30 Christmas Party Punches That Can Serve Your Whole Holiday Crowd
This Christmas, give yourself the best gift of all: not playing bartender all night at your holiday party! Big batch cocktails, holiday punches, and easy-to-make Jell-O shots are truly the gift that keep on giving, and we've got plenty that will keep the party going strong until New Year's. Our recipes for jingle juice, Christmas punch, or boozy Grinch punch just take a few minutes to mix up, and you'll be well on your way to making merry.
Any of your favorite cocktails can be made in large batches when you mix it in the right order: alcohol first, then flavorings, then any fruit or bubbly at party time. Sangria is one of the easiest big-batch cocktails to make ahead, and we've got plenty of recipes that go beyond just white sangria and red sangria. Mix up a batch of some of our favorite winter sangrias, like our cran-apple sangria or our virgin cranberry basil sangria (that can easily be made boozy too!), and feel free to add any and all of your favorite winter fruits, like apples and sliced pears. We've even taken our favorite warm weather cocktail, the Aperol Spritz, and made it sweater weather-ready in the form of our cranberry Aperol spritz.
Speaking of warm weather drinks, we've also got a few frozen options on this list that are perfect for when the radiator or fireplace is bumping and you've got lots of bodies jacking up the heat at your house. Our white Christmas margaritas, our copycat Olive Garden limoncello lemonade, or our mistletoe margaritas are the perfect excuse to bust out that new Black Friday sale blender too.
Can't stand the idea of something frozen? We've got a couple of our favorite hot cocktails here too, like our glögg, our Crockpot red wine hot cocoa, and our wassail. Hot tip: Put these into a thermos when you go outside caroling or building snowmen!
Need to restock that bar cart? We've tried all the best gins, vodkas, and tequilas to add to your collection (they also make great gifts!). If you really want to be Christmas party-ready, try one of our favorite bartending kits. While you're boozing, you might as well try out all our favorite holiday cocktails, Christmas shots, and holiday party appetizers to add to the table too. Behind the ball? Not anymore! We have all the super-easy, last-minute appetizers that will keep your guests thinking you're on the nice list. 😉
Christmosas
Packed with all our favorite winter fruits, this is the only thing you need in your hand while you open presents. Great for a late-night Christmas Eve party or early Christmas morning breakfast.
Get the Christmosas recipe.
Wassail
Wassail is a warm, spiced punch that’s traditionally served when celebrating the ancient English Yuletide tradition of the same name. Historically, gatherers would sing and hand out mugs of mulled cider, ale, or wine in exchange for gifts. It's festive and delicious!
Get the Wassail recipe.
Christmas Punch
This Christmas punch forgoes all the added sugar and instead derives its natural sweetness from apple cider. Add some spice from ginger beer and tartness from unsweetened cranberry juice, and you have a sophisticated, festive punch for your next holiday party.
Get the Christmas Punch recipe.
Mistletoe Margaritas
We'd gladly get caught with one of these under the mistletoe. If you prefer your margaritas on the rocks, feel free to skip the blender step. And if you love a wintry marg, try our white Christmas margaritas next!
Get the Mistletoe Margaritas recipe.
Cran-Apple Sangria
Apple cider is THE go-to when it comes to taking summery sangria into the colder months, but it can be a little sweet. Pair it with cranberry juice to keep it tart, and you can drink this all fall and winter long.
Get the Cran-Apple Sangria recipe.
Mistletoe Shots
These Jell-O shots are bound to make some holiday magic happen! Share one of these with someone you want to kiss.
Get the Mistletoe Shots recipe.
Jingle Juice
You'll be hearing jingle bells in no time with this sweet-tart big-batch cocktail. We love a punch at the holidays as it cuts down on bartending time, and they're maybe a little too easy to mix up!
Get the Jingle Juice recipe.
Cranberry Aperol Spritz
Cranberry adds a festive, blood-red twist to your favorite cocktail, the Aperol spritz. If you don't want it to be too sweet, you can swap the cranberry juice cocktail for 100% cranberry juice.
Get the Cranberry Aperol Spritz recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Limoncello Lemonade
Homemade limoncello is one of our favorite holiday gifts to give (and receive!). Take yours next level by making this copycat lemonade that's great frozen or on the rocks. Lots of people over? Making a pitcher with all the ingredients minus the ice is the way to go!
Get the Copycat Olive Garden Limoncello Lemonade recipe.
Boozy Grinch Punch
If the holidays stress you out a little too much, then Grinch punch was made for you. It's as simple as mixing everything in a punch bowl and ladling into glasses. Even your crankiest of guests will love it (especially if you serve it next to our Grinch cookies too).
Get the Boozy Grinch Punch recipe.
White Christmas Margaritas
We turned this Christmas cocktail white by adding coconut milk and cream of coconut to our tequila, triple sec and lime mixture. Complete with a sugar rim and cranberry garnish, these margs are the perfect excuse to enjoy a white Christmas in the comfort of your own home, no winter coat required.
Get the White Christmas Margaritas recipe.
Glögg
Forget making your home look like Christmas; let it smell like Christmas instead. Glögg, pronounced ‘glu-guh,’ is essentially Sweden's less-sweet answer to mulled wine. The ginger and white rum curtail the sweetness, packing a spicy punch and dose of warmth to this festive drink.
Get the Glögg recipe.
Grinch Jell-O Shots
The lime juice and sanding sugar rim gives these Jell-O shots a sweet-tart finish that matches the Grinch's personality perfectly. You can usually find sanding sugar in the baking section of grocery and craft supplies stores, but if you can't, use regular granulated sugar with a little food coloring instead.
Get the Grinch Jell-O Shots recipe.
Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa
Having more of a chill Christmas this year? Let your Crockpot prepare your party drinks! The combo of hot chocolate and red wine might seem a little odd but trust us, it's perfect.
Get the Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa recipe.
Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria
Sangria without the wine? Yes, please. The fruit is the real star in this big-batch drink—use whatever’s in season and get creative with the combination (think cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary for the holidays).
Get the Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria recipe.
Brunch Punch
If your Christmas is more of a holiday brunch instead of the classic dinner, this boozy punch is the perfect pairing to your spread. With a bottle of bubbly and fresh fruit flavors, this is just the punch to get your holiday started right.
Get the Brunch Punch recipe.
Mulled Wine
Making this mulled wine couldn't be easier: Combine a bottle of red wine with some orange slices, warm spices, honey, and brandy, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. THAT'S IT.
Get the Mulled Wine recipe.
Cranberry Jell-O Shots
The sugar-coated cranberries here are optional, but highly encouraged—they make for a great sweet-tart chaser after you've downed the Jell-O shot.
Get the Cranberry Jell-O Shots recipe.
Harvest Punch
Cider and ginger beer might seem like a weird pairing, but with fresh fruit and cinnamon (plus bubbly!), we promise you it more than works. For a small but just as rowdy brunch, make our caramel apple mimosas instead.
Get the Harvest Punch recipe.
Boozy Butterbeer Punch
The famous Harry Potter-themed drink, Butterbeer, gets a boozy upgrade. We solemnly swear we are up to no good when we have one of these.
Get the Boozy Butterbeer Punch recipe.
Moscow Mule Punch
This punch is basically one enormous Moscow mule, which lets you off the hook for drink duty during the celebration (win, win!). Plus, it's the perfect excuse to get those festive copper mugs out. 😎
Get the Moscow Mule Punch recipe.
Fizzy Cranberry-Orange Punch
Is it even the holidays without a little cranberry-orange action? The bold red color and even bolder flavors are impressive, but it only takes 5 minutes to throw together. 😍
Get the Fizzy Cranberry-Orange Punch recipe.
Bourbon Milk Punch
This boozy milkshake (with its caramel rimmed glass) might seem tame, but it packs a serious, well, punch! Mixed with bourbon and honey, it's a rich and creamy dream of a cocktail. If you love this, try out our red wine milkshakes next.
Get the Bourbon Milk Punch recipe.
Salted Caramel-Apple Cider Punch
Here is a joyous union of two beloved fall flavors that play well all the way through winter: salted caramel and apple. If you have trouble finding salted caramel-flavored vodka, you could always use regular vodka and garnish the drink with a caramel drizzle.
Get the Salted Caramel-Apple Cider Punch recipe.
Boozy Sherbet Punch
A good punch really gets the party started! This one is filled with fruit, plenty of booze, and enough sherbet to go around. We love it for its simplicity and the fun pops of color it brings!
Get the Boozy Sherbet Punch recipe.
Sparkling Pear-Prosecco Punch
This gorgeous cranberry and pear punch is not only deliciously refreshing, but super-simple to make. The three ingredients combine together in five minutes, making this easy enough to whip up last-minute, but fancy enough to look like you put in tons of effort.
Get the Sparkling Pear-Prosecco Punch recipe.
Creamsicle Punch
Orange juice and Prosecco get a level up thanks to sweet vanilla ice cream and bubbly ginger ale. We love this Creamsicle-inspired punch in the morning, but it's honestly delicious any time of day (or even as dessert?).
Get the Creamsicle Punch recipe.
White Wine Sangria
Sangria is the way to go for big batch cocktails. The classic drink only needs 5 things: wine, liqueur, fruit, sweetener, and something bubbly. You can customize and pick your favorite of each, and you'll have your own sangria recipe that you'll be sure to love.
Get the White Wine Sangria recipe.
Slow-Cooker Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is like winter's answer to summery sangria, and this recipe makes it extra easy to make in your slow cooker. It only takes 30 minutes, and bonus: It'll keep it warm all throughout your party/holiday dinner.
Get the Slow-Cooker Mulled Wine recipe.
Apple Cider Sangria
Sangria might make you think of warm summer nights and tropical fruits, but this apple-based cocktail will have you ready for the holiday season. Here, we went for a white wine sangria, rounded out with spicy ginger beer and sweet apple cider.
Get the Apple Cider Sangria recipe.
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