Christmas cocktails

Get in the Christmas spirit with our quick and easy Christmas cocktail recipes. From alcoholic to non-alcoholic, from classics to cocktail twists, we’ve got plenty of simple drink recipes to choose from that are sure to liven up any Christmas celebrations. We’re here to make the big day a little less stressful with our Christmas cocktail guide.

What you need:

For the basic cocktail you will need some basic equipment, which most cocktail recipes will use. You can buy most of these in the supermarket and if you’re lucky you might even find a bargain or two.

Cocktail glasses

For every drink you’ll need a glass. Make sure you work out how many people you’ll be having over for Christmas and get that many glasses, plus a few spare in case anyone has one too many. Cocktail glasses come in different shapes and sizes so depending on what cocktail you want to make, buy the appropriate glass e.g. for a margarita buy a classic margarita glass, for eggnog buy a small, short glass. If you want to save some money you could go cheap and buy plastic ones instead. Make sure you recycle them after use.

Ice cubes

It may be cold outside and ice is probably the last thing of your list but for the perfect, refreshing cocktail you’ll need plenty of it. This can be bought in the freezer section in your local supermarket or if you’ve got enough freezer space you could make your own using ice cube moulds. Ice cubes are pretty cheap to buy so if you wanted to ask your friends or family to bring something this would be ideal. Some cocktails require crushed ice rather than cubed so check before buying because you can buy it ready crushed in the shops – it will be a lot easier than trying to crush it yourself.

Fruit

Most cocktails use fruit. Why not get super organised and before your guests arrive pre-cut all your fruit and pop into an airtight container and leave in the fridge. This is great for lemons, limes, oranges and kiwi. If you’re Christmas cocktail recipe uses apple, cut up your apple into segments and place in an airtight container sprinkled with some orange juice so the apple doesn’t go brown.

Decorations

From stirrers to mini umbrellas, every cocktail needs some sort of decoration. You can buy cocktail decorations in most supermarkets in the party section. If you want to save some money you could always make your own using gold or silver pens, cardboard and straws. Cut out Christmas stars, colour in gold pen and stick onto each straw – your friends and family will love them!