Holly Jolly Christmas Cocktail

Kick off the holiday season in style with this Holly Jolly Christmas cocktail recipe. Made with orange vodka, elderberry liqueur, blood orange juice, and ginger beer, this delicious cocktail is as refreshing as it is festive.

I love holiday cocktails not only because they are usually beautiful, but also because they are delicious and will please the most picky guest.

This holiday cocktail fits all the above claims. The gorgeous holly jolly Christmas citrus cocktail is tasty because the ingredients meld so well together, and adding a splash of fizzy ginger beer takes it to a different level.

I can’t wait for you to try it.

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Helpful tips

• Nothing says “holiday drink” like using a nice sprig of rosemary as garnish.
• I also like to garnish this cocktail with pomegranate arils, so I bought the packaged seeds at Trader Joe’s for convenience. You can also get a fresh pomegranate and remove the seeds yourself.
• Fresh thyme is also one of my go-to cocktail garnishes. I’m a fan of lots of sprigs, but you don’t have to use as many as I did.
• Even though the holly jolly cocktail doesn’t have cranberry juice in it, spearing some cranberries on a martini pick and balancing them on the rim of the glass is also a nice choice of garnish.
• I love to use big ice cubes in this cocktail as they take longer to melt. Here is the tray I use.
• I use St. Germain in this cocktail, but you can use any elderflower liquor.
• If you can’t find blood orange juice, you can squeeze your own. I get this freshly squeezed juice at Whole Foods.
• As alternatives to blood orange juice, you could also substitute store bought orange juice, clementine juice, or any freshly squeezed citrus juice.
• I use homemade orange infused vodka since it is so easy to make. If you don’t have time to make your own, it’s perfectly fine to use store bought. I’m not a fan of artificially flavored alcohol because I don’t know the ingredients.
• You will be adding all the ingredients EXCEPT the ginger beer to the cocktail shaker. The beer will be added after you divide the liquid between the glasses.

How to make the holly jolly Christmas cocktail

Pre-step

Get a cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice. Get a measuring glass, 2 double old fashioned glasses, and for garnish – pomegranate arils, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh thyme sprigs.

After measuring out the ingredients, add them to the cocktail shaker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – fresh blood orange juice, orange vodka, elderberry liqueur, and bubbly ginger beer.

Step two

Measure 4 ounces of orange vodka. (A)

Step three

Measure 2 ounces of elderberry liqueur. (B)

Step four

Measure 4 ounces of blood orange juice. (C)

Look at that color.

Step five

Using a kitchen spoon, add 1 – 2 teaspoons of pomegranate arils to each cocktail glass. (D)

Step six

Cap the shaker and vigorously shake for at least 15 seconds. Add fresh ice cubes to the glasses and divide, strain, and pour the liquid between both glasses.

Make sure there is a 1/2 inch to 1 inch space between the liquid and the top of the glass.

Pour and top off both glasses with the ginger beer. Add a sprig of thyme and rosemary to the glasses. (As you can see, I might have gone overboard – hehe!)

Doesn’t that look delicious?

Let’s look closer at this awesome holiday drink!

Yum!

I hope you enjoyed this holly jolly Christmas cocktail. It’s so good!

Other popular holiday drinks

• Pumpkin spice martini
• Apple cider spritzer
• Winter wonderland cocktail
• Mistletoe margarita

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish.

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!