Delicious Winter Beverages To Toast To The Holiday Season

Toasting to the holidays is among the most festive ways to celebrate the season, with cozy cocktails and drinks taking center stage. From comforting eggnog to the fun fizzle of champagne, there’s no shortage of beverages that radiate the warmth and good time that abound this time of year.

Ease is also a priority when it comes to any refreshments, as ingredient and recipe overload after Thanksgiving is very real. So, we’ve partnered with Walmart to ensure your drink-making experience is simple, but celebratory. You can get what you’ll need for any libations delivered straight to your door from the store* with their Walmart+ membership, which also features mobile scan & go in case you need to pick up anything last minute in a store near you.

Ready to begin? Mixologists are experts at making even the most tried-and-true drink taste sensational, so we leveraged their expertise on a whole host of aperitifs and mocktails that radiate the reason for the season in beverage form.

Select the recipes below and start mixing!

Spiced Apple Cider Toddy

by Lilly Deforest & Greg Campbell, sommeliers and mixologists in New York City

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 12 ounces apple cider

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 whole nutmeg

• 5 whole cloves, plus 10 for garnish

• 1 ounce lemon juice

• 2 ounces honey

• 2 slices Granny Smith apple, studded with 5 whole cloves each for garnish

• 2 ounces Calvados, or other apple brandy (optional)

Instructions

1. Place apple cider in a medium saucepan over low heat.

2. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg and honey.

3. Cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy if desired.

5. Serve in a mug, garnished with clove-studded apple slices.

Leftover Candied Yams Milkshake

by Tisha Salkey, food blogger at DishItWithTisha

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cup milk

• 2 cups ice cream

• ⅔ cup candied yams (or 1 slice of sweet potato pie)

• Ground pumpkin spice for garnish (optional)

• Whipped cream (optional)

• 3 ounces bourbon (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend milk, ice cream, candied yams, and bourbon if desired, until smooth.

2. Pour an equal amount into two glasses.

3. Garnish with whipped cream and ground pumpkin spice and serve.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Nog

by Lilly Deforest & Greg Campbell, sommeliers and mixologists in New York City

Serves 2 to 4

Nog Ingredients

• 24 ounces eggnog

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 ounces Kentucky Bourbon (optional)

Garnish Ingredients

• 8 ounces candied pecans, finely chopped

• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Ingredients

• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon Kentucky Bourbon (optional)

Garnish Instructions

1. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe vessel, then microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is thoroughly softened. Stir until smooth and place onto a small plate.

2. Place chopped pecans onto another small plate.

3. Dip serving glass into melted chocolate, thoroughly coating the rim.

4. Dip chocolate-coated glass into chopped pecans. Gently rotate glass and press nuts into chocolate using fingers, until the rim is well-coated.

5. Place glass, still on plate, in the freezer to firm up chocolate. Repeat for other glass(es), and leave in the freezer while making the drink and whipped cream.

Whipped Cream Instructions

1. Place heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl, along with sugar and vanilla. Add bourbon as well, if desired.

2. Whisk until stiff peaks form for approximately 5 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use whisk attachment on a medium-high setting and whisk for approximately 2 minutes.

3. Cover whipped cream and refrigerate until use.

Eggnog Instructions

1. Place eggnog in a medium bowl, along with brown sugar and vanilla. Add bourbon as well, if desired. Whisk until incorporated.

2. Remove chilled glass from the freezer and pull away from the plate.

3. Fill glass to just below the rim with eggnog mixture.

4. Scoop or pipe whipped cream over eggnog mixture.

5. Garnish with additional chopped pecans and one whole candied pecan.

Spiced Cranberry Punch

by Troy Lococo, Mixologist in New York City and Dallas

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons puréed cranberry sauce

• ¼ cup pineapple juice

• 1 cup Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite

• Fresh cranberries

• Fresh pineapple slices

• 1 ounce Vodka (optional)

Instructions

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.

2. Add pineapple juice and pureed cranberry sauce. Add vodka as well, if desired. Stir.

3. Add Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite into glass.

4. Add fresh cranberries and rim the glass with a fresh slice of pineapple.

Mimosa with Holiday Spiced Sorbetto Bombs

by Michael Keller, proprietor and instructor at The Wine Blending Lab

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 juiced oranges

• 2 juiced pomegranates

• 1 juiced lime

• 1 zested small orange

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon allspice

• 1 bottle sparkling apple cider

• 1 bottle Prosecco (optional)

• 500ml Rosé (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine 2 oranges, 2 pomegranates and 1 lime in a juicer. Add fruit juice blend into ice cube trays and place in the freezer until frozen solid, for approximately 2 to 4 hours. For the alcoholic version, add 2 cups of Rosé into ice cube trays and freeze until frozen solid.

2. Once ice trays are frozen, empty them into a food processor or blender. Pulse the cubes until they resemble an icy liquid form.

3. Add honey, spices and the zest of orange. Mix to incorporate and then pour liquid back into ice trays. Your liquid should still be slushy at this stage and not totally liquified.

4. Return the tray to the freezer and freeze until the tray is completely frozen for an additional 2 to 4 hours.

5. Chill a bottle of sparkling apple cider or Prosecco in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and get glasses ready for serving.

6. Depending on the size of ice cubes (now sorbetto bombs), add 1 to 3 to each of your glasses.

7. Pour over with your sparkling apple cider or Prosecco and serve immediately. The sorbetto bombs will dissolve as you sip and the beverage should thicken with spice notes.

Peppermint Dalgona Coffee

by Allison Tkachenko, drink expert and blogger at You Should Be Drinking This

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons water

• A few drops of peppermint extract

• Chocolate syrup

• Candy of choice, crushed; chocolate covered pretzels, peppermint, sprinkles

• 4 ounces milk

• 2 ounces Vodka (optional)

• 2 ounces Bailey’s (optional)

Whipped Cream Instructions

1. In a metal bowl using a hand mixer, mix instant coffee, sugar, peppermint extract and water until consistency is light in color and frothy. This takes approximately 15 minutes.

Drink Instructions

1. Add milk in a shaker tin with ice and shake. For the alcoholic version, combine equal parts vodka and Bailey’s in a shaker tin with ice and shake.

2. Dip the rim of a glass in chocolate syrup, then dip in crushed candy of choice.

3. Strain milk or vodka and Bailey’s mixture into glass.

4. Spoon whip on top of the liquid and serve.

Spiced Pear Sour

by John Williams, proprietor of Burnside Brooklyn

Serves 1

Ingredients

• ¾ ounces fresh lemon juice

• 1 medium-sized ginger root

• ¾ ounces ginger syrup

• 1 ½ ounces apple cider

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Lemon wheel for garnish

• 1 ounce rye whiskey (optional)

• 1 ounce St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur (optional)

Ginger Syrup Instructions

1. Peel and mince 1 medium-sized ginger root.

2. Combine in a pot with two cups each of water and table sugar.

3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

4. Cool and strain.

Drink Instructions

1. Add all ingredients and ice into a shaker tin and shake well.

2. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.

3. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Mulled Cider or Mulled Wine

by Michael Keller, proprietor and instructor at The Wine Blending Lab

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 250ML apple cider

• 250ML pomegranate juice

• 250ML cranberry juice

• 1 zested small orange

• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• 3 teaspoons pumpkin spices (cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves)

• 2 teaspoons loose leaf holiday spiced black tea or chai tea

• Rosemary sprigs for garnish

• 400ML Zinfandel (optional)

• 300ML Cabernet Sauvignon (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend apple cider, pomegranate juice and cranberry juice in a measuring cup at room temperature. For the alcoholic version, blend Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon in a measuring cup at room temperature.

2. Add juice or wine blend to a saucepan or a crock pot and add remaining ingredients, but reserve half of the orange zest and half of the pumpkin spices for later.

3. Heat juice or wine and spice blend over lowest heat until you hit approximately 150 degrees F, steeping the concoction like tea. Delicate frothing will start to occur and steam will flow off of the surface when you swirl or mix the liquid.

4. Take the mulled juice or wine cocktail off the heat and strain into your serveware.

5. Add the remaining orange zest pumpkin spices, while also dropping one sprig of rosemary into the pitcher. Mix one more time with any large spoon.

6. Serve in sturdy heat-proof glasses that can be held and/or withstand the heat as you want to drink this cocktail warm.

Wintery Spritz

by Allison Tkachenko, drink expert and blogger at You Should Be Drinking This

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 ounce cranberry rosemary simple syrup

• 2 ¼ cups cranberries (equivalent to 1 bag)

• 1 to 2 sprigs rosemary

• 1 cup honey

• 1 cup water

• ¼ lemon, juiced

• Club soda

• Edible glitter

• 2 ounces gin (optional)

Ice Instructions

1. Fill an ice cube tray with a sprig of rosemary, a few cranberries and edible glitter.

2. Fill with water and freeze overnight.

3. To make clear ice, boil water first. Let cool and then add to ice trays.

Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup Instructions

1. Add water, honey and rinsed cranberries to a pot. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat.

2. Once it starts to boil, add in rosemary sprigs and bring temperature to low. Let simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Cool and then drain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

4. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spritz Instructions

1. Add one Spritz cube to a wine glass.

2. Pour 1 ounce cranberry rosemary simple syrup over the cube. For the alcoholic version, add 2 ounces of gin.

3. Take ¼ of a lemon and squeeze into glass.

4. Top off with soda water and stir.

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From Walmart:

With free delivery* from your store, mobile scan and go and member prices on fuel, a Walmart+ membership saves you hours each week during the holidays and beyond. From groceries to gifts, it helps get everything delivered right to your door. Walmart+ members can also now get free next-day and two-day shipping on items shipped from Walmart.com — no order minimum required.** More savings. More time. More joy in your (holi)day.

This article was paid for by Walmart and co-created by RYOT Studio. HuffPost editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content.

* $35 minimum. Restrictions apply.

** Excludes oversized, freight and Marketplace items.