These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (2024)

Christmas is a time for celebration, and whether you're keeping things low-key this year with a virtual festivities or going all out with your social bubble, there's no denying that an appropriately seasonal co*cktails is a great way to get everyone in a merry mood. Here are some festive recipes for your next Christmas soirée.

Mistletoe Christmas Martini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (1)

Ingredients
1.5oz vodka
.75 oz cherry brandy
Juice of 1 lime
Raspberries
Rosemary
Sugar

Instructions
Rim a Martini glass with sugar. Fill your co*cktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the ingredients. Shake until chilled and strain the mixture into the glass. Garnish with two raspberries and sprig of rosemary.

From Davio's NYC

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S'mores-tini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (2)

Ingredients
2 oz Stoli Vanilla
1 oz Crème De Cacao
.5 oz heavy cream

Instructions
Shake all ingredients in iced co*cktail shaker and strain into a martini glass. Add preferred chocolate syrup down edge of glass and coat rim with chocolate syrup and graham crackers.

From Midwinter Night’s Dream at PHD Terrace

Santa Spice

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (3)

Ingredients
1.5 oz Captain Morgan Oakheart rum
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
1 strawberry

Instructions
Muddle strawberry in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add all other ingredients and ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnished with cranberry and mint sprig.

From Katsuya in Los Angeles.

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Cranberry Sauce Margarita Martini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (4)

Ingredients
2 oz tequila
1 lime
1.5 tbsp chunky cranberry sauce
1 tsp honey
Cranberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions
Rim a margarita glass with brown sugar. Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice, tequila, the juice of one lime, chunky cranberry sauce, and honey. Shake, then strain mixture into glass. Garnish with fresh or frozen cranberries.

Courtesy of Delish

Peabody Peppermint Candy Cane Martini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (5)

Ingredients
1.5 oz vodka
1 tsp Peppermint Schnapps
Candy Canes for garnish

Instructions
Mix all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled co*cktail glass. Garnish with a small candy cane or create a candy cane "rimmer" with crushed candy canes.

Courtesy of Delish

Christmas Gin and Cranberry Sauced Martini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (6)

Ingredients
2 oz gin
.5 oz fresh lime juice
2 tbsp cranberry sauce (without whole berries)
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
Rosemary sprig

Instructions
Add cranberry sauce to a co*cktail shaker with the gin, lime juice, and bitters. Add ice, shake very vigorously at least 30 to 45 seconds and strain through a mesh strainer into a chilled coupe glass. Smack a sprig of rosemary between palms to release aromas and drop on top of the co*cktail.

Courtesy of the Cooking Channel

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Holiday Cosmo

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (7)

Ingredients
1.5 oz Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
1 oz orange liqueur
4 oz cranberry-pomegranate juice
Edible glitter for rim

Instructions
Rim a martini glass with water and dip into edible glitter. In a co*cktail shaker, add ice, Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, orange liqueur and cranberry-pomegranate juice. Shake until chilled. Pour into martini glass and garnish with cranberries.

The Snow Cap

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (8)

Ingredients
1.5 oz Baileys
1 oz vodka
1.5 oz coconut cream
Oreo dust
coconut wafer

Instructions
Add Baileys, vodka, and coconut cream to shaker and shake with ice. Strain into martini glass rimmed crushed Oreos. Garnish with coconut wafer.

From Conrad Cartagena

Santa Clausmopolitan

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (9)

Ingredients
2 oz All American Corn Vodka
.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz white cranberry juice

Instructions
Prepare martini glass with a crushed peppermint rim. Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with mint leaves

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Snoop Noggy Nog

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (10)

Ingredients
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Dolin Bianco Vermouth
.75 oz heavy cream
.75oz vanilla syrup
1 whole egg

Instructions
Add all ingredients to shaker without ice and shake for 30 seconds. Add ice and shake again for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange slice.

From Raised by Wolves, San Diego

Cranberry FiZZtini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (11)

Ingredients
2 oz vodka
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
2 oz white cranberry juice
Mezza di Mezzacorona sparkling wine
Rosemary and cranberries for garnish

Instructions
Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in co*cktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass with a sugared rim and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with cranberries speared on a rosemary sprig.

Winter Wonderland

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (12)

Ingredients
1.5 oz vodka
.75 oz peppermint schnapps
.75 oz white chocolate liqueur
Candy cane
Red sugar

Instructions
Mix and chill ingredients. Pour into a red sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane hanging on the rim.

From Morimoto Asia at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida

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Santa's Chocolate Snow Martini

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (13)

Ingredients
1.5 oz RumChata
2.5 oz half and half
1 oz maple whiskey

Instructions
Build ingredients over ice in a shaker. Drizzle chocolate sauce to the inside of a martini glass. Shake, strain into a martini glass. Note: pre chill martini glass so chocolate sauce can cling to glass. Garnish with shaved white chocolate.

From the co*ck n' Bull Restaurant in Peddler's Village, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

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These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (14)

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (15)

Lauren Hubbard

Writer

Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and co*cktails.

These Christmas Martini Recipes Will Up Your Holiday Celebration (2024)

FAQs

What is an up martini? ›

“Up” means that the drink has been strained into a co*cktail glass without ice. Martinis are almost always served up, so you generally don't need to specify this in your order. Wet. A Wet Martini is heavier on the dry vermouth, meaning your bartender may bump the vermouth up by half an ounce or more.

What is the difference between a dirty martini and a martini? ›

The difference between a neat and a dirty martini is the addition of olive brine in a dirty martini. A "neat" martini contains only gin or vodka and vermouth, garnished with a twist or an olive, while a "dirty" martini includes olive brine, giving it a salty and briny flavour.

What is the formula for a dirty martini? ›

Stir together vodka, dry vermouth, brine, and olives in a mixing glass. Pour into a glass or shaker with ice. Serve on the rocks, or strain into chilled co*cktail glasses. Enjoy!

What does up mean in a drink? ›

The term “up” refers to any drink that is shaken, stirred, or combined with ice and therefore chilled, but it is served without ice. This is different from ordering a whiskey “neat”.

What is a dirty martini mean? ›

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of co*cktail olives, has been added to the drink. An olive garnish is typically assumed, too. Most bars add equal parts vermouth and brine, though you can specify 'extra dirty' or 'filthy' if you prefer more brine.

What is a Dirty Martini without vermouth called? ›

Bone Dry. Almost no vermouth is used. “Bone dry” is a common way to specify just a whisper of vermouth. If you are in a bar, ordering an extra dry Martini amounts to the same thing.

Which is better for martini gin or vodka? ›

In the context of a martini, the base spirit plays a pivotal role. A gin martini will offer a more botanical and complex flavor profile, while a vodka martini is cleaner, allowing other ingredients, like vermouth and garnishes, to take the flavor forefront.

Is gin or vodka better for a Dirty Martini? ›

A gin martini is generally more botanical in flavor, while often vodka lends the co*cktail a smoother, cleaner taste. When you add olive juice to the mix, a dirty gin martini tends to be more complex in flavor, whereas dirty vodka martinis often have a more one-note olive flavor. It's up to you which is best!

What is a wet martini? ›

A Wet Martini co*cktail contains a higher proportion of vermouth compared to vodka. A dry martini co*cktail has a lower proportion of vermouth. Martini co*cktails can be served in a wide variety of taste profiles — see all the ways you can make one at home.

What are the best olives for a martini? ›

We think of Spanish Manzanilla Olives as the martini olive workhorse, as they will almost always be available at your local grocery store even if Spanish Queens aren't. They have a similar taste to Queen olives but are smaller and a bit less firm. They have a slightly nutty flavor, which adds depth to the briny olive.

What is the most requested co*cktail? ›

1. Margarita. The classic Margarita co*cktail has been one of the most popular co*cktails in America for years and still remains on top.

What is the most popular alcoholic drink in the world? ›

Beer. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage worldwide. In fact, after water and tea, beer is the most commonly-consumed drink in the world. Beer is also most likely the oldest alcoholic drink in history.

What is the king of all co*cktails? ›

Dry Martini: The King of co*cktails - The Atlantic.

What's the difference between up and neat? ›

Neat refers to a shot of liquor, generally scotch or bourbon, poured straight from the bottle into a glass with no ice or water and served at room temperature. Up involves a drink that is shaken or stirred and then served as is, no ice or water.

What is the difference between up and straight up? ›

'Straight up' can be used to mean the same as 'neat' when it comes to spirits usually drunk at room temperature, but is also used interchangeable with 'up' if it's understood that it's a drink meant to be served cold.

What is a martini up and dry? ›

Vermouth has an ABV of only about 16-18%, as it's a fortified wine, not a true spirit. By contrast, a “dry” martini has a higher percentage of gin or vodka to vermouth than the standard. If you order a “very dry” or “extra dry” martini, it will have next-to-no vermouth – and be almost “neat”.

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