Best gin cocktails to toast the most festive holiday celebrations

Holiday celebrations get a boost of flavor from the best gin cocktails.

Looking for the best gin cocktails for your holiday celebrations? While a gin martini is always delightful and a gin and tonic is perfect in its simplicity, a gin cocktail can bring a variety of flavors to the glass. From a touch sweet to a little spicy, these gin cocktails are far from your grandpa’s gin.

Over the past couple of years, gin has seen a resurgence. From popular celebrity brands to rediscovering classic gins, the liquor filled with botanicals has received a new appreciation. Whether it is a liquor trend, a flavor trend or just a desire to step away from the bourbon, gin is everywhere.

This year postpone sipping another gin and tonic for one of these best gin cocktails.

Gin-ger Apple

While a warm apple cider is often paired with a dark spirit, adding gin can bring a more nuanced flavor. Picking up the herbal notes as well as the botanicals, this Beefeater gin cocktail could be the perfect way to ward off the winter chill.

Here’s how to make a Gin-ger Apple.

Ingredients

• 50 ml Beefeater Dry London Gin
• 200 ml Ginger Beer
• 150 ml Apple Juice
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 5 ml Honey Lemon juice
• Cinnamon Stick
• Ginger Slice

Method

• Place ginger beer, apple juice, cinnamon and honey in a small saucepan over high heat and bring almost to the boil.
• Remove pan from heat, stir in the lemon juice and Beefeater Dry Gin. Pour into warmed glasses or cups.
• Serve immediately with a shredded cinnamon stick and ginger slice.

Last Christmas

While the name might make you think of a George Michael song, this Last Christmas gin cocktail is a sweet treat. Made with Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin, there is a little whimsy in each sip.

Created by Paul Feig, he refers to this gin cocktail as a chocolate covered candy cane in a glass. If you have never thought to put gin with chocolate flavors, this cocktail will be a true discovery.

Here’s how to make Last Christmas.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin
• 1 ounce creme de cacao (white)
• 1/2 ounce creme de menthe (white)
• Peppermint stick

Directions:

• Shake the gin, creme de cacao and creme de menthe with ice until very cold, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a peppermint stick.

Be My Clementine

During the holidays, citrus and clove is a traditional combination. The aroma of those two ingredients exemplifies the holidays.

In this gin cocktail, the citrus and clove are combined with a touch of sweetness. The flavors invite you back sip after sip.

Be My Clementine

Ingredients

• 50 ml Beefeater 24
• 250 ml Clementine / Orange Juice
• 25 ml Lemon Juice
• 5 ml Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 whole cloves
  Garnish: 1 slice orange, pierced with 3 cloves

Method

• Add all ingredients excluding gin to a sauce pan.
• Bring to boil and simmer, stirring regularly for 20 minutes. Add gin and strain mixture into mug.

Holiday Ginger Fizz

Cranberries are often a popular holiday flavor. In this gin cocktail, cranberries are combined with notes of spice from the ginger and brightness from the lime. The cocktail hits all the right flavor notes.

Holiday Ginger Fizz

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz of Madam Pattirini Gin
• 1 oz of Cranberry Juice
• ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 6 oz of Ginger Beer
• ½ tablespoon of simple syrup
• Cranberries
• Fresh cut lime

Directions

• In a shaker filled with ice, combine Madam Pattirini Gin, Cranberry Juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and pour into a chilled copper mug and top off with ginger beer. Garnish with cranberries and slices of fresh lime.

These best gin cocktails are just a small sampling of cocktail options for holiday celebrations. Whether you want a savory choice or a slightly sweeter sip, gin could be the perfect libation for your holiday toast.

What is your favorite holiday cocktail? Has gin become your new spirit obsession?