7 Easy Winter Cocktails – Cozy & Festive Drinks for Cold Nights 

I absolutely love making some warming, colourful and festive drinks during the colder months. Winter is the perfect time for using seasonal ingredients like cranberries, apples, citrus, rosemary and mixed berries to give your drink a fresh-tasting twist.

These 7 Easy Winter Cocktails are the perfect way to add some festive cheer to your holiday parties, cosy nights in or Christmas celebrations. We have a range of refreshing vodka cocktails, classic bourbons, fruity sangria, tequila cocktails and warming winter favourite. There is sure to be a cocktail to suit every taste.

Most of these cocktails only require a few ingredients to make and can be created in under 5 minutes. No need to be a professional bartender to create these cocktails! Simply find your ingredients and favourite glassware and enjoy.

If you are looking for some great winter cocktails with alcohol, unique cocktails for winter or easy cocktails for winter, these are definitely worth a try! Let’s get into it.

7 Easy Winter Cocktails

1. Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritz

Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritz is one of my go-to cocktails for a light, fizzy and celebratory tipple. It has a gorgeous ruby red colour from the cranberry juice and a sweet and tart taste. Fresh lime juice gives it a bit of zing whilst rosemary adds a lovely herbal scent to give it a taste of winter.

This cocktail is one of my favourites to serve at Christmas parties or meals. The sparkling water gives a refreshing, but not too heavy, tipple, and the fresh cranberries make the glass look really pretty.

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• Sparkling water, to top
• 1 rosemary sprig
• Fresh cranberries for garnish
• Ice

How to Make Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritz

1. Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
2. Pour in the vodka, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice.
3. Stir gently with a bar spoon until everything is combined.
4. Top the drink with sparkling water.
5. Add a rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries for garnish.
6. Serve immediately while it’s cold and bubbly.

My Tip: Gently clap the rosemary sprig between your hands before adding it to the glass. This releases its natural aroma and gives the cocktail a lovely herbal fragrance.

2. Amaretto Old Fashioned

If you are a fan of classic bourbon cocktails, then this is the perfect winter cocktail to try. This cocktail combines a rich bourbon, sweet almond amaretto and some aromatic Angostura bitters.

I love this cocktail because it uses very few ingredients and is quick and easy to make. The amaretto helps to cut through the intense bourbon flavour, leaving a slightly sweet nutty finish. To finish it off, we add a Luxardo maraschino cherry, providing a real sense of luxury to your cocktail.

This is one of those classic winter cocktails which is ideal to sip on during a cosy evening, dinner party or celebration.

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Serves: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp amaretto
• A few dashes of Angostura bitters
• 50–60ml bourbon
• Luxardo maraschino cherries, to serve
• Ice

How to Make Amaretto Old Fashioned

1. Add a big ice cube into your short rocks glass.
2. Add the bourbon and amaretto.
3. Add a few dashes of Angostura bitters.
4. Gently stir for around 15-20 seconds until it has gone cold.
5. Add a Luxardo maraschino cherry.
6. Serve straight away.

My Tip: If you can get your hands on a big ice cube, then this is the best option for this cocktail as it won’t melt as quickly, meaning your cocktail will taste better for longer.

3. Winter Citrus Vodka Collins

Not all winter cocktails are rich and spiced. This Winter Citrus Vodka Collins is a refreshing cocktail that I often enjoy! The fresh lemon and grapefruit juice provides a great balance of sweet and tangy flavours, whilst the vodka provides a smooth alcoholic element.

The soda water creates a nice light fizzy texture. The combination of citrus in the lemon and grapefruit means this cocktail has a lovely refreshing citrus flavour without being too sweet.

This is a simple cocktail to add to your repertoire if you’re looking for easy winter cocktails with vodka. It would be a lovely addition to your holiday brunches and winter gatherings!

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• Soda water, to top
• Ice

How to Make Winter Citrus Vodka Collins

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add the vodka, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and simple syrup.
3. Shake for about 10–15 seconds until well chilled.
4. Fill a tall glass with fresh ice.
5. Strain the cocktail mixture into the glass.
6. Top with soda water and stir gently.
7. Garnish with a lemon or grapefruit slice if desired.

My Tip: Taste the citrus juice before mixing. If your grapefruit is especially tart, add a little more simple syrup to balance the flavor.

4. Caramel Apple Vodka Cider

When thinking of cosy winter drinks, apple cider immediately springs to mind! This Caramel Apple Vodka Cider is made using warming apple cider, smooth vodka and sweet caramel syrup, which is perfect for a comforting cocktail.

The sweet caramel makes this drink very rich and pairs perfectly with the cinnamon. This isn’t as refreshing as others on the list, as it’s served warm.

However, I love serving this after a meal or a small get-together. It really tastes like you have a little taste of Autumn and Winter!

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 3 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 8 minutes
• Serves: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1½ oz vodka
• 4 oz warm apple cider
• ½ oz caramel syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 apple slices for garnish

Method

1. Heat your apple cider in a small saucepan. Do not let it come to a boil.
2. Pour your vodka and caramel syrup into a heatproof glass.
3. Add your warm apple cider.
4. Mix together gently until the caramel is fully dissolved.
5. Top with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.
6. Serve warm.

My Tip: Do not warm your vodka. Warm up your apple cider and add to the vodka. This makes it an easy recipe and means you aren’t heating up your alcohol unnecessarily.

5. Blood Orange Margarita

This Blood Orange Margarita is a colorful winter cocktail with a wonderful combination of citrus, sweetness, and a little bitterness. The beautiful red orange colour comes from blood oranges. They add a unique taste to this cocktail with slightly more sweetness than normal oranges.

I love how the tequila and Grand Marnier work together with fresh lime juice. A little Campari gives some nice bitterness to the drink, and the simple syrup helps to balance out the citrus.

This is one of the most eye-catching, unique winter cocktails to serve at a holiday party. The salted rim and fresh blood orange garnish make it look just as good as it tastes.

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Serves: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Cabo Wabo Tequila Blanco
• 0.75 oz Grand Marnier
• 0.25 oz Campari
• 0.75 oz fresh blood orange juice
• 0.75 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 0.25 oz simple syrup
• Blood orange slice, for garnish
• Salt, for the rim
• Ice

How to Make Blood Orange Margarita

1. Run a lime wedge around the outside edge of a margarita glass.
2. Dip the rim into a small plate of salt until lightly coated.
3. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
4. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, Campari, blood orange juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
5. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until well chilled.
6. Fill the prepared glass with fresh ice.
7. Strain the cocktail into the glass.
8. Garnish with a fresh blood orange slice and serve immediately.

Tips: Using your own blood orange juice will make a big difference to this recipe. If you want to reduce the sweetness of your margarita, then simply reduce the amount of simple syrup. Taste before serving to check.

6. Hot Buttered Rum

A traditional winter drink, Hot Buttered Rum has a rich and creamy texture with warming cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. The rum provides a smoothness to this drink.

This drink has a comforting scent and a creamy texture. Whilst many cocktails are served cold in the winter months, this should be served warm. It’s a great drink to relax with after a long day or to serve to your guests during the holidays.

I love having a mug of this by the window on a cold evening. A comforting classic that should be one of the best alcoholic drinks to have in the winter.

➤ Get the Hot Buttered Rum Full Recipe

7. Winter Berry Vodka Sangria

A Winter Berry Vodka Sangria is a great drink to make in advance for your guests this winter. This drink contains white wine, vodka, cranberry juice, fresh berries and orange slices. This is a bright and fruity cocktail.

I love sangria because the fruits have had time to infuse with the wine and vodka. The cranberry juice gives a lovely tangy taste. The oranges give a fresh citrus taste. A splash of sparkling water gives a nice light taste.

This is one of my favourite cocktails to make this winter. I love making this in a pitcher. It is a beautiful drink to serve at Christmas dinners and winter celebrations.

Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Chill Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Serves: ~8
• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 bottle white wine (750ml)
• ¾ cup vodka
• ½ cup cranberry juice
• 1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 orange, sliced
• Sparkling water, to top
• Ice, for serving

Instructions

1. Add the white wine to a large pitcher.
2. Add the vodka and cranberry juice.
3. Add the mixed berries and orange slices.
4. Gently stir everything together.
5. Place the pitcher and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. This will allow the fruits to infuse.
6. Add the sparkling water just before serving and gently stir.
7. Fill your glasses with ice and add the sangria.
8. Top with some of the infused berries and oranges.

Tip: To get the best taste from this sangria, make it a few hours before your guests arrive. Only add the sparkling 

More Winter Cocktails

▶15 Best Winter Cocktails for Cozy Nights

▶Jack Frost Winter Cocktail

▶Vodka Winter Punch Cocktail

A Few Tips for Making Better Winter Cocktails

• Use fresh citrus: This will really add some brightness to your cocktails, rather than using the bottled versions.
• Use good quality ingredients: Using a good quality vodka, bourbon, tequila or wine can make a big difference.
• Not too sweet: You can easily go too sweet with cranberry juice, caramel syrup and simple syrup. Taste and make any changes.
• Make your party cocktails in advance: Sangria can be made in advance, but the sparkling water and ice should be added just before serving.
• Add some festive decorations: Rosemary, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, apple slices and citrus fruits all look great on winter cocktails.
• Serve warm drinks safely: Make sure to serve your hot cocktails in heat-proof mugs, and make sure that the non-alcoholic ingredients are heated up too.

Final Thoughts

I think these 7 Easy Winter Cocktails are a beautiful way to incorporate some seasonal flavours into your home. From the refreshing Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritz to the rich Amaretto Old Fashioned and the cozy Hot Buttered Rum, there really is something for everyone.

Whether you’re having a Christmas party, winter meal, or just wanting to try a new drink, these Easy Winter Cocktails are definitely ones to keep.

Remember to drink alcohol responsibly. Only serve to adults old enough to drink alcohol. Have some appealing non-alcoholic drinks available for your guests.

Which one will you try first? Let me know your favourite in the comments below!