Looking for a tasty cocktail to ring in the new year with? Nothing celebrates the holidays quite like a delicious holiday drink! If you’re hosting a holiday get-together or New Year’s bash, a cocktail is the perfect way to enhance your party. When planning your holiday party, here are a few easy-to-make and festive holiday drinks that are perfect for your gathering.

The Grinch Cocktail

Sure, the Grinch never confessed to having a lot of holiday cheer, but this cocktail will bring plenty of joy to your holiday party with a zingy, refreshing tang! To make a serving follow the recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces vodka
• ½ ounces melon liqueur
• Lime juice from 3 wedges
• Top with ginger ale
• Garnish with green sugar, and a candy cane

Start by pouring the vodka and melon liqueur into an iced shaker. Next, juice the three wedges, cover them, and shake thoroughly before pouring them into a coupe glass or tumbler. Next, top with ginger ale. You can either do a splash for less seltzer or give a hearty pour if you like more bubbles in your cocktail.

For a party-size preparation of this cocktail, just combine the vodka, liqueur, and lime juice ahead of time and then ice it and top it with ginger ale when served. You can also pre-prepare the glasses with their garnish.

The Holly Jolly Christmas Cocktail

This classy holiday classic feels like Christmas in a cup, with the zestiness of a holiday orange, the sweetness of the liqueur, and some holiday herbs to tie together the perfect sampling of the season. Check out the ingredients you’ll need below:

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of vodka
• ½ ounces of elderflower liqueur
• ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (blood orange is best)
• Top with ginger beer
• Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or thyme

Combine the vodka and liqueur in an iced shaker along with the freshly squeezed orange juice and shake thoroughly until frosty. Next, pour into a tumbler or punch glass using the ice from mixing or fresh ice, and top with a splash of ginger beer for some bubbles. And, of course, garnish with your sprig of mint for an amazing aroma or thyme for a more grounded, savory complement to the drink’s sweetness.

If preparing a large batch for your party, you can pre-combine the vodka, liqueur, and orange juice ahead of time, though be sure not to include ice until shaking! You can garnish the glasses ahead of time, as well.

The Spice Box

Hanukkah is another delightful part of the holiday season, and if you’re looking for a tasty drink to enjoy while your party lights the menorah, The Spice Box is a rich and delicious addition to your Hanukkah party! Here’s how to make a glass:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces bourbon
• ¾ ounces Besamim liqueur
• ½ ounce coffee liqueur
• Garnish with a lemon peel

Combine the bourbon with the Besamim liqueur and coffee liqueur in a tumbler or old-fashioned glass and stir gently. Add a large single ice cube, stirring gently once more before garnishing with a lemon peel.

To prepare for a party, you can pre-combine all ingredients and simply add them to ice and garnish as needed.

The French 75

One of mixology’s most classic cocktails, The French 75 is simple, delicious, and with its celebration of champagne as a signature ingredient, the perfect cocktail to ring in the new year! Here’s how to prepare a serving:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces gin
• 0.5 ounces of simple syrup
• Top with champagne
• Garnish with a lemon ribbon

Truly a simple but delightful cocktail; simply add the gin and simple syrup into a champagne flute, and then fill to the brim with champagne, garnishing with your lemon ribbon at the end. Be sure to keep the champagne chilled and corked until ready to serve to ensure you keep the drink bubbly and festive.

Enjoy these recipes this holiday season with your friends and family. Contact Payless Liquors today for more ideas on how to make your party festive.

With Christmas Day fast approaching, many may still be looking for the perfect gift to get for friends and family. But when it comes to gifting for the cocktail lovers in your life, there are a lot of possibilities. Whether you’re looking to get the cocktail lover in your life the latest mixology gear, the perfect set of glasses, or of course, a delicious bottle of liquor, we have the guide you need to buy for the liquor lover in your life this Christmas!

New Glassware for Mixing and Drinking

Any cocktail maestro knows there is a glass for every occasion. Whether they are in need of a set of stout simple tumblers and old-fashioned glasses, classy and broad snifters, or a set of fun martini glasses for their next party, you should ask if there are any specific drink vessels that your friend or family member is in need of. Many aspiring home mixologists will be overjoyed to get a set of new glasses.

For cocktail lovers who already have their cabinets filled with an impressive collection of classic glasses, a decanter might be a great gift. Storing alcohol in a decanter allows for the liquor to breathe and helps to release more flavor. Similarly, a decanter can be the centerpiece of a bar, with a variety of intricate glass or even crystal stylings, as well as many different color options to match the bar’s ambiance.

Novelty glasses, like a fun, exotic tiki glass, are also a great gift idea for any cocktail lover, as these can be harder to find, and their whimsical appearance makes for a great conversation topic at parties.

Cocktail Books

Even the most experienced cocktail creators enjoy hearing about new recipes, and a cocktail book makes for a great gift to help the liquor lovers in your life expand their own home bar menus. Cocktail books can open the door to delicious new recipes or old undiscovered classics for a cocktail lover. There are even themed cocktail books that celebrate sports, movies, or shows that can be a great guide for themed parties.

Also, be sure to ask the cocktail lover in your life if there are any mixologists or chefs they admire. Most celebrity chefs and drink makers have their own mixology recipe books that not only have plenty of tasty recipes but also share their own stories about their journey as cocktail craftspeople.

Bartending Tools

For the up-and-coming mixologists, a great holiday gift to consider is a bar tool kit. These will consist of commonly used bar tools that many people who are just getting started in mixology don’t have in their kitchen cabinets. These kits include strainers, mixing spoons, measured shot glasses, and other important utensils that are key to making a cocktail.

For the more experienced mixologists, you can consider gifting them higher-ticket bartending tools like an immersion blender or a smoker to take their cocktail creation to the next level.

A Nice Bottle of Booze

There are few presents better to give your liquor-loving friends than a nice bottle of their favorite booze. Whether you are getting them a nicely aged whiskey or scotch, a deliciously distilled tequila, or a rare specialty liqueur, whatever liquor you buy them, Payless Liquors has a terrific selection to choose from.

The classic Negroni drink has undergone many iterations of change and experimentation since it appeared in the early 20th century. It was an experiment on the Americano, swapping the soda for gin. The base ingredients of the classic Negroni are equal amounts of gin, Campari, and vermouth. You have an entirely new drink by swapping the gin out with bourbon or rum.

The Negroni Sbagliato has recently come into new popularity as the result of Emma D’Arcy, star of HBO’s House of the Dragon, listing in their spell-binding voice the Sbagliato as their drink of choice. The Sbagliato is a form of the Negroni which switches the gin for sparkling wine, such as champagne or Prosecco, as D’Arcy added. It’s one of the most famous Italian cocktails. So how does making it differ from a classic Negroni?

The Classic Negroni

Though we’ve explained the base ingredients of a classic Negroni, the specifics are important. Campari is bold, and you don’t want the other elements to overpower or be overpowered by the bitter flavor. Select a sweet vermouth and gin pair that complements the Campari for the best Negroni drink.

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce gin
• 1 ounce Campari
• 1-ounce sweet vermouth
• Orange peel garnish

Add the gin, Campari, and vermouth in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until chilled. Then, strain the mix into a rocks glass or tumbler with a large ice cube and add the orange peel garnish.

A Negroni Sbagliato

Supposedly, the alcohol switch that created this cocktail was done by mistake or because of a lack of gin. Sbagliato means “mistake” or “bungled” in Italian, as this drink is a twist on the standard Negroni. It is delicious despite its apparent mistaken nature, replacing the gin of the classic Negroni with sparkling water such as champagne or Prosecco.

The classic Negroni is a more bitter drink, and it’s not for everyone. The Sbagliato is both sweet and bitter, thanks to the sweet vermouth, fortified wine-red vermouth, and Campari, a bitter dark red Italian liqueur mixed with the bubbly and bright Prosecco. The sparkling wine adds a sweetness to it that the gin doesn’t. It also makes the alcohol content of the Sbagliato lower than the classic Negroni.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounce Prosecco or sparkling wine
• 1 ½ ounces Campari
• 1 ½ ounces sweet vermouth
• Orange peel garnish

Add the Campari and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Add the orange peel twist for a garnish. Once chilled, strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and top off with the Prosecco or sparkling wine.

For Sbagliato served up, strain the Campari and vermouth into a champagne flute, add the Prosecco, and stir again.

A Sbagliato is a simple drink at home, and it’s a decadent cocktail you can spend the evening with. Find all the necessary ingredients at your local Payless Liquors and enjoy this delicious drink.

It’s essential to enjoy the fall while it’s here, especially if you live somewhere that will be buried under snow in a couple of months. Now is the perfect time to enjoy a hard cider, with the crisp and cold weather that pairs perfectly with a little bite.

Whether you prefer warm or cold, there are plenty of options for a delicious ready-made cider on a chilly orange November evening. However, if you’re looking for something fun, you can create your cider cocktail with an apple-flavored whiskey, butterscotch, or apple vodka. You may even find your new go-to drink for these biting fall months.

The Apple Pie

Combining all the delicious flavors of fall, this cocktail is the perfect cool drink for an autumn night.

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce vanilla vodka
• ¾ ounce apple cider
• ¾ ounce cinnamon whiskey
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• Hard cider
• Cinnamon stick garnish

Add the vanilla vodka, cinnamon whiskey, apple cider, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Then, strain the mix into a rocks glass over ice, and top off the rest with hard cider. Add the cinnamon stick garnish.

Spiced Hard Cider

A simple recipe allows you to give your favorite hard cider an extra bite, complementing the flavors and making the drink a little extra special.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounce spiced rum
• ½ ounce lime juice
• ¼ ounce syrup
• Hard cider
• Cinnamon stick garnish

Combine the spiced rum, syrup, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Add an optional garnish of a cinnamon stick. Strain over a glass of ice and top off the remainder of the tumbler with your favorite brand of hard cider.

Sparkling Hard Apple Cider Sangria

Perfect to make for yourself or have the pitcher on hand for a seasonal gathering; this cocktail is a sweet and refreshing drink for autumn.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brandy
• Five 12-ounce bottles of hard cider
• 2-3 ounces of orange juice
• 2 ounces of lemon juice
• One apple, diced
• One orange, sliced
• Two cinnamon sticks, additional for garnish

Place the cut fruit into a large pitcher, and then add the brandy, cinnamon sticks, lemon, and orange juice. Mix, and chill the mixture, giving the cinnamon about half an hour to flavor the brandy. Add the apple cider, stir before serving, and garnish glasses with a cinnamon stick.

Hard Cider Mule

An autumn spin on a classic drink, this refreshing cocktail could be the perfect drink tonight.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of apple vodka
• 1 ½ ounces ginger beer
• ½ ounce lime juice
• Hard cider
• Mint sprig and lime for garnish

In a tumbler or copper mug, combine vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer over ice, and then top off with your favorite hard cider. Stir the mixture, and garnish with a slice of lime and mint sprig, if you want.

Pick up all the ingredients you need to make the perfect cocktail at your local Payless Liquors.

As we barrel towards the holidays, it’s a great time to discover some easy fall cocktails. When you need the perfect cocktail to pair with your holiday meal, you want a simple-to-make and delightful cocktail perfect for the season. Whether you want a glass for yourself or to impress the family gathering at Thanksgiving, we have some delicious fall drinks to spice up your day.

Apple Cider Bellini Cocktail

A simple cocktail recipe for one or for a group, this drink fits perfectly with the chill in the air and upcoming festivities. Here’s how you can make one serving.

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce apple cider
• One teaspoon of orange liqueur
• One teaspoon of maple syrup
• Chilled Prosecco to fill the rest of the glass
• Rosemary sprigs for a garnish

Shake the apple cider, orange liqueur, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice until chilled. Pour this mixture into your champagne glass and pour in the Prosecco. Then garnish with a rosemary sprig.

For a larger serving, keep the shaken ingredients separate from the Prosecco and keep them chilled until you’re ready to serve.

Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

Perfect for a warming feeling as winter starts in full force, this sour whiskey offers just a touch of sweetness for a delicious drink. For one glass, follow these steps, and multiply by servings desired as necessary.

Ingredients:

• Three tablespoons bourbon
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• Three teaspoons of maple syrup
• A pinch of ground cinnamon

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled ⅔ with ice until chilled. Strain the mixture over fresh ice in your glass and enjoy.

Cranberry Sangria

When you know you’ve got a big holiday gathering, this sangria is excellent to serve alongside an incredible meal. Easy to make, put in a pitcher, and refrigerate for a couple of days as you work on the rest of the meal; this drink is easy to make and serve. For about four servings in a medium pitcher, follow these steps.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole cranberries
• Two apples, diced, tossed with lemon juice
• 1 cup apple cider
• ¼ cup cranberry juice
• One bottle of white wine
• 1 cup seltzer water

Put the diced apples and whole cranberries into your pitcher, then pour in the apple cider, cranberry juice, and white wine. Stir, then chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Nutty Irishman Cocktail

A rich and unique cocktail, this drink is perfect for a cold night, combining creaminess with a nutty liqueur for a decadent holiday drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces Irish cream
• 1 ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur
• ½ tablespoon crushed hazelnuts
• Whipped cream

Add the Irish cream and hazelnut liqueur to a cocktail shaker, then fill with ice. Shake until frosty, then strain into a champagne coupe. Add whipped cream and dust the crushed hazelnuts over as a garnish.

Enjoy these simple cocktails this holiday season. Impress friends and family with your recipes, or enjoy them as you settle into the holiday season. Visit your local Payless Liquors today for more fall drink recipes or all the cocktail ingredients you could need.