Food & DrinkRecipesHolidaysTaste

The Best Holiday Drink Recipes To Make With What's Already In Your Bar

Let's keep it simple this holiday.
By 

Head of Life and Commerce

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With all their bold colors and flavors, it’s difficult to pick just one great holiday cocktail to make. And it’s harder yet to find a recipe that uses what you’ve already got in your home bar.

To help you solve that problem, we’ve picked our favorite holiday drinks and sorted them by the type of liquor they require. Whether you’ve got vodka, bourbon, gin, tequila, rum, sparkling wine, red or white on hand, there are plenty of options for you here.

Check these out, and save yourself a trip to the liquor store.

1
Half Baked Harvest
VODKA: Poinsettia Spritz Punch
Get the Poinsettia Spritz Punch recipe from Half Baked Harvest
2
Half Baked Harvest
VODKA: Pomegranate Peppermint Moscow Mules
Get the Pomegranate Peppermint Moscow Mules recipe from Half Baked Harvest
3
Half Baked Harvest
VODKA: The North Pole
Get The North Pole recipe from Half Baked Harvest
4
Half Baked Harvest
VODKA, CHAMPAGNE: Blood Orange Champagne Mule
Get the Blood Orange Champagne Mule recipe from Half Baked Harvest
5
Foodie Crush
VODKA: Pomegranate Martini
Get the Pomegranate Martini recipe from Foodie Crush
6
Half Baked Harvest
VODKA, BEER: Christmas Ale Sangria
Get the Christmas Ale Sangria recipe from Half Baked Harvest
7
Home Sweet Jones
VODKA OR GIN: Holiday Mule
Get the Holiday Mule (Ginger Beer, Gin Or Vodka) recipe from Home Sweet Jones
8
How Sweet Eats
BOURBON: Caramel Apple Hot Toddy
Get the Caramel Apple Hot Toddy recipe from How Sweet Eats
9
Minimalist Baker
BOURBON: Chili Cinnamon Bourbon Hot Toddy
Get the Chili Cinnamon Bourbon Hot Toddy recipe from Minimalist Baker
10
How Sweet Eats
BOURBON: Honeycrisp Old Fashioned
Get the Honeycrisp Old Fashioned recipe from How Sweet Eats
11
Half Baked Harvest
BOURBON: Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned
Get the Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned recipe from Half Baked Harvest
12
Half Baked Harvest
BOURBON: Naughty And Nice Cinnamon Bourbon Toddy Punch
Get the Naughty And Nice Cinnamon Bourbon Toddy Punch recipe from Half Baked Harvest
13
Half Baked Harvest
BOURBON: Santa's Nightcap
Get the Santa's Nightcap recipe from Half Baked Harvest
14
Minimalist Baker
BOURBON: Winter Bourbon Smash
Get the Winter Bourbon Smash recipe from Minimalist Baker
15
Adventures In Cooking
WHISKY: Hot Buttered Hazelnut Whisky
Get the Hot Buttered Hazelnut Whisky recipe from Adventures In Cooking
16
Todd Wagner/HonestlyYUM
GIN: Pear Sonata
Get the Pear Sonata recipe from HonestlyYUM
17
Food Fanatic
GIN: Cranberry Gimlet
Get the Cranberry Gimlet recipe from Food Fanatic
18
Minimalist Baker
TEQUILA, SPARKLING WINE: Sparkling Pomegranate Margaritas
Get the Sparkling Pomegranate Margaritas recipe from Minimalist Baker
19
How Sweet Eats
TEQUILA: Mistletoe Margaritas
Get the Mistletoe Margarita recipe from How Sweet Eats
20
Half Baked Harvest
TEQUILA: Cranberry Orange Margaritas
Get the Cranberry Orange Margaritas recipe from Half Baked Harvest
21
Half Baked Harvest
TEQUILA: Pomegranate Ginger Paloma
Get the Pomegranate Ginger Paloma recipe from Half Baked Harvest
22
How Sweet It Is
TEQUILA: Fresh Cranberry Ginger Vanilla Margaritas With Sugared Cranberries
Get the Fresh Cranberry Ginger Vanilla Margaritas With Sugared Cranberries recipe from How Sweet It Is
23
Baked Bree
RUM: Jingle Juice
Get the Jingle Juice recipe from Baked Bree
24
Half Baked Harvest
RUM: White Christmas Mojito
Get the White Christmas Mojito recipe from Half Baked Harvest
25
Todd Wagner/HonestlyYUM
COGNAC/BRANDY: Brandy Alexander
Get the Brandy Alexander recipe from HonestlyYUM
26
Half Baked Harvest
CHAMPAGNE: Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Get the Sparkling Cranberry Punch recipe from Half Baked Harvest
27
How Sweet Eats
CHAMPAGNE: Christmas Morning Mimosas
Get the Christmas Morning Mimosas recipe from How Sweet Eats
28
How Sweet Eats
CHAMPAGNE: Pomegranate Cider Mimosas With A Salted Caramel Rim
Get the Pomegranate Cider Mimosas With A Salted Caramel Rim recipe from How Sweet Eats
29
How Sweet Eats
CHAMPAGNE, GINGER BEER: Pomegranate Orange Punch
Get the Pomegranate Orange Punch recipe from How Sweet Eats
30
Minimalist Baker
SPARKLING WINE: St. Germain Pomegranate Spritzers
Get the St. Germain Pomegranate Spritzers recipe from Minimalist Baker
31
Spoon Fork Bacon
WHITE WINE, CHAMPAGNE: Spiced Blood Orange And Champagne Punch
Get the Spiced Blood Orange And Champagne Punch recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon
32
How Sweet It Is
WHITE WINE: Mulled White Wine
Get the Mulled White Wine recipe from How Sweet It Is
33
Half Baked Harvest
WHITE WINE, GINGER BEER, BRANDY: Christmas Sangria
Get the Christmas Sangria recipe from Half Baked Harvest
34
How Sweet Eats
WHITE WINE, CIDER: Pear Sangria
Get the Pear Sangria recipe from How Sweet Eats
35
Bakeaholic Mama
RED WINE: Winter Sangria
Get the Winter Sangria recipe from Bakeaholic Mama

Before You Go

16 Delicious Gifts For Cheese Lovers, According To Experts
The "Mercedes-Benz" of cheese storage(01 of14)
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Tenaya Darlington, aka Madame Fromage, is a cheese influencer, blogger and author of a cheese book that guides readers through recipes, pairings and a brief history of cheese. Darlington previously recommended to HuffPost a cheese grotto as an elevated way to store cheese while minimizing packaging waste.

"My Mercedes-Benz of cheese, if there is such a thing, is a cheese grotto for storing cheese. If I have a lot of cheese in the house, I pop them into the Cheese Grotto and slide the whole thing into the fridge. The Grotto keeps them moist and cool, and it’s a divine display when people come over,” Darlington said.

People with limited counter or cabinet space can rest easy, because this particular cheese vault is fully collapsable so you can easily store it when not in use.

Get it from Goldune for $85. (credit:Goldune)
A gift card to this iconic cheese shop with locations all across the country(02 of14)
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Thorpe told HuffPost that "when you splurge on cheese you're likely helping a cheesemaker pay their milk makers a living wage; supporting more sustainable farming; paying for the work of making cheese in smaller batches by hand; buying a longer-aged cheese; getting something limited or seasonal; helping family farms; prioritizing craft and experience over scale and efficiency."

Murray's Cheese is a great place to splurge on your favorite cheeses and discover new options while also supporting the special craft of artisan cheese making.

Get a gift card from Murray's Cheese for $50+. (credit:Murray's Cheese)
Two necessary books for those serious about their cheese(03 of14)
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"Cheese-related things I think are necessary include a few good cheese books," Thorpe told HuffPost. In particular, one for cheese referencing and one for pairing.

"The Art of the Cheese Plate" offers clear direction on how to make elegant cheese boards with inspired accompaniments while also gaining a better understanding of how to taste cheese.

"The Oxford Companion to Cheese" is an encyclopedic endeavor that covers the long and expansive history of cheese, its chemistry and how to identify all cheeses globally and locally.

Thorpe also has her own book that guides its readers to discovering new cheeses that they will thoroughly enjoy.

Get "The Art of the Cheese Plate" from Amazon for $17.29.
Get "The Oxford Companion to Cheese" from Amazon for $45.38. (credit:Amazon)
A raclette cheese melter to get the makings of the traditional Swiss dish(04 of14)
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"My favorite cheese apparatus is a quarter-wheel raclette machine. There are various versions out there, but we love our Boska ones. There’s no replacement for melting a 4- to 5-pound chunk of cheese under a broiler while seated at the comfort of your table. Mimicking the tradition of melting raclette cheese fireside and scraping it onto a plate of potatoes, cornichon pickles and maybe some cured meats, this is my fave cheese-y dining experience," said Antonelli, who also hosts raclette cheese nights at Antonelli's Cheese House.

This industrially designed raclette machine from Boska uses a ceramic cap that effectively directs heat onto the cheese surface to create that desirable, ooey gooey texture.

Get it from Amazon for $179.99. (credit:Amazon)
A microplane slicer for cutting all kinds of cheese(05 of14)
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Thorpe told HuffPost that in her opinion, a microplane is her most essential cheese tool. This one from Boska features a precision-crafted blade that has a sharpened upper edge and a quilted pattern to prevent soft cheeses from sticking and hard cheeses from rolling up.

Get it from Williams Sonoma for $24.95. (credit:Williams Sonoma)
A nutty-sweet gin to pair with your cheese(06 of14)
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"A cheese board with mixed drinks is a no-brainer, and I wish more cocktail bars would develop cheese pairing menus. I’m a gin fiend, and if I’m home in the evening, I love fixing a French 75 or a Bee’s Knees with Barr Hill Gin. It’s made in Vermont, from local honey, and there’s just a hint of nutty-sweet beeswaxiness. It’s gorgeous with pretty much any cheese. Sometimes I just drink it on the rocks with a lemon twist and a hunk of young pecorino," Darlington said.

Get it from Flaviar for $34.99. (credit:Flaviar)
A subscription of wines to pair with your cheese(07 of14)
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If you're not a gin drinker, wine can be the next best palate partner when it comes to eating cheeses. This monthly wine subscription from Firstleaf is delivered right to your front door and can actually be more cost effective than stocking up on bottles of wine from the grocery store. Complete a quiz to help determine your wine preferences and then Firstleaf curates a box which you can rate to help the company determine what kinds of wines should be included in future orders.

Get it from Firstleaf for $39.95 for six bottles per month. (credit:Firstleaf)
A stash of reusable silicone bags to store your cheese(08 of14)
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Thorpe suggested having a lot of Ziplock baggies on hand for storing your cheese in the fridge, and these reusable food-grade silicone baggies by Stasher can be a great waste-free substitute. They are also dishwasher and microwave safe, so cleaning up any greasy residue that your delicious Parm left behind is no problem.

Get it from Stasher for $65.09. (credit:Stasher)
Wax-coated cheese paper to keep the goods fresh(09 of14)
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To keep your cheese safe from drying out in the fridge, Yescas recommended good quality cheese paper, which you can wrap your cheese in like the perfect little gift that it is.

"Once you get your cheese from the store, get it out of the plastic, and wrap it again in cheese paper. This will help your cheese to stay good for longer. Make sure you wrap the cheese well -- you don’t want any air getting in there and drying your cheese -- and make sure to only buy as much as you would in about 10 days," Yescas told HuffPost.

Get 30 sheets from Amazon for $17.50. (credit:Amazon)
A marble cheese dome to ripen soft cheeses(10 of14)
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"When I first entered the cheese lifestyle as a blogger, I bought a cheese dome with a marble base from a tiny cheese shop down the street from my house in Philadelphia. It’s still one of my favorite tools," Darlington said of this French kitchen marble cheese dome from Crate & Barrel. "The marble base keeps cheese cool, and the glass dome holds in humidity. I like to buy a funky washed rind or a bloomy Brie style and set it under the dome to ripen on the counter for a day or two in cool weather. Few things are better than a mattress-soft cheese with a little fresh fruit and a cocktail for supper."

Get it from Crate & Barrel for $59.95. (credit:Crate & Barrel)
A rustic and handmade cheese board(11 of14)
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"Most of the cheeses I love are still made by hand, and I like to serve them with other handmade things," Darlington said.

This handmade rustic board is completely unique; each has a different structure and texture. It's made from olive wood, which can be a more hygienic surface for serving and preparing foods. You also have the option to personalize your board with the seller.

Get it from Deepearthsource at Etsy for $63.13+. (credit:Etsy)
A perfect set of mini bowls for jams, spreads and honey(12 of14)
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"There’s nothing I love more than a beautiful cheese board surrounded by bowls of nuts, honey, jams and olives," Darlington told HuffPost.

These Puebla condiment bowls from Pottery Barn are produced in Mexico using glazed stoneware. Each bowl is hand painted and the perfect size to be filled with all kinds of accompaniments to your cheese board.

Get a set of four from Pottery Barn for $27. (credit:Pottery Barn)
A seven-piece set of French cheese knives(13 of14)
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"Most of my cheese knives come from thrift stores and flea markets. In France, I got turned on to Laguiole cheese knives, which are stunning. I always carry a Laguiole cheese spreader in my bag — it’s like a favorite pen," Darlington said.

This set of Laguiole blue ivory and stainless steel cheese knives contains everything you need to cut, spread and slice every kind of cheese from super soft Camembert to hard Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Get it from Amazon for $29. (credit:Amazon)
Cheese-themed kitchen towels to wipe your hands on while you eat cheese(14 of14)
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“I have a thing for educational kitchen towels. I bought a towel printed with French cheeses, and it’s the thing I send through the wash most often. I use it as a kitchen towel, an apron, a video prop, sometimes even as a scarf,” Darlington said.

Both of these kitchen towels are made from ultra-absorbent unbleached cotton and are machine washable.

Get the devil and cheese kitchen towel from AlwaysFits for $13.95.
Get the vintage cheese illustration kitchen towel from BooandPerdy at Etsy for $12.90. (credit:AlwaysFits, Etsy)
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