Feliz Navidad Deer Path Inn
Deer Path Inn
Sparkling wine makes the perfect base for holiday cocktails—it’s easy to use, typically lower in alcohol and elevates any drink with its effervescent appeal. Drinks expert Colin Asare-Appiah, trade director of culture and lifestyle at Bacardi notes that sparkling wine and champagne elevate a cocktail by adding “brightness, texture and a sense of celebration that naturally enhances other ingredients, including spirits. According to the 2026 Cocktail Trends Report, 72% of consumers are craving more immersive drinking experiences, and effervescence plays a big role in that.”
Asare-Appiah suggests that when using sparkling as a cocktail base, temperature and care really matter; “a well-chilled bottle preserves carbonation and helps the sparkling integrate cleanly with spirits, fortified wines, or liqueurs, creating a more cohesive and balanced drink.”
You can also look to elevate your holiday garnish game with edible glitter, fresh cranberry, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, mint and fresh-sliced orange peel.
Apple Cider Spritz
Featuring Portlandia sparkling brut, this spritz gets a festive twist with spiced apple cider.
Apple Cider Spritz
Portlandia Sparkling Ingredients:1 oz bourbon0.5 oz elderflower liqueur1.5 oz spiced apple cider0.5 oz fresh lemon juiceTop with Portlandia Sparkling Brut Cinnamon sugar for rimming glassApple slice and cinnamon stick to garnish Method:
Add bourbon, elderflower liqueur, cider and lemon juice to a shaker with ice. Rim wine glass with cinnamon sugar. Quick shake to chill, then strain into wine glass with fresh ice. Top generously with Portlandia Sparkling Brut. Garnish with a thin apple slice and a cinnamon stick.
Winterberry Spritz
Kim CrawfordWinterberry Spritz
Use sparkling water for a lower-proof version of this cocktail.
Ingredients: 3 oz bitter aperitif of choice 3 oz Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc 1 oz pomegranate juice 2 oz sparkling water or sparkling wine Dried orange wedge, for garnish Rosemary sprig, for garnishMethod:
Add the aperitif, sauvignon blanc and pomegranate juice to a wine glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling water and gently stir. Garnish with a dried orange wedge and a sprig of rosemary.
Poinsettia And Proofless Poinsettia
Superica, Atlanta—This festive, three-ingredient cocktail is a classic and lends itself nicely to a zero-proof alternative. For the zero-proof version, sub Lyre’s orange sec and a N/A sparkling wine such as French Bloom, or substitute sparkling water.
Ingredients:1 oz. cranberry juice½ oz. triple sec or Cointreau4 oz. cavaMethod:
Fill a wine glass with cranberry juice, top with triple sec or Cointreau and finish with cava. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and expressed orange peel.
Winter Fruit Sake Spritz
By Brynn Smith, Bar Next Door—ranked #100 on World’s 50 Best Bars (West Hollywood).
Ingredients: ¼ oz fresh lemon juice ¼ oz simple syrup 1 oz cranberry hibiscus tea blend (4 parts tea to 1 part cranberry juice) 1 oz Sake Ono ¼ oz Clear Creek pear brandy 2½ oz prosecco brut 1 oz club soda Hibiscus flower and mint sprigs dusted with powdered sugar, for garnishMethod:
Build the cocktail in a wine glass filled with ice. Add the lemon juice, simple syrup, tea blend, sake and pear brandy. Top with prosecco and club soda. Garnish with a hibiscus flower and powdered-sugar-dusted mint sprigs for a snow-like effect.
Jingle Juice
The Mills HouseJingle Juice
Iron Rose, The Mills House — Charleston—This one is part of an annual “12 Cocktails of Christmas” menu featuring “naughty” and “nice” options including classic winter sips, spritzes, spice-forward riffs, and dessert-inspired nightcaps.
Ingredients: 1 oz New Amsterdam Vodka 2 oz pomegranate liqueur 2 oz Domaine de Canton ½ oz honey syrup Soda water, to topMethod:
Add vodka, pomegranate liqueur, Domaine de Canton, and honey syrup to a glass filled with ice. Stir gently and top with soda water.
Snowflake Spritz
Caribe Royale OrlandoSnowflake Spritz
This wintery cocktail theme gets tropical vibes from coconut rum at Caribe Royale Orlando.
Ingredients: 1 oz coconut rum 1 oz elderflower liqueur 2 oz pineapple juice Prosecco, to top Coconut flakes, cranberries and pineapple slice, for garnishMethod:
Shake the coconut rum, elderflower liqueur and pineapple juice with ice. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with prosecco and garnish with coconut flakes, cranberries and a slice of pineapple.
7. Kir Vara
Crafted in New Mexico by third-generation New Mexico winemaker Laurent Gruet, Vara is a traditional method sparkling wine made the same way one would make champagne.
Ingredients: ¼ oz crème de cassis ¾ oz sweet vermouth Vara brut, to top (4–5 oz) Black walnut bitters (or orange bitters), 1 heavy dash Sugar-coated cranberries, for garnishMethod:
Add the crème de cassis and sweet vermouth to a flute. Top with Vara brut and add a dash of bitters. Garnish with skewered sugar-coated cranberries.
Rudolph Spritz
Palo Santo AtlantaThe Rudolph Spritz
Palo Santo, Atlanta—This bright, holiday-forward drink balances tart cranberry with citrusy lime and a splash of pomegranate liqueur, then gets lifted with prosecco for an easy, festive sip. Fresh rosemary adds an aromatic, seasonal finish.
Ingredients:1 oz tequila blanco (the creators use Cazadores blanco).25 oz Pama.5 oz lime juice.5 oz rosemary syrup*.75 oz cranberry juiceMethod:
*Rosemary syrup prep: 32oz sugar : 32oz water. Heated up with 5 sprigs of rosemary. Let sit for 10 minutes to infuse after sugar is dissolved.
Top with sparkling wine (like viarae prosecco). Serve in a champagne flute with 2 cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
Holiday-Inspired St-Germain Hugo Spritz
A spring of mint and a cluster of red berries make this trendy spritz into a holiday classic.
Ingredients:2 oz prosecco 2 oz sparkling water8-10 mint leaves Mint sprig and cluster of small red berries for garnish
Method: Fill a large wine glass or highball glass with ice cubes, add St. Germain, prosecco or sparkling water and top with muddled mint leaves. Garnish with mint sprig and berries.
Feliz Navidad
Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest, IL—Jorge Centeno, chief spirits officer, with two decades of experience working through Illinois winters, knows exactly how to embrace chilly winter temperatures. Also, look for the Inn’s iconic Christmas Cup which comes in a a magical snow-globe glass—worth the visit alone.
Ingredients: 1½ oz Patrón tequila ½ oz fresh lemon juice 1 oz hibiscus, cinnamon and ginger tea (cold) 3 oz champagne Edible glitter, for garnishMethod:
Add the tequila, lemon juice and cold tea to a glass and stir. Top with champagne and finish with edible glitter. Garnish festively as desired.
Run Run Reindeer
Miracle Pop UpRun Run Reindeer
From Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar with locations worldwide…This one brings bright fresh sparkling and spirited notes with mulled wine, prosecco and citrus.
Ingredients:2 oz mulled wine reduction2 dashes aromatic bitters (Angostura)Prosecco (to fill)Lemon zest (to express and discard) Method:
Pour chilled mulled wine reduction into a champagne flute. Add 2 dashes of aromatic bitters. Top with cold prosecco. Gently stir—you do not want to break the bubbles, but a light mix of the mulled wine and bubbles is needed. Express lemon peel over top of flute and discard.
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