10 Christmas Themed Alcoholic Beverages

The holidays are a time of heavy drinking. Use these recipes to keep yourself in the proper Christmas "spirit."

1. Eggnog

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[Eds. note: This is how you do eggnog right.]

Ingredients:

1 large grade AA egg, separated

2 tsp superfine sugar

1 oz heavy cream

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 oz Mount Gay rum

dashes of grated cinnamon and nutmeg for garnish

Instructions:

1. Separate the egg into two bowls.

2. Beat the yolk until stiff.

3. Beat the white with 1 tsp. sugar until peaks form.

4. Slowly fold the white and yolk together.

5. Separately, beat the cream with the almond, vanilla, and 1 tsp. sugar in a bowl until stiff.

6. fold in the cream with the egg mixture.

7. Add Mt. Gay and stir gently.

8. Refrigerate overnight, or serve immediately over ice in a punch glass or martini glass.

9. Garnish with grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

Or, if you're less ambitious, just use store-bought eggnog, mix with rum (preferably Mt. Gay, not just because of the name, but because it's delicious), garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon.

2. Candy Cane

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Ingredients:

3/4 oz SKYY Berry vodka

3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps

3/4 oz white Crème de Cacao

1/4 oz grenadine

1 candy cane

half and half

soda water

Instructions:

1. Pour the vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, white Creme de Cacao and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Pour into a cocktail glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy.

4. Fill with half and half.

5. Top with a splash of soda water.

6. Garnish with a candy cane and serve.

3. Berry Christmas Sangria

Via passportmagazine.com

Ingredients:

9 oz VeeV Açaí Spirit

9 oz red wine

9 oz strawberry pureé or pomegranate juice

9 oz cranberry juice

fresh fruit for garnish

Instructions:

1. Build in an ice-filled pitcher and stir well.

2. Garnish with fresh fruit, serve.

4. Angel's Delight

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Ingredients:

1 oz cream

3/4 oz triple sec

3/4 oz gin

2-3 dashes grenadine

Instructions:

1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

5. English Christmas Punch

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[Eds. note: This is the perfect drink for a Christmas party, as the recipe makes 27 servings. Also, because there's fire involved, don't start making this one if you're already drunk. It won't end well.]

Ingredients:

750 mL bottle dark rum

750 mL bottle dry red wine

3 cups strong tea

1 lb superfine sugar

1 one large orange, for juice

1 lemon, for juice

Instructions:

1. Heat, but do not allow to boil, the wine, tea, lemon and orange juices in a saucepan or chafing dish.

2. Pour the heated mix into a heat proof punch bowl.

3. Place as much sugar as possible into a large ladle and any excess sugar into the punch bowl.

4. Saturate the sugar in the ladle with rum.

5. Ignite the rum and sugar in the ladle and pour it while still aflame into the punch.

6. Stir well and extinguish the flames.

7. Pour the remainder of the rum into the punch.

8. Stir well.

6. Celebration

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Ingredients:

1 oz Cognac

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz lemon juice

1.5 oz rum

1 (each) orange peel

Instructions:

1. Shake over ice.

2. Pour into a cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with orange peel, and serve.

7. Holiday Hopper

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Ingredients:

1 oz Midori melon liqueur

1/2 oz green creme de menthe

1/2 oz white creme de cacao

2 oz half and half

mint leaves for garnish

raspberry for garnish

Instructions:

1. Pour the ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a cocktail glass.

4. Garnish with a mint leaves and a raspberry.

8. The North Pole

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Ingredients:

1 dollop whipped cream

1 (each) white egg

1 gin

0.5 oz. lemon juice

0.5 oz. maraschino liqueur

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients (except whipped cream) into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Strain into a cocktail glass.

3. Top with whipped cream and serve.

9. The Grinch

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Ingredients:

2 oz Midori

1/2 oz lemon juice

1 tsp simple syrup

1 maraschino cherry for garnish

Instructions:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a punch or cocktail glass.

4. Garnish with a maraschino cherry, serve.

10. Mistletoe Martini

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[Eds. note: The perfect cocktail to get you and your potential lover (hopefully not a relative) in the proper mood for Christmas.]

Ingredients:

2 oz vodka

2 oz orange juice

3 oz cranberry tea, chilled

3/4 oz lemon juice

3 tsp sugar

Instructions:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses.