Christmas drinks do not need a cocktail shaker, specialty syrups, or a long list of bottles you will never use again. These five easy Christmas cocktails use familiar supermarket ingredients and simple methods, so you can put something festive in a glass without adding more stress to the day.
You will find one bright red drink, one warm apple drink, one pitcher for a group, one quick mimosa, and one comforting hot chocolate for the end of the evening. Make just one favorite, or choose a few that suit your guests. The key is simple: buy only the alcohol you need, let a few ingredients work across more than one recipe, and make the fizzy drinks right before serving.
Alcohol reminder: These recipes contain alcohol and are intended for adults of legal drinking age where they live. Please drink responsibly, never drink and drive, and remember that alcohol can harm your health when consumed in excess.
At a Glance
- Cranberry Orange Fizz: bright, red, and ready in less than a minute.
- Warm Spiced Apple Rum: a simple hot drink for when guests are arriving.
- Easy Christmas Sangria: one pitcher for about 6 small servings.
- Cranberry Christmas Mimosa: quick, bubbly, and easy to make one glass at a time.
- Spiced Rum Hot Chocolate: a warm final drink for the end of the evening.
Smart Shopping Plan
Before buying anything, decide which drinks you actually want to make. You do not need every bottle for every cocktail. The practical saving is using the same spiced rum in both the warm apple drink and the hot chocolate, while the juices, fruit, cinnamon, ice, and sparkling water appear in more than one recipe.
If you make every recipe below once—with the sangria making about 6 small servings—you will need at least the following amounts. Buy the package size that makes sense for your household and use any extra juice, fruit, or cinnamon in ordinary drinks and desserts afterward.
Produce
- 2 oranges
- 1 apple
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- Fresh cranberries, optional, for the Cranberry Orange Fizz
Juices, Dairy, and Pantry Basics
- Cranberry juice: at least 210 milliliters (about 7 fluid ounces)
- Apple juice: at least 420 milliliters (about 14 fluid ounces)
- Orange juice: at least 45 milliliters (about 1½ fluid ounces)
- Cold sparkling water: at least 300 milliliters (about 10 fluid ounces)
- Ginger ale, optional, for a sweeter Cranberry Orange Fizz
- Ice
- Milk: 240 milliliters (1 cup)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: 10 grams (2 tablespoons)
- Sugar: 25 grams (2 tablespoons)
- A small pinch of salt
- Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, optional, for the hot chocolate
Alcohol: Buy Only What You Will Use
- Vodka: 45 milliliters (1½ fluid ounces) for the Cranberry Orange Fizz
- Spiced rum: 90 milliliters (3 fluid ounces) for the Warm Spiced Apple Rum and Spiced Rum Hot Chocolate
- Dry red wine: 1 bottle, 750 milliliters (about 25 fluid ounces), for the sangria
- Sparkling wine: 120 milliliters (4 fluid ounces) for one mimosa
Make-Ahead Plan for a Less Stressful Christmas
- Up to 4 hours ahead: Make the sangria base, cover it, and chill it. Do not add the sparkling water yet.
- Just before guests arrive: Slice the orange garnish, set out clean glasses, and make sure the sparkling water and sparkling wine are cold.
- Right before serving: Build the Cranberry Orange Fizz and the Mimosa directly in their glasses. Their bubbles are at their best when fresh.
- When guests want something warm: Make the Warm Spiced Apple Rum or the Spiced Rum Hot Chocolate. Both are best served as soon as they are ready.
1. Cranberry Orange Fizz
Makes: 1 drink
Time: About 1 minute
This is the quickest drink of the group. Cranberry juice gives it that Christmas-red color, orange keeps it fresh, and sparkling water makes it light instead of heavy.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 45 milliliters (1½ fluid ounces) vodka
- 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) cranberry juice
- 30 milliliters (1 fluid ounce) orange juice
- 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) chilled sparkling water
- Ginger ale, optional, instead of sparkling water for a sweeter drink
- 1 thin orange slice
- A few fresh cranberries, optional
Method
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Pour in the vodka, cranberry juice, and orange juice.
- Give the drink a quick stir before adding the bubbles.
- Top with chilled sparkling water. For a sweeter version, use ginger ale instead.
- Finish with a thin orange slice. Add a few cranberries only if you have them; they are optional.
- Serve immediately so the bubbles stay lively.
2. Warm Spiced Apple Rum
Makes: 1 mug
Time: About 5 minutes
Apple juice does most of the work in this comforting drink. The orange and cinnamon make the kitchen smell festive almost immediately, without needing a complicated ingredient list.
Ingredients
- 180 milliliters (6 fluid ounces) apple juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 thin orange slice
- 45 milliliters (1½ fluid ounces) spiced rum
Method
- Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and orange slice.
- Warm over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until steaming. Do not let it boil.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Pour the spiced rum into a heatproof mug, then add the warm apple juice.
- Stir once, gently. Leave the cinnamon stick in the mug if you like the look of it.
3. Easy Christmas Sangria
Makes: About 6 small servings
Make ahead:
Chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours
This is the drink to make when you do not want to build every cocktail one by one. The important step is adding the sparkling water only at the end. Add it too early and the sangria loses the fresh lift that makes it feel special.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry red wine, 750 milliliters (about 25 fluid ounces)
- 240 milliliters (1 cup) apple juice
- 120 milliliters (½ cup) cranberry juice
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 240 milliliters (1 cup) sparkling water, added just before serving
- Ice, for serving
Method
- Pour the red wine, apple juice, and cranberry juice into a large pitcher.
- Add the sliced orange, sliced apple, and cinnamon sticks. Stir gently.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can make it up to 4 hours ahead.
- Just before serving, add the sparkling water.
- Pour over ice, making sure each glass gets a little fruit.
4. Cranberry Christmas Mimosa
Makes: 1 drink
Time: About 2 minutes
This is the simplest festive option. Build each drink one glass at a time so every person gets the same fresh sparkle.
Ingredients
- 30 milliliters (1 fluid ounce) cranberry juice
- 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) orange juice
- 120 milliliters (4 fluid ounces) cold sparkling wine
- 1 twist of orange peel or 1 thin orange slice
Method
- Pour the cranberry juice into a chilled flute or small glass.
- Add the orange juice.
- Slowly top with the cold sparkling wine.
- Do not stir hard. The bubbles will mix the drink for you.
- Add an orange-peel twist or a thin orange slice and serve straight away.
5. Spiced Rum Hot Chocolate
Makes: 1 mug
Time: About 8 minutes
This is the warm, comforting cocktail for the end of the evening. It uses the same spiced rum as the apple drink, which keeps the shopping list more practical.
Ingredients
- 240 milliliters (1 cup) milk
- 10 grams (2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 25 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
- A small pinch of salt
- 45 milliliters (1½ fluid ounces) spiced rum
- Whipped cream, optional
- Ground cinnamon, optional
Method
- Pour the milk into a small saucepan.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
- Heat over medium-low heat, whisking now and then, until hot and smooth. Do not let it boil.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the spiced rum.
- Pour into a mug. Add a little whipped cream and a pinch of ground cinnamon if you have them, but the hot chocolate is still good without either one.
Two Small Details That Make These Drinks Easier
- Keep the bubbles until the end. Add sparkling water to the sangria immediately before serving, and make the fizz and mimosa directly in their glasses.
- Use what you buy. The same spiced rum works in both warm drinks, while the oranges, apple, cinnamon, cranberry juice, and apple juice all appear more than once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a cocktail shaker?
No. Every drink in this collection is made directly in a glass, mug, saucepan, or pitcher.
Can I make the sangria ahead?
Yes. Make the wine, juice, fruit, and cinnamon base up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add the sparkling water only just before serving.
Can I use ginger ale in the Cranberry Orange Fizz?
Yes. Use ginger ale instead of sparkling water if you prefer a sweeter drink.
Which drinks should I make at the last minute?
Make the Cranberry Orange Fizz and Cranberry Christmas Mimosa right before serving. They are fastest and best while their bubbles are fresh. Warm the apple rum and hot chocolate when you are ready to serve them.
Choose the One That Fits Your Evening
Choose the Cranberry Orange Fizz when you want something bright and quick. Make the Warm Spiced Apple Rum when the house is filling up and you want the kitchen to smell like Christmas. Use the Sangria when you are serving a group. Choose the Mimosa for an effortless first toast, or make the Spiced Rum Hot Chocolate when everyone is ready to sit down and relax.
Which one would be first on your Christmas table: the fizzy cranberry drink, the warm apple rum, the sangria, the mimosa, or the hot chocolate? Let me know in the comments.
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