29 Christmas Bourbon Cocktails
These Christmas Bourbon Cocktails are just right for cozying up by the fire or hosting the ultimate winter party. If you’re on the hunt for holiday cocktails with bourbon, raise a glass with one of these flavorful, crowd-pleasing recipes to sip all season long.
Bourbon Christmas cocktails are a great thing to serve at all your festive holiday parties!
Not only can it be sipped on its own, but bourbon is a classic cocktail ingredient. It has a complex and warm flavor that pairs perfectly with other seasonal flavors like cranberry, cider, and cinnamon.
Related post: Best Bourbon Cocktails for Thanksgiving
Bourbon can be served hot or cold so it works well in drink recipes like a Bourbon Mule or Pine Old Fashioned or Manhattan and also hot toddies.
This list has variety of delicious easy Christmas bourbon cocktails to enjoy this season. And while some don’t look holiday-ready, I’ll share a few ideas below on how to make your drinks party perfect.
NOTE: A bottle of bourbon also makes a great hostess gift idea as it’s a great way to toast the holidays! And it’s also FREAKING AMAZING in my Bourbon Cake recipe.
Bourbon Holiday Drinks
This list of Bourbon holiday cocktails is full of recipes that have yummy seasonal flavors perfect to enjoy during the holidays. If a recipe calls for whiskey, you can simply swap it out for bourbon and vice versa.
Delicious Cranberry Old Fashioned Cocktail
Talk about refreshing! The cranberry flavor will have you loving every sip! It's delicious even on the coldest nights.
Bourbon Champagne Cocktail
This simple bourbon champagne cocktail is a fun one to serve for brunch and beyond. The champagne adds bubbles and sweetness that makes it a great cocktail to serve even non bourbon lovers.
Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
With ginger beer, bourbon and spiced cranberry juice, this delicious cocktail taste like Christmas. It's tart and is infused with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. It's perfect for sharing with friends. This is one of my favorite Christmas Bourbon Cocktails to make each year.
Tiki Bitters Whiskey Sour
A sour drink is a great way to try out a new liquor. And a Whiskey Sour is one of my favorites! This version adds Amaretto and orange liqueur to make it even more delicious. Add a dash of nutmeg on top to make it, even more, holiday-ready!
Cinnamon Spice Cherry 7UP Spritzer
There's a delicious warmth that comes after taking one sip of this cinnamon spice spritzer. Between the bourbon and the cinnamon whisky this drink has tons of flavor that feels extra festive.
Red Wine Sangria with Bourbon-Soaked Sugar Fruit
One of the biggest perks of this drink is that you get to eat the soaked fruit at the bottom or the glass! The addition of bourbon into this red wine sangria makes it perfectly suited for all your winter parties. It's one of my favorite bourbon cocktails to make for Christmas.
Apple Bourbon Cocktail Recipe
This delicious Apple Bourbon cocktail has fresh citrus and amaretto to make it flavorful and refreshing. It's perfect for those last few weeks of winter where you can cozy up with this by the fire. Or in CA, kick off your flip flops and enjoy the sun.
Blood Orange Whiskey Sour
This citrusy twist on the classic cocktail recipe includes blood orange juice and an egg white foam to create a delicious drink.
Bourbon Mule Recipe
Don't miss out on this simple Bourbon Mule Recipe. Bourbon and ginger beer are a match made in heaven and the fresh sage garnish really delightful.
Cherry Bourbon Milkshake Recipe with Espresso
Who knew that adding bourbon to a milkshake would be such a delicious treat? This fun dessert cocktail with bourbon is a great idea to serve at adult holiday parties! It's perfect for the kid at heart. (Just make sure kids don't see this and try to enjoy one too!)
Strawberry Rhubarb Whiskey Sour
This unique strawberry rhubarb whiskey sour will have you coming back for more. The bourbon is infused with strawberry to make a delicious drink that has the most gorgeous color!
Cynar Toronto (Amaro Old Fashioned)
Don't miss out on this easy Old Fashioned recipe using Amaro. It adds a wonderful complexity to the flavor that is great to share with company. Plus, while unique, Amaro is one of those spirits that you can use in all kinds of drinks.
Pomegranate Bourbon Punch
This punch is a great bourbon cocktail to make at Christmas thanks to the hints of vanilla and the orange slices. It's great for parties too!
Spiked Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail
The flavor of apples is strong and amazing with this simple apple cider drink. Add bourbon to make it the perfect hot toddy!
Cranberry Apple Hot Toddy
This cranberry hot toddy can make a bad day good in a short amount of time. Between the bourbon and fresh cranberry garnish, this drink is totally festive.
Bourbon Milk Punch
If you've never tried milk punch, now is the time! It's a deliciously creamy alternative to eggnog! It's one of my favorite unexpected Christmas Bourbon Cocktails that I love to share with friends.
Bourbon Hot Toddy
You're going to love the ease of making this hot toddy recipe with bourbon. It's the perfect thing to warm you up all Christmas season long.
Peach Bourbon Cocktail with Rosemary
Combining peach and rosemary creates the perfect bourbon cocktail. While peaches aren't in season, you can use frozen to create this drink.
New Old-Fashioned Cocktail with Bourbon
You'll love this new spin on an old classic recipe. Honey and rosemary give the recipe a unique flavor that you'll love.
Simple Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned
This Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned just might be your favorite fall drink. And while Thanksgiving might be over it's a great bourbon cocktail to make for Christmas.
Bourbon Lemonade
This spin on lemonade is the perfect adult beverage. Using a lemonade base ensures a flavorful drink that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Honey, Cinnamon, and Fig Bourbon Cocktail
Honey, fig, and cinnamon make for the perfect holiday drink. This bourbon cocktail feels elevated and the perfect thing to enjoy with Christmas Eve dinner.
An Iced Apricot Bourbon Fizz
The added apricot flavoring really enhances each sip. And that gorgeous color will compliment your holiday outfit perfectly.
Amaretto Sour Cocktail
The addition of bourbon really elevates the flavors in this Ameretto Sour. It takes it from being overly sweet to layered with notes of caramel and spices.
Bourbon Maple Leaf Cocktail
This recipe is the perfect way to drink bourbon all fall and winter long. With just a few little touches, this cocktail is simple but celebrates the bourbon.
Pear Bourbon Cocktail
Pear is one of my favorite flavors to sip during the holidays and this tasty bourbon cocktail, with a pear ginger simple syrup is one I have on my "must try" list this year.
Festive Bourbon Cocktail with Cranberry & Orange
The cranberry and orange flavoring make this bourbon cocktail at the top of its game. Rosemary and cinnamon sticks dress it perfectly for serving on Christmas.
Pomegranate Ginger Bourbon Cocktail
You're not going to believe how well the flavors of pomegranate and ginger combine. Not only does the red color look celebratory, it tastes amazing! This is one of the best bourbon cocktails to serve at Christmas in my opinion.
Tropical Hibiscus Bourbon Cocktail
Hibiscus is such an awesome cocktail ingredient. It brings a tangy flavor and a bright color. It's super versatile and pairs really well with bourbon in this easy cocktail recipe.
How to pick which bourbon to use
Before you can start preparing these holiday bourbon cocktails for your holiday get-together, you’re going to need to find the perfect bottle for your drinks.
One of the most confusing parts about purchasing bourbon is understanding the difference between bourbon and whiskey.
While bourbon is a whiskey, whiskey isn’t always a bourbon.
Bourbon can be very expensive, and those bottles are typically better for sipping straight. Look for a mid-priced bottle that still tastes great, but you won’t feel bad about using in a mixed drink.
Sometimes you can taste smokiness from the barrel aging process. And they are often described as tasting like vanilla with hints of caramel and oak. If I’m honest, as a novice drinker, it’s hard to pick the subtle notes out.
Some bourbon brands I enjoy that are affordable and also great for using in Christmas Cocktails with bourbon are:
Can you substitute whiskey for bourbon
These can easily be Christmas Whiskey Cocktails by using whiskey in place of the bourbon in any of the recipes.
In my opinion, you can substitute whiskey for bourbon in any cocktail recipe. Bourbon tends to be slightly sweeter but for the most part, they are similar enough to substitute and most people (who aren’t liquor experts) probably won’t be able to tell the difference.
How to make your drink look more festive
This list features some of the best bourbon drinks to make for friends and family but they may not look as festive as you want.
Take a look at the ingredients and see if there is a flavor that would work well as a garnish, for example, cinnamon (a cinnamon stick is a great idea) or rosemary (pop a sprig in the glass).
You can sugar any fruit or herb, like cranberries or sugared rosemary and it makes it look like it’s dusted with snow.
Add a green herb garnish to any drink that is reddish to bring out those traditional holiday colors.
Or use a Christmas-themed drink stirrer or cocktail picks.
These bourbon holiday cocktails are sure to be a hit at any Christmas party. Or even sipped while playing a Hallmark drinking game.
Bourbon is something I was introduced to by my husband’s family and is part of their holiday tradition. Over the years, I’ve learned to love it and now enjoy adding it to our Christmas celebrations too.
Like panettone and funny family Christmas Cards, bourbon cocktails are something I look forward to as we head into the holiday season.
- Make a Holiday Moscow Mule if you like sipping something refreshing from a copper mug.
- Browse this list of Vodka Cocktails for Winter to find something yummy made with vodka instead.
- This Christmas Cosmo is so simple and has an amazing flavor with a simple homemade flavored syrup.
- If you love the bubbly, you need to check out this collection of Christmas Champagne Cocktails!
- Need a delicious drink idea to make this holiday? Try one of these 21 Baileys Christmas Cocktails!
- This Easy Holiday Spiced Wine recipe makes a mulled wine with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and Tripe Sec perfect for holiday parties.
- This Easy Whiskey Sour Recipe is ready in just moments, perfect for any occasion!
Sitting by a fire with one of these bourbon cocktails and a book in hand is going to be on my to-do list as long as it’s cold outside! Love how many options you have to pick from here, thanks for sharing!
I need to continue working my way down this list of bourbon cocktails!
I haven’t tried very many bourbon cocktails. I think these all look great though. I think I would really like the cherry bourbon milkshake!
These Christmas bourbon cocktails all look so tasty. I’m thinking pomegranate bourbon punch for this next party.
Oooh, there might be a “mocktail” version of the Spiked Bourbon Apple Cider cocktail happening in our home on New Year’s Eve! What an extensive list of bourbon cocktails! You have something for everyone!
It’s the perfect time of year for Bourbon cocktails!
I’m adding many of these bourbon cocktails to my Christmas drink menu. Especially that cherry bourbon milkshake, it looks fantastic!
Christmas and bourbon cocktails are a match made in heaven!