Holiday Cocktail Recipes to Try At Home this Season

Pumpkin spice lattes get all of the press when it comes to seasonal drinks.

But sometimes you want a little more spirit in your cup. Sure, the holiday kind. Also, the ABV kind. OK, mostly the ABV kind. Pouring a nip of rum into a piping hot cup of tea might do the trick. Or splashing some whiskey in your cup of joe. But you deserve more than that. Your quarantine bubble deserves more than that. And truth be told, sometimes it’s just too cold out to make the trek to your neighborhood bar.

That’s why we tapped some of the best barkeeps in Nashville for their favorite make-at-home seasonal cocktail recipes. These simple yet festive sips are poised to elevate your cocktail game, whether you’re shaking up a drink for one or mixing up a batch for your roommates. You can even level up the occasion by ordering takeout from one of the spots featured here. ‘Tis the season for sipping.

Silver Spoon

Courtesy of Daniel Carrillo, Denim at The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nashville

“This cocktail was inspired by fond memories of family ski trips,” says Carrillo. “This winter cocktail is named after one of the mountain runs in Keystone, Colorado — Silver Spoon. It was always my final run of the day, which was followed by an après-ski peppermint hot chocolate.”

Ingredients: 

• 1 1⁄2 ounces rye whiskey
• 2 ounces homemade hot chocolate*
• 1⁄2 ounce Creme de Cacao
• 1⁄4 ounce simple syrup
• Branca Menta foam**
• Peppermint candies for garnish

Steps: Add all ingredients into a metal shaker. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Spoon Branca Menta foam on top and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.

*To make the homemade hot chocolate: 

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup milk chocolate

Melt together over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Additional milk chocolate creates an even richer cocktail.

**To make the Branca Menta foam:

• 3 ounces heavy cream
• 1⁄2 ounce Branca Menta

Combine ingredients in metal shaker. Shake vigorously until almost firm. Use immediately.

The Gustavo

Courtesy of Hayley Teague, Hathorne

“I love the way the smoke of mezcal pairs with the earthiness and sweetness of root vegetables such as the carrot,” says Teague. “The shrub is a great way to add acidity to your drinks without using lemon and lime. The vibrant color of this thoughtful beverage will not only wow your guests—it will look stunning and seasonal in photos.”

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of carrot juice
• 1 1⁄2 ounces Mezcal
• 2 ounces pomegranate shrub*

Steps: Combine all three ingredients into a shaker tin filled with ice. Shake until chilled, strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a carrot ribbon and fresh seasonal herbs.

*To make the shrub:

• 2 cups Pom juice
• 1 1⁄2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup honey (or more to taste)
• Small handful of cardamom
• Medium-sized ginger root peeled and quartered
• Small handful of peppercorns
• 1-2 oranges peeled and sectioned

Combine all ingredients in a large glass jar with a lid. Can be used immediately, but for optimum results, allow the mix to age for two weeks refrigerated.

Where the Cold Wind Blows

Courtesy of Adam Morgan, Husk

“The Hot Toddy is a necessity when the cool air sets in,” says Morgan. “It’s a perfectly excusable reason to have bourbon at 8 a.m. It’s something you can pass off as medicine. It’s something to share around a roaring fire with loved ones.”

Ingredients: 

• 6 ounces boiling water
• Pine tea
• 1 1⁄2 ounces Old Soul bourbon
• Squeeze of a half lemon
• 2 barspoons of honey
• Dash of Boker’s Bitters
• Pinch of salt
• Apple slice for garnish

Steps: Pour six ounces of gently boiling water over a pine tea bag (High Garden’s ‘In the Pines’ is recommended) and let steep for 90 seconds in a coffee mug. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon twist and apple slice.

Melted Snowman

Courtesy of the L.A. Jackson bar team

“We love Christmas, so we decided to capture it in beverage form,” says Novel Day, general manager of L.A. Jackson. “This cocktail is super light and approachable, which juxtaposes the unpredictable Nashville weather we see in the winter months. The garnishes drive home the melted snowman look and bring us back to building snowmen up North where we grew up.”

Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 ounces vodka
• 1⁄2 ounce dolin blanc
• 1⁄2 ounce cocchi americano
• 1⁄2 ounce honey syrup
• 1⁄2 ounce lemon juice
• Soda to top
• Spritz of orange flower water

Steps: Pour all ingredients—minus soda and orange flower water—into a shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a tall Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Top with soda and additional crushed ice to create the snowman’s melting head. Optional: Add a carrot and two juniper berries as the snowman’s face and a grosgrain ribbon scarf.

White + Spice

Courtesy of Ryan Holtsford, Café Intermezzo

“This is a slightly boozy cocktail that doesn’t drink like one,” says Holtsford. “It has the sweet and spicy indulgence of the holidays without sacrificing potency. Many of the ingredients are things most people will already have in their homes. Also, it can be adjusted for people who are averse to dairy—without sacrificing flavor.”

Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 ounce demerara syrup or raw turbinado sugar
• 1 1⁄2 ounces of espresso (or regular coffee)
• 2 ounces Belle Meade Bourbon
• 3 1⁄2 ounces milk product of your choice (whole and skim milk, or oat milk will produce a thicker, creamier beverage)
• Rosemary garnish

Steps: Add the sugar and spices to the shaker. Pour the espresso or coffee into the shaker. Pour in the Belle Meade bourbon. Add your preferred milk product. Add ice and shake vigorously to ensure proper mixing. Pour over fresh ice. Garnish with rosemary.

“World’s Best Coffee”

Courtesy of Brett Nelson, Sinema Restaurant & Bar

“The ‘World’s Best Coffee’ is a reference to the movie ‘Elf’,” says Nelson. “The holidays are already complicated and hard to figure out, so your cocktail shouldn’t be! This cocktail features the French Occupation coffee from 8th & Roast, as well as Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey, which is also local to Nashville.”

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces 8th & Roast French Occupation (Hot or Cold)
• 1 1⁄2 ounces Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey
• 1⁄2 ounce demerara syrup
• 4 dashes of Regan’s orange bitters
• Bailey’s Irish Cream whipped cream*
• Orange zest

Steps: Stir all ingredients in a tulip or rocks glass (or your favorite coffee mug). Top with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh orange zest. If serving cold, add ice.

*To make the Bailey’s whipped cream:

• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1⁄2 cup of confectioner’s sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food mixer or whisk by hand until you reach the desired consistency.

Naughty Intentions 

Courtesy of STK Steakhouse 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 ounces Ketel One
• 1 1/2 ounces white creme de cacao
• 1/2 ounce Monin marshmallow syrup
• Heavy cream (shaken separately from cocktail ingredients to become foamy)

Steps: Shake the vodka, creme de cacao and marshmallow syrup in a cocktail shaker and pour into a martini glass. Shake the cream separately on its own to create a foam and pour it on top of the first mixture.

White Limozeen Hot Chocolate 

Courtesy of Demi Natoli, White Limozeen

Ingredients:

• 4 cups milk
• .06 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 star anise
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup demerara
• 4 ounces Wild Turkey bourbon
• 1/4 ounce Crème de cacao

Steps: Combine first seven ingredients. Add bourbon and crème de cacao. Pour and enjoy!

Blinding Lights

Courtesy of Demi Natoli, Cross-Eyed Critters

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Gordon's Gin
• 1 1⁄2 ounces Dolin Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce citrus
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce Kaffir Midori 
• 1/4 ounce Green Chartreuse

Steps: Combine, pour, and enjoy!

Santa's Blizzard

Courtesy of The Listening Room

Ingredients: 

• 1 ounce vanilla vodka
• 3/4 ounce Kahlua
• 1/2 ounce half-and-half
• Splash of Dr. Pepper

Steps: Mix vanilla vodka and Kahlua in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a tall rocks glass. Top with half and half and a splash of Dr. Pepper. 

Coyote's Tail

Courtesy of Butchertown Hall

Ingredients: 

• 1 ounce Montelobos Mezcal
• 1 ounce Wild Turkey Rye
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/4 ounce St. Elisabeth Allspice Dram
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Steps: Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and enjoy. 

Candy Cane Cocoa 

Courtesy of Erin Mueller and Jessica Ware, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Ingredients: 

• 1 1⁄2 ounces Smirnoff Peppermint Vodka
• Milky hot cocoa 

Steps: Pour vodka into your favorite festive mug and top with hot cocoa. 

Breezy Chu-Hai

Courtesy of Otaku Ramen

Ingredients: 

• 2 ounces Jinro Chamsul Grapefruit Shochu
• 1 ounce cranberry juice 
• Soda water 
• Cherry or lime wedge 

Steps: Add Jinro Chamsul Grapefruit Shochu and cranberry juice to a highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with cherry or lime wedge.