As it becomes increasingly cold and snowy in Binghamton, it’s the perfect time to warm up with a delicious alcoholic beverage. These cocktails are easy and fast to make, and most of them can be modified to meet dietary or ingredient restrictions. Try one (or all) of these delightful cocktails the next time you settle in with your favorite holiday movie or to ease finals week stress.
Peppermint Martini — A Couple Cooks
Ingredients: ½ ounce vodka, 1 ounce peppermint schnapps, 1 ½ ounces creme de cacao (can be substituted with chocolate liqueur or syrup), 1 ½ ounces heavy cream, crushed candy canes
This refreshing minty classic is surprisingly easy to make. Simply combine the vodka, schnapps, creme de cacao and heavy cream in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until combined and chilled. Add crushed candy canes to the rim of your glass and add your drink. For those with a limited budget, simply use 1 ½ ounces of peppermint vodka, 1 ½ ounce Kahlúa or chocolate syrup and heavy cream for a similar flavor.
The Grinch — Snacks and Sips
Ingredients: 2 ounces vodka, 4-6 ounces Hawaiian Punch Green Berry Rush, 1 ounce Sprite, 3 tablespoons red sugar, 1 tablespoon simple syrup, 1 maraschino cherry
To make this fruity, neon green drink, first, cover the rim of your glass with red sugar. Next, fill the glass with ice, add Hawaiian punch, Sprite, vodka and stir. Add the cherry on top, and it’s ready to enjoy. Make this cocktail your own by adding lime juice, melon liqueur or other fruity additions to pack an added punch.
Gingerbread White Russian — the Cookin’ Chicks
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vanilla vodka, 4 tablespoons Kahlúa, 3 tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Grab your glass of choice and combine vodka with cinnamon and ginger to start. Pour in the Kahlúa and milk, add in a handful of ice cubes and stir. This spiced take on the popular white Russian cocktail is perfect for those who don’t want to buy many ingredients or who love the nutty taste of coffee and gingerbread.
Christmas Margarita — The Spruce Eats
Ingredients: 1 ½ ounces blanco tequila, ½ ounces orange liqueur, 1 ounce coconut milk, ½ ounce white cranberry juice, ½ ounce fresh lime juice, cinnamon sugar, a handful of cranberries, lime, rosemary
This one is for tequila lovers! Begin by coating the rim of your glass with cinnamon sugar. Pour the tequila, orange liqueur, coconut milk, cranberry juice and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. You can alternatively mix these ingredients in a blender if you don’t have a shaker. Fill your glass with ice and add to the mix. To give this margarita a wintery, Christmastime feel, top the drink with a handful of cranberries, rosemary and a lime wedge.
Hot Buttered Rum — Esquire
Ingredients: 2 ounces dark rum, 2 sugar cubes (about 2 teaspoons), 1 pat of butter, 8-12 ounces hot water, a dash of nutmeg
This last cocktail is as straightforward to make as the ingredients list makes it seem. Add the sugar cubes to your glass or mug of choice and pour in just enough hot water to dissolve them. Add the rum and butter to the glass. Fill the glass with hot water to desired fill level and sprinkle with nutmeg. It only takes a few minutes to prepare this toasty drink that’s been a seasonal staple in America since the colonial period.