Christmas is just around the corner and you are already thinking about what you wantfestive menuwill include? Then you should plan the drinks you will serve right away. If you would like to start the celebratory evening in a lively manner and welcome your guests with a delicious and visually appealing drink, then you have come to the right place. A soft aperitif with ingredients that go wonderfully with the cold season is always a good idea. A cocktail is perfect to start the festive meal. Whether classic with sparkling wine and Prosecco, creative with whiskey or even a long drink with gin: Below you will find tasty recipes for alcoholic, Christmas aperitifs that are not only a culinary delight, but also a real eye-catcher!
Aperitif for Christmas: This is what you should keep in mind when preparing a welcome drink
Aperitifs are traditionally served to guests as welcome drinks. They are designed to whet guests' appetites and set the mood are the perfect start to any dinner. The classic cocktails are made with alcohol and are slightly bitter. They were originally served in small glasses, but so-called long drinks have now established themselves as a modern alternative. The non-alcoholic versions are ideal for anyone who wants to start the evening in a more relaxed way.
The spices play a big role in the preparation. They can significantly influence the taste and are an important ingredient, especially at Christmas time. Traditionally at Christmas, the cocktails are flavored with gingerbread syrup.
By the way, many aperitifs are drunk hot in winter. Unlike summer cocktails, which have a fruity note, Christmas aperitifs are made with chocolate and liqueur.
Finger food can be served as an aperitif. Small appetizers, aromatic olives or even different types of cheese are suitable. The absolute classics are the French canapés – small slices of bread that can be topped with anything you like. If you like it uncomplicated, you can of course also serve potato chips with your welcome drink.
Warm, Christmas aperitif with cinnamon and whiskey
In the cold season, warm drinks are good for the body and are simply a must. How about a warm aperitif in winter that offers a warming and fragrant start to your Christmas menu? For this aperitif recipe you need the following ingredients:
- 20 ml Buttershots Schnapps
- 50 ml Whisky Winter Jack
- 360ml water
- 2 EL Honig
- Juice of one lemon
- Cinnamon sticks and/or cloves and nutmeg
Bring the water to a boil and stir in the honey until dissolved. Also cook the cinnamon sticks or other spices of your choice. Then add the whiskey and the butter shots and finally add the lemon juice. Remove the spices before serving.
Aperitif for Christmas: prepare a cocktail with vodka
If you want to create a real highlight at the festive table, you can think aboutthe presentation of the alcoholic drinkmake. A Christmas aperitif like this is sure to amaze everyone. What do you think about serving the aperitif in such an original way? Simply fill the rinsed Christmas balls with the aperitif and pour the drink in front of each guest. Christmas decorations are not just used to decorate the Christmas tree, right?
Required ingredients:
- 240 ml Vodka
- 120 ml orange liqueur
- 120 ml Kirschsaft
- 60 ml cranberry juice
- 60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- sweetened cranberries
- Ice cubes
Put the ice cubes in the shaker and add all the ingredients. Shake vigorously and pour into the Christmas balls. Distribute some of the sugared cranberries and a small sprig of rosemary into the four martini glasses.
Christmas cocktail – North Pole aperitif with chocolate flavor
The second recipe for a delicious Christmas aperitif that we have chosen for you is prepared with vodka and pampers the palate with a delicate chocolaty taste. For four Christmas cocktails you will need:
- 120 ml Vodka
- 60 ml Kahlúa coffee liqueur
- 4 tbsp chocolate syrup
- 1 TL for Van
- 3 TLblack molasses
- Msp. grated ginger
- 115 ml cream or whole milk
Put all the ingredients except the cream into the shaker and add ice cubes. Shake vigorously and distribute in the glasses. Finally, top up with cream or milk and decorate for Christmas.
Christmas aperitif with rum – White Mojito
Anyone who has a delicious,alcoholic cocktail with rumIf you want to serve it as an aperitif, you can prepare the white mojito. Especially when it's snowing outside, this Christmas aperitif is a real hit. With its white color, it brings the pure beauty of outside into your home.
Ingredients:
- Juice of one lime
- 8 leaves of mint
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp white rum
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Rum
- 60 ml coconut milk
- Carbonated water
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish
In a glass, stir together the sugar, lime juice and mint leaves. Rub the leaves to release the aromatics. Then fill the glass with ice cubes. Put the white rum, coconut rum and coconut milk in a blender and mix everything well. Now pour the mixture over the ice cubes and fill the glass with the sparkling water. Garnish with mint and pomegranate seeds.
Christmas aperitif with champagne
Another nice aperitif for Christmas would be this delicious champagne cocktail with fresh cranberries. The preparation is very easy and so you can use the time to chat with your guests. For this winter aperitif you will need champagne, cranberry juice, lime juice and fresh cranberries. Add some cranberry juice to the champagne glasses and a squeeze of lime juice to each. Fill the glass with the champagne and garnish with fresh fruit and lime or lemon zest.
Delicious aperitif for Christmas with champagne and perry brandy
If you would perhaps like to serve a festive, Christmas aperitif with a pleasant fruity note, you can try the combination of chilled Champagne or Prosecco and 30 ml of Poire Williams pear brandy. The alcoholic cocktail is ready in less than 5 minutes. First make a sugar rim on the champagne glass and then add the Poire Williams. Fill the glasses with Prosecco or Champagne and serve.
Christmas cocktail with pomegranate seeds and Prosecco
Prosecco is also very suitable for conjuring up a delicious aperitif at Christmas. The combination of tingling freshness and the sweet and sour taste of the fruit seeds creates a harmonious taste. For this refreshing drink you need the following ingredients for 2 aperitifs:
- Handful of pomegranate seeds
- 60 ml Pama pomegranate liqueur
- 15 ml Cointreau Orange liqueur
- Prosecco or champagne to top up
This wintery Prosecco aperitif is guaranteed to delight your guests, and not just at Christmas time.
Quick and attractive aperif for Christmas with Prosecco
If you're looking for last minute cocktail recipe ideas, this simple but delicious prosecco aperitif might be right for you and your guests. The sparkling Prosecco is combined with spicy ginger beer, creating a great taste experience. Some light, airy cotton candy that you can place on the glasses provides a visual highlight.
Ingredients:
- chilled prosecco or champagne
- Ginger beer
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Zucker
- white cotton candy
First mix the fine sugar with the grated ginger and set aside. Dip the rim of the glass into ginger beer and then into the sugar-ginger mixture. Fill the champagne glasses 1/3 full with ginger beer and then fill them to the top with Prosecco. Garnish with small balls of cotton candy and sprinkle with golden-colored sugar sprinkles if desired.
Prepare a Christmas aperitif with sparkling wine
If you want to serve a delicious aperitif in winter, be it before a festive Christmas dinner or simply as an aromatic drink on a relaxed evening, you can prepare this delicious cocktail with homemade rosemary syrup and sparkling wine.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml clementine juice
- 15 ml lime juice
- 15 ml homemade rosemary syrup
- 90 ml sparkling wine or prosecco
For the syrup:
- Rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
- 250g sugar
- 450 ml water
- The clementine zest
First prepare the syrup. Bring the water and sugar to the boil and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and add the clementine zest and rosemary leaves. Allow the liquid to cool and strain it. You can store the syrup in the refrigerator. For the delicious aperitif with sparkling wine, mix all the ingredients together and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and clementine zest.
Non-alcoholic aperitif for Christmas
If there is someone among the guests who abstains from alcohol, you can ask themnon-alcoholic cocktailoffer. A Christmas aperitif in blue will certainly be well received. For the simple recipe you need for 4 servings:
- 1 tbsp. Berry Blue Kool-Aid Drink Powder
- 240 ml Ananassaft
- 240 ml white grape juice
- 480 ml Sprite
- Ice cubes
Put the powdered drink in a container, add the juices and pour the non-alcoholic drink over the ice cubes.
Christmas cocktail with sparkling wine, grenadine and cranberries
Relax after a busy day before Christmas with a delicious Christmas cocktail in your hand. And since things can get a little more festive before Christmas, you can treat yourself and your guests to a drink of sparkling wine. In the next recipe, sparkling wine and grenadine harmonize perfectly in a sparkling drink. Cranberries and pine branches decorate the glasses and bring a gentle forest aroma to the nose.
Ingredients for 4 cocktails:
- 180 ml Grenadine
- 120 ml Cranberrysaft
- 88 ml sparkling wine
- Cocktail garnish: Fresh cranberries and pine branches or rosemary
First mix the grenadine with the cranberry juice. Fill the champagne glasses 1/3 full with the juice and then fill them to the top with champagne. Decorate the glasses with pine branches and cranberries. Our tip: The cocktail is served without ice cubes. So that it still tastes good, you should let all the ingredients cool down. You can also freeze the cranberries and use them to garnish the alcoholic drink.
Christmas cocktail with gin, lychees and strawberries
What makes the next recipe for Christmas cocktail with gin so special are the exotic ingredients. Lychees, the fruit of the lychee tree, have an intense sweet flavor that is guaranteed to get you and your guests in vacation mode. The delicious Christmas version of the popular gin cocktail combines strawberries, maple syrup and cinnamon.
Ingredients for 4 cocktails:
- 400 ml sparkling water
For the lychee layer:
- 380 – 400 g canned lychees, drained
- 8 ice cubes
- 180 ml Gin
For the strawberry layer:
- 1 kg strawberries, chopped
- 4 tsp maple syrup
- 3-4 pinches of cinnamon, finely ground
- 2 TL Vanilleextrakt
- Juice from one lemon
- 2 pinches of salt
For the mint layer:
- 150g crushed ice cubes
- 60 fresh mint leaves, chopped small
First, puree all the ingredients for the lychee layer in a blender. Mix all the ingredients for the strawberry layer in a bowl and mash them with a pestle. Crush ice cubes and mix them with the chopped mint leaves in a separate bowl. First divide the lychee mixture into four 400 ml cocktail glasses, then carefully and slowly pour the strawberry layer into the glasses. Garnish with the mint layer.
Christmas cocktail with Campari, vodka and orange juice
The next Christmas cocktail with Campari and vodka will be presented tone-on-tone with the Christmas decorations. Garnished with cranberries and flavored with orange juice, the fruity drink gives you another reason to toast and makes the evening unforgettable. Ring in the start of the Christmas season with a pre-Christmas party and surprise your friends with a delicious drink.
Ingredients for 4 cocktails:
- 60 ml Vodka
- 60 ml Campari
- 60 ml Orangenlikör “Triple Sec”
- 120 ml orange juice
- 240 ml Cranberrynektar
- 350 ml Prosecco Wein
- Cocktail garnish: 12 fresh cranberries, three cranberries per glass
Fill four 250 ml glasses with coarsely crushed ice cubes. Mix all the other well-chilled ingredients and divide them into the chilled glasses and stir. Decorate the finished cocktails with cranberries and serve immediately with two drinking straws in each glass.
Christmas cocktail with pomegranate, orange juice and gin
With the next recipe you can add variety to the glasses. All you need is pomegranate, orange juice and gin, which make the perfect mix for a delicious Christmas cocktail. Pine branches provide an extra dose of flavor. Just the thing for cozy winter evenings for two as well as for a company party with colleagues. By the way, this cocktail has two versions: the first with and the second without alcohol.
Ingredients for four cocktails with alcohol:
- 360 ml Granatapfelsaft
- 180 ml orange juice
- 180 ml Gin
Ingredients for four alcohol-free cocktails:
- 360 ml Granatapfelsaft
- 180 ml orange juice
- 4 cl (Zentiliter) Vanillesirup
- 180 ml non-alcoholic sparkling wine
- 40 ml lime juice
- Ice cubes
This is how the alcoholic version is made: Mix 360 ml pomegranate juice with 180 ml orange juice and divide them into four 150 ml glasses. Slowly pour 45 ml of gin around the edge of the glass. Garnish the glasses with oranges and pine branches and serve the cocktails well chilled.
This is how the non-alcoholic version is made: Put the ice cubes, the pomegranate juice, the orange and lime juice, the sparkling wine and the vanilla syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake all the ingredients. Pour them into glasses and garnish the cocktails with lime zest.
Christmas cocktail with Baileys
The next cocktail is guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit. The flavor composition of raspberry, coffee and hazelnut liqueur creates a refreshing mix. The ingredients harmonize perfectly with each other and can be garnished with any seasonal berries. You can complete the festive dinner with the Baileys drink.
Ingredients for four cocktails:
- 240 ml Baileys Irish Cream
- 240 ml hazelnut liqueur
- 120 ml raspberry liqueur
- 60 ml Mocha – Kaffeelikör
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Prise Vanillepulver
- Ice cubes, smashed
Add all well-chilled ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Divide them into four glasses and sprinkle the cocktails with cinnamon and vanilla powder. Garnish the glasses with any frozen cherries, strawberries or cranberries and serve the cocktails immediately afterwards.
Especially at Christmas you can treat yourself to a delicious cocktail. In our Christmas recipe collection you will find numerous ideas for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Whether it's a sparkling drink, an exotic party drink or a Baileys cocktail with cake in the afternoon: you'll find something to suit every taste here.
