
I especially love making drinks that surprise you a little: this one has gin, fresh figs and a trace of vanilla syrup which imbues the scent , wrapped invitingly in citrus – I’ve added lemon here as well, just to round things out.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz fig syrup
1/2 oz vanilla syrup
1 egg white
Ice
Fresh figs or lemon slice, for garnish
Instructions
- Shake: in a shaker half-filled with ice, 2 measures of gin, 1 measures of fresh lemon juice, 1 measure of fig syrup (see below) and 2 teaspoons of vanilla syrup, together with the egg white.
2. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white with the other ingredients.
3. Add crushed ice and shake again until well chilled, about 30 seconds.
4. Stain through a rocks or coupe glass strainer for a silky mouthfeel.
5. Garnish with a slice of fresh fig or lemon slice on top. Cheers to your holiday cocktail!