20 Christmas Mixed Drinks for the Grown Ups

This lineup of christmas mixed drinks covers every mood at the party, from a bubbly non-alcoholic punch the kids can pour themselves to a clearly-marked boozy option for the adults. Every recipe uses pantry-friendly juices, syrups and fizz you can find at any supermarket, so there's no last-minute scramble for obscure bottles. Amounts are given in both metric and imperial, and most drinks come together in under 10 minutes flat. Please drink responsibly: all alcoholic variations are labelled 21+ and are optional swaps on an otherwise family-friendly base.

Fill a tall glass with ice and pour over 120 ml (4 oz) chilled cranberry juice, 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice and 150 ml (5 oz) ginger beer for a snappy, cold-weather cooler that still feels festive. The ginger beer's spice plays against the tart cranberry, so you get warmth and refreshment in the same sip. Rim the glass with sugar first if you want extra sparkle for photos. For the grown-up table, add 45 ml (1.5 oz) vodka per glass and stir gently before topping with ice.

This is the traditional base most other punches on this list borrow from: 1 litre (4 cups) apple cider, 480 ml (2 cups) orange juice and 240 ml (1 cup) pineapple juice simmered gently with 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves and a sliced orange for 10 minutes. Simmer low and slow rather than boiling, or the citrus turns bitter. Strain out the whole spices before serving warm in mugs. Ladle into a slow cooker set to 'warm' for easy self-serve at parties.

Blend 180 ml (6 oz) cold brewed espresso or strong coffee, 240 ml (1 cup) milk, 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 1 tablespoon peppermint syrup and 300 g (2 cups) ice until smooth and slushy. This is the closest home version to the coffee-shop favourite, and it costs a fraction of the price. Top with whipped cream and a crush of candy cane for the classic finish. Swap dairy milk for oat milk if you want a creamier, slightly sweeter frappé without changing the method.

Blend 480 ml (2 cups) vanilla ice cream with 180 ml (6 oz) store-bought or homemade eggnog and a pinch of nutmeg until thick and pourable but still spoonable. This turns eggnog into a dessert rather than a drink, which makes it a hit with kids who find plain eggnog too rich. Dust the top with extra nutmeg or cinnamon right before serving so the spice doesn't sink. For the 21+ table, blend in 30 ml (1 oz) dark rum or bourbon per serving.

Combine 90 ml (3 oz) pomegranate juice with 150 ml (5 oz) chilled sparkling water or club soda over ice, then finish with a squeeze of lime. It's the lightest drink on this list, built for anyone who wants festive colour without heaviness after a big meal. Float fresh pomegranate seeds on top for a jewel-toned garnish that photographs beautifully. Use pomegranate liqueur in place of a third of the juice for an easy 21+ version.

Warm 1.5 litres (6 cups) apple cider with 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, 2 star anise and a few orange peel strips over low heat for 15 minutes, never letting it boil. This is the drink to have simmering on the stove while you decorate, since the smell does half the work of setting the mood. Keep it on low heat or in a slow cooker so guests can help themselves throughout the evening. Stir 45 ml (1.5 oz) spiced rum or bourbon into each mug for a boozy 21+ nightcap.

Whisk 480 ml (2 cups) cold chocolate milk with 2 tablespoons crushed candy cane and a splash of peppermint extract, then pour over ice for a sweet, kid-favourite cooler with a cold-weather twist. It's essentially hot chocolate reimagined for a house that's too warm for another hot mug. Rim the glass with crushed candy cane using a little corn syrup to make it stick. Blend with ice instead of pouring over cubes if you'd rather serve it slushy.

Blend 300 g (2 cups) frozen cranberries, 240 ml (1 cup) cranberry juice, 60 ml (2 oz) simple syrup and 200 g (1.5 cups) ice until completely smooth and slushy. This is the make-it-again favourite for kids' tables because it looks like a red slushie but is genuinely just fruit and juice. Adjust the syrup up or down depending on how tart your cranberries are. For an adult slush, blend in 60 ml (2 oz) vodka or cranberry vodka per batch of four servings.

Stir together 960 ml (4 cups) cranberry juice, 720 ml (3 cups) ginger ale and 240 ml (1 cup) orange juice in a large pitcher over ice for the simplest drink on this whole list. It takes under 5 minutes and needs nothing you don't already have around the holidays. Add the ginger ale last and gently so the punch stays fizzy instead of going flat. It's a lighter, faster stand-in for the spiced pitcher punch below on nights when you don't have time to infuse cinnamon and cloves.

Blend 480 ml (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, 120 ml (4 oz) milk, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon until smooth and thick. The molasses is what gives it that true gingerbread depth rather than just tasting like spiced vanilla. Serve immediately in a chilled glass, since this milkshake softens faster than a plain one thanks to the extra liquid from the molasses. Top with a crumbled gingerbread cookie for crunch.

Simmer 720 ml (3 cups) unsweetened red grape juice with 1 sliced orange, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves and 2 tablespoons brown sugar for 12 minutes, then strain and serve warm. It has all the deep, spiced flavour of mulled wine without a drop of alcohol, so it's the one you can hand to anyone at the party. Taste before serving and add more sugar if your grape juice is on the tart side. To make it the classic way, swap the grape juice for 720 ml (3 cups) dry red wine and simmer the same way (21+ only).

Pour 150 ml (5 oz) chilled sparkling apple cider into a flute or coupe glass and drop in 3-4 fresh cranberries so they bob to the surface. This is the go-to for a midnight toast that everyone at the table can raise, including kids and anyone not drinking. Chill the cider bottle for at least 2 hours beforehand so it pours with a proper fizz. A thin twist of orange peel across the rim adds a citrus aroma with the first sip.

Pour 150 ml (5 oz) chilled cream soda slowly over the back of a spoon on top of 60 ml (2 oz) grenadine already in the glass, so the two layers stay distinct rather than mixing. The slow pour is the whole trick here; rushing it just blends the colours into pink. Add ice first, then the grenadine, then the soda, always down the back of a spoon. Top with whipped cream and a mini candy cane for a drink that looks as good as it tastes.

This is the dedicated grown-ups' variation: combine 960 ml (4 cups) cranberry juice, 480 ml (2 cups) orange juice, 240 ml (8 oz) spiced rum and 480 ml (2 cups) ginger ale in a large punch bowl over ice, stirring gently to keep the fizz. It follows the same cranberry-orange-ginger formula as the other punches on this list, just built as its own separate batch so the rum only ever goes into the bowl meant for it. Always label this bowl clearly and keep it separate from the kids' punch so there's no mix-up. Please drink responsibly, only if you're 21 or older, and never drink and drive.

Whisk 480 ml (2 cups) whole milk, 120 ml (4 oz) heavy cream, 2 chai tea bags steeped for 5 minutes, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract, then chill for at least 1 hour before serving over ice. Steeping the chai directly in warm milk pulls out the spice flavour far better than adding chai spices dry. Strain out the tea bags before chilling so the flavour doesn't turn bitter. Serve in a short glass with a cinnamon stick stirrer for a smooth, lightly spiced sipper.

Whisk 480 ml (2 cups) cold milk with 60 g (2 oz) melted white chocolate and 0.25 teaspoon peppermint extract until smooth, then pour over ice for a cold twist on the classic mug. Melt the white chocolate gently in short bursts in the microwave so it doesn't seize before whisking it into the cold milk. This version is popular at parties held in warmer climates or heated homes where a steaming mug feels like too much. Garnish with crushed candy cane and a drizzle of extra melted white chocolate around the rim.

Stir 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon softened butter, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg into 200 ml (7 oz) hot apple cider until the butter fully melts and the mixture turns glossy. The butter is what gives this its signature richness, so don't skip it even though it sounds unusual in a warm drink. This mocktail version keeps all the cosy, buttery flavour of the original without any alcohol. For the true classic, stir in 45 ml (1.5 oz) dark rum along with the butter and sugar (21+ only).

Blend 240 ml (1 cup) milk, 300 g (2 cups) ice, 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup and a few drops of green food colouring until you get a bright, tree-green slush. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream, then dust with matcha powder or green sprinkles to mimic the pine-like coating on the coffee-shop original. Drizzle caramel sauce down the inside of the glass before pouring for that signature striped look. Add a red cherry on top to finish the tree effect.

Blend 400 ml (14 oz) coconut milk, 400 ml (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 240 ml (1 cup) evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg until silky smooth, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving in small glasses. This Puerto Rican-style holiday nog is richer and more coconut-forward than classic eggnog, and it's traditionally served in small pours since it's so creamy. Shake or stir well before each pour, as the coconut fat can separate as it chills. For the traditional 21+ version, blend in 240 ml (8 oz) white rum before chilling.

Fill a copper mug with ice and add 90 ml (3 oz) pomegranate juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) fresh lime juice and 2-3 thin slices of fresh ginger, then top with 150 ml (5 oz) ginger beer, stirring once gently. Pomegranate is deeper and less tart than cranberry, and the fresh ginger slices give this mule a spicier bite than a fizz made with ginger beer alone. Garnish with a lime wheel and a scatter of pomegranate seeds dropped right into the mug. Swap in 45 ml (1.5 oz) dark spiced rum for a Dark 'n' Stormy-style twist if you're serving the 21+ crowd.

Chill every juice, soda and glass ahead of time rather than relying on ice alone, since watered-down punch is the most common complaint at holiday parties. Make an ice ring or large ice block from extra juice instead of plain water so melting ice doesn't dilute the flavour. When you're building a boozy version of any drink here, add the alcohol last and stir gently so you don't lose the fizz from any sparkling ingredients. Always taste and adjust sweetness before serving a full batch, since juice brands vary a lot in sugar content.

Float thin orange and lime wheels, fresh or frozen cranberries, and rosemary sprigs on top of punches for a garnish that costs almost nothing but looks professionally styled. Sugar or crushed candy cane rims work best when you wet the glass edge with a lime wedge first, then dip it straight down into a shallow plate of sugar. For a warm drink station, set out cinnamon stick stirrers, orange peel twists and a small bowl of whole cloves so guests can customise their own mug. Label every alcoholic pitcher or bowl clearly and set it apart from the family-friendly versions.

Mix the juice base for any punch up to 2 days ahead and store it covered in the fridge, but hold back the ginger ale, soda water or sparkling cider until right before serving so the drink stays fizzy. Mulled cider and wassail can be made a day ahead, cooled, then gently reheated on the stove without losing flavour. Milkshake and frappé bases freeze well in an airtight container for up to 1 month; let them soften for 10 minutes before re-blending. Keep any boozy batch in a separate, clearly labelled container in the fridge so it never gets mixed up with the alcohol-free version.