5 Great Christmas Cocktails for Party Entertaining
It’s not too early to start thinking about some festive libations for the holidays. Holiday refreshments always make a party ~ well, more of a party. After a week of decorating the house and sharing our Christmas home tour here and here, I’m ready for a little relaxation. (That will last about one minute.) Every year Sweet Shark comes up with another holiday drink and he now has quite a collection. (I’m trying to convince him to write a cookbook with me.) Usually he finds inspiration from a magazine, a restaurant we’ve been to or the newspaper. I’ve even found a couple for him on Pinterest. Then he plays around until the proportions are just to his liking. So today I’m sharing with you 5 Great Christmas Cocktails for party entertaining that are perfect for sharing with friends this holiday season. I have sampled all of them ~ not all at once, trust me ~ and I can attest to their yumminess. As they say, someone has to do it.
5 Great Christmas Cocktails for Party Entertaining
TIP: chilled glasses really make these cocktails taste better. We keep martini, champagne and margarita glasses in the freezer ~ just in case someone wants a drink!
Brandy Milk Punch
This cocktail is quintessential New Orleans and you will find variations everywhere from Brennan’s to Commander’s Palace. Right now, our favorite is served at the Court of Two Sisters, a NOLA institution. We first had this version by Chris McMillan, well-known in the bartending world as a cocktail historian, at the Ritz-Carleton. We think this is the perfect Christmas morning by the fire or Christmas brunch drink.
Poinsettia
Need a sparkling drink to kick off your holiday evening? This pretty cocktail is perfect for welcoming company. I think it’s just the ticket for a holiday girls’ night out. This is a specialty of one of our favorite bartenders, Jason, at our local Sevy’s Restaurant.
Cable Car
Sweet Shark found this drink in Bon Appetit magazine in 2003. It’s from Nob Hill restaurant in San Francisco. A year later in Las Vegas we went to the Nob Hill at the MGM. Lined up on the bar were a dozen chilled glasses prepped for the Cable Car. It’s a delicious, warming drink. and pretty too.
St. Nick
Sweet Shark’s sister shared this drink from The Tavern restaurant in Ft. Worth. Perfect for Christmas Eve caroling this simple eggnog drink will have you toasting the season. Sweet Shark has used Pumpkin Spiced Kahlua for extra seasonal flavor.
Candy Cane Martini
This pretty martini is perfect as an after drink or even as a dessert. You can finely crush a peppermint candy cane stick or purchase crushed peppermint sprinkles.
Use any or all of these 5 great Christmas cocktails for party entertaining and you are all set for holiday celebrating. Sweet Shark and I hope you’ll enjoy them. Pass them on, share with friends and think of us when you say a toast. Have a wonderful weekend. It’s a good time to catch~up on the wonderful holiday decorations from this week.
Carol, thanks for sharing these recipes! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!
Keri, you are so welcome. I hope you enjoy them. Happy Holidays.
I think I might like the St. Nick…I love egg nog…
No, I moved from Dallas when I was 7…parents divorced and mom and i moved far away..I had, at one time, a lot of aunts and uncles there…and my dad and step-mom so I spent a week in the summer with them….all gone now so I have no reason to come back (other than ck out Ikea..) ha..
We live in Lubbock, home of Texas Tech…:)
BJ, I spent a weekend in Lubbock during college. It was really far and really sandy, but I have so many sorority sisters who went there and loved Tech.
Hi Carol,
Your Christmas Cocktails look like they will be a big hit for the tour. I wanted to stop by your post for the tour and say a Texas Hello!
Merry Christmas!
Miz Helen
Miz Helen, please stop by anytime. I love sharing a good festive drink.
Mmm, they all sound yummy! I just loved the crushed candy cane rim! so pretty!
Isn’t it pretty! You gotta love a drink like this.
Thank you. I’m looking forward to your post tomorrow in the hop.
Carol,
After a morning with the comments app not working, you needed one or more of your lovely looking drinks. 🙂 See which one I pinned to the Christmas in Texas Pinterest board. https://www.pinterest.com/botanicbleu/christmas-in-texas/ You are welcome to join the Pinterest board to add even more Christmas in Texas.
Part of the joy from this first Christmas in Texas tour has been getting to know fellow Texas bloggers and enjoying all the goodwill flowing among us.
Merry Christmas,
Judith
Judith, I absolutely with check out the Pinterest board. Thanks to you Texas bloggers, I got the comments back up and running. It’s awful to be out of contact with the best Texas girls in the world.
Carol,
These all sound amazing but the St Nick has my name all over it! I can’t wait to tell my sister about these recipes . She’s always in charge of the libations for the family get togethers. She’ll love these!
Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
Lisa, I agree. I have a hard time deciding which one I like best, but the Saint Nick is always a top choice. Tell your sister she is my kind of girl.
These all look so scrumptious. I am a huge egg nog fan, so that might be at the top of my list! Happy to be on the Texas tour with you today!
Isn’t eggnog so Christmas? Any drink with it as an ingredient has got to be good and this one is really special.
Carol, these look and sound so delicious!! Thank you for sharing on the Christmas in Texas tour. Feel free to share this at my Make it Pretty party. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/12/make-it-pretty-monday-week-160.html Have a lovely rest of the week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Kathryn, you are so welcome. I just shared today’s post at the Make it Pretty Party. Thanks for inviting me. Love your blog.
Hi Carol! We have not met, but I am part of the Texas blog tour. So happy I stopped by. Your cocktail recipes sound just perfect for the holiday season and now I have added my email address so I never miss a recipe! Merry Christmas!!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Susan, so nice to meet you. Let me know which one you like the best.I’ll more recipes on the blog next week.
Hi Carol, so glad your comments are now working. Thanks for sharing your holiday cocktails.
Sure enjoyed my visit and this fun post. Enjoy the tour! xo
Celeste, you are a real artist. Beautiful work. Happy you liked the post. I enjoyed testing and writing it.
Hi Carol! I am ever so glad your comments are now working! I stopped by this morning and so wanted to tell you how delightful your blog is. The holiday cocktails are divine! I can’t wait to try a few of these! Lovely, lovely inspiration! Merry Christmas!!
Besty, me too! Thanks for the compliments. Definitely let me know which one is your favorite.
Carol, I went out to run errands this morning and now I could sure use one of those Candy Cane Martinis but we’d have to leave out the vodka right now. 🙂
Your cocktails look amazing! Pinned and posted on Facebook.
Thank you so much being part of this blog hop. ♥
Ha! Wait til 5:00! It’s so yummy.