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Cocktail Recipes

12 WHISKY HOLIDAY DRINKS TO SIP THIS CHRISTMAS

Looking for festive whisky cocktails to serve this Christmas? Here are 12 easy-to-make drinks using The Glenlivet — from warming hot toddies to celebratory spritzes and cosy coffees — perfect for winter gatherings, cosy nights, or holiday parties.

Whisky. It’s a wonderfully warming tipple. So it comes as no surprise that whisky has cemented itself in many family traditions across the world during the winter months as the star of a whole host of Christmas beverages.

New to whisky? Or looking for a new way to sip a dram during the holidays? We’ve put together a shortlist of some of the most delicious whisky cocktails to accompany your Christmas get-togethers from family evenings to big group toasts.

Here are twelve of our favourite celebratory drinks to try out this festive period including some top winter cocktails.

What makes a good Christmas cocktail?

The best Christmas whisky cocktails are drinks built around seasonal flavours and occasions. They typically include ingredients linked to winter — such as cinnamon, cloves, apple, citrus, ginger or rich coffee — and they suit moments across the holidays: festive gatherings, after-dinner serves, cosy evenings or celebratory toasts. Scotch whisky works particularly well in Christmas cocktails thanks to its balance of fruit, spice and warmth, making it a natural match for classic festive ingredients.

The top serves for the season include a Hot Toddy, Whisky Hot Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon Spritzer and The Glenlivet Royale. These cocktails are easy to make at home for hosting, cosy winter evenings or Christmas celebrations.

Apple Cinnamon Spritz

Start your festive evening with this crisp, sparkling serve — bright, seasonal and full of holiday cheer.

Look no further than the name of this one to start feeling festive and enjoy some Christmas cheer. For some, Christmas is all about bringing people together, and this is a wonderful whisky cocktail to enjoy as the nights draw in. Bubbles for celebration, apple cider for fruitiness, cinnamon for a taste of Christmas, and The Glenlivet 12 Year Old makes this a delightfully wintery whisky apple cocktail.

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Hot Toddy

The perfect warming choice for cosy winter nights or a quiet glass by the fire.

Gather all your winter clothing, light up the fire and enjoy a classic Ginger Hot Toddy with kicks of ginger and clove, perfectly matched with citrusy, sweet tones. We’re imagining Christmas singalongs, thick socks and gloves and gossip aplenty whilst sipping on this truly warming drink. It’s a fiery whisky cocktail, certain to be enjoyed on those crisp, clear December evenings.

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Mudslide

Serve this after dinner when the conversation lingers and you want something rich, comforting and warming.

Make your Christmas cocktail a dessert with a winter feel. Our Mudslide pairs The Glenlivet’s depth with a creamy richness that suits slower evenings. It’s indulgent without being heavy, offering a smooth finish that works beautifully alongside festive flavours.

Bring it out after dinner when the pace winds down and you want something that hits the sweet spot. It’s a great choice for intimate gatherings or nights when you want a simple, impressive serve to close the evening.

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Spiced Whisky Apple Cider

Great for Christmas parties or gatherings to welcoming guests in from the cold.

A natural fit for the colder months, the Spiced Whisky Apple Cider brings together warming spice, orchard fruit and the smooth character of The Glenlivet. It’s instantly seasonal, comforting and perfect for serving to a crowd.

Make a pot on the stove for relaxed afternoons or when guests arrive from the cold to set a mellow, festive tone. The combination of heat and gentle sweetness makes it a reliable favourite for cosy Christmas moments.

Golden HIghball

Ideal for celebratory toasts or festive dinners where a refined whisky cocktail fits the occasion.

Strong, simple and ideal for those seeking great flavours. The Golden Honey Highball combines the sweetness of orange and honey with the boldness and intricacy of The Glenlivet 12 Year Old. Served with a rosemary and citrus garnish, it’s classically festive. Perfect for pouring as a party welcome drink.

Celebracion

A smooth, creamy serve meant for Christmas cheer — perfect when friends drop by or for a holiday late night.

We know what you might be thinking. The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve surely lends itself to the summer months, to be enjoyed as the sun sets. But we’d argue strongly that the Celebracion is fit for any celebration, including Christmas and the holidays. Rompope is much like egg-nog, traditionally enjoyed around the festive period in the UK, and adds a certain creaminess that mixes beautifully with our Caribbean Reserve.

Whisky Hot Chocolate

Best enjoyed on a cold winter evening — a cosy, indulgent treat after a day Christmas shopping.

New to The Glenlivet’s whisky cocktail collection, the Whisky Hot Chocolate simply has to be one for whisky drinkers to sip on during the holidays. Much like the Ginger Hot Toddy, an authentic outdoor whisky-drinking experience feels like the right setting, but you might have other ideas. Perhaps a late evening Christmas Day treat, just as you start to doze off and relax into your arm chair.

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Umeshu Highball

Serve this if you want something light, refreshing and seasonal — perfect for informal festive get-togethers.

Scotland meets Japan to form the Umeshu Highball, another of our suggestions to experiment with this Christmas. Umeshu, a Japanese liqueur made from infusing rice wine with Ume, makes for a sweet and sour experience when sipping on a Claymore. It’s the secrecy of the Umeshu flavour that makes it a perfect accompaniment to The Glenlivet 12 Year Old, adding our tones of honey and sweetness to give a well-rounded, fruity winter cocktail for sipping as you wrap up the year. Keep it short or top with soda water to make a refreshing highball

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The Glenlivet Royale

The celebratory pour of choice when the festivities begin — ideal for toasts, Christmas lunch or a New Year cheer.

If there is a new whisky drink you want to try out for Christmas Eve, this is it. There’s something quite blockbuster about The Glenlivet Royale, making it the perfect whisky cocktail to sip around the dinner table for your annual Christmas celebrations. Suited to big parties and celebrations, this simple but epic ‘royale’ combines our single malt with Champagne, and that’s when you know the party has started. Elegance embodied in a cocktail.

Valley of the Bees

A fitting choice for late-night winter moments when you want a drink that’s smooth, aromatic and full of character.

Valley of the Bees brings together honeyed sweetness, bright citrus and the layered character of The Glenlivet. Its aromatic profile makes it a strong winter option without leaning overly rich or spiced.

Serve it later in the evening or as part of a relaxed holiday gathering when you want something smooth, fragrant and quietly distinctive. It’s a reliable choice for those who enjoy cocktails with depth but still want a crisp, elegant finish.

Elderflower and Peach New Fashioned

Serve this during festive dinners or intimate holiday gatherings that need a lighter, unexpected drink.

When time is of the essence, as it often is over the holidays, the Elderflower and Peach New Fashioned presents the unique opportunity to whip up an unforgettable whisky cocktail in very little time. Spending all your holidays wrapping presents, catching up with old friends or cooking – no problem. The New Fashioned is a new take on an old classic, and one that you should definitely make a part of your Christmas tradition.

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Weathered Axe

Perfect for winter evenings when you want a robust, characterful serve to round off the night.

Bold and refined, the Weathered Axe brings a festive twist to a classic whisky cocktail. With The Glenlivet 12 Year Old as its base, this drink is brightened by fresh lemon juice, rounded out with equal measures of Combier, Cocchi Americano, and ginger syrup for a subtle warmth.

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Ultimately, any whisky cocktail can be a Christmas beverage if you serve it up in December so go with the flavours you love and you’re sure to be full of festive cheer. If you are looking for more ways to incorporate The Glenlivet into your special occasions, take a look at our New Year’s Eve cocktail recipes and Burns Night menu ideas, complete with drinks suggestions for each course.