The holiday season is upon us. If you’re already contemplating which gifts to buy and how many gatherings you’ll attend, let’s take some of the stress out of planning with crowd-pleasing wine cocktails to bring harmony to your holiday.
It’s often a struggle to decide how much wine, beer, and spirits to offer when hosting a gathering with mixed company, or what to take as a gift when others are hosting. You might want to share a killer bourbon with others, only to find out that half of them are wine enthusiasts. But what if you could make everyone happy with wine cocktails?
Wine cocktails are a delightful fusion of the beauty of wine with the imaginative flair of mixology, and they’re a canvas for vibrant flavor combinations. The genius of wine cocktails is in their versatility—they encourage creativity and personal expression, allowing enthusiasts to tailor each recipe to the season and to their own tastes.
Spritzers are a winning choice for wine-loving guests—for example, you can mix whiskey and prosecco with a dollop of orange liqueur and dash of bitters to make the famous Seelbach cocktail. But the potential combinations are limitless, so let’s go beyond the obvious and take the creativity up a notch to wow your guests and open the world of spirits up to wine lovers (and vice versa).
Compatible Flavors
Let’s review some popular wine profiles and how they pair with spirits.
Full-bodied red wines such as cabernet sauvignons have rich, dark fruit flavors—think blackberries and black currants—while syrahs are bold, peppery, and spicy. Malbecs have dark-chocolate flavors in addition to dark fruits such as plum and black cherry. These wines pair best with rye whiskeys or bold bourbons and ingredients that can stand up to these hearty flavors while softening them. Add sweetness and soft citrus to create balance.
Meanwhile, light-bodied red wines such as pinot noirs and light grenaches are outstanding for mixing with lighter spirits, including gin and light rum. Pinot noir has notes of raspberry and cherry, with a softer profile. Grenache offers softer fruit notes, possibly including strawberry and hints of soft white pepper.
Bold, dry white wines—think chardonnay and viognier—pair well with botanical gins that aren’t so juniper-forward. Light, zesty white wines go well with vodka and light-bodied white rum; sauvignon blanc, for example, can have a verdant profile while still being light in body and flavor. Chenin blanc is light and zesty, with citrus notes. And then there’s rosé: It can be dry or sweet, it’s full of floral and grape flavors, and the dry varieties can have more herbal, jammy character. It’s always best to pair rosé with lighter spirits.
My advice: Let your guests’ wine preferences guide you. Take a poll of everyone’s favorite wine styles to inform your choices. Allowing the wine to guide you is a great way to decide which cocktails to create.
New York Pride
For lovers of bold reds, the historic New York sour cocktail with a twist is an excellent choice.
The New York sour is a classic cocktail with its roots in the whiskey-sour family. The original whiskey sour—with whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar—became popular among both bartenders and drinkers. As bartenders in the 1870s experimented with layering flavors, adding some red wine on top became the New York sour’s unique twist. The wine made the drink more visually appealing while enhancing complexity, marrying the sour’s tartness with the wine’s fruity notes.
It’s also easy to modify this cocktail for a crowd that prefers more wine and less spirit, and you can easily add a little holiday flair. I refer to cinnamon as one of my “magic spices”—it’s such a versatile flavor, and just a punch can change the personality of other ingredients. In this case, the rich, aromatic profiles of cinnamon and red wine complement each other beautifully: Cinnamon’s warm, spicy notes enhance the wine’s fruitiness and complexity, creating a harmonious blend that elevates both ingredients.
Bourbon is the go-to for this recipe; its sweetness balances the citrus. Choose a standard-proof bourbon to make this cocktail more appealing to wine lovers and nonwhiskey drinkers. Or you can try an American single-malt whiskey that’s softer and more fruit-forward.
NY Cinnamon Sour
1 oz bourbon or American single-malt whiskey
1 oz lemon juice
½ oz berry jam
½ oz pasteurized liquid egg white or Aquafaba
1 pinch cinnamon
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 oz cabernet sauvignon, or your favorite medium-bodied red wine
Add all the ingredients except the wine to a cocktail shaker without ice. Drop the spiral from a Hawthorne strainer into the shaker and shake well for 10 seconds. Add a handful of cubed ice and shake for another 10 seconds. Remove the spiral, rinse it, and put it back on the strainer. Strain into a cocktail glass, allowing the foam to gather on top. Pour the wine into a jigger, place a spoon face down over the cocktail, and slowly pour the wine over the back of the spoon. If desired, garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Berry Good Combination
This fruity riff on the hanky panky cocktail showcases berry flavors and red wine, but in this case with gin and Fernet to pack a punch. Syrah is a great pick for those who love bold, complex flavors, and this cocktail pairs well with richly flavored meals.
Some London dry gin, meanwhile, contributes its herbal, juniper-forward flavor profile with tart citrus and a dry finish, making it an excellent complement to the wine. If this cocktail feels too intense, you can soften it by replacing the Fernet with a milder, dark amaro with more chocolate and earthy notes and a less-bitter profile; in that case, decrease the amount of black raspberry liqueur from ¾ oz to ½ oz.
Manky Panky
1 oz London dry gin
¾ oz black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
¾ oz syrah wine
¼ oz Fernet or a dark amaro
¾ oz blood-orange juice
Pre-chill your cocktail glass: Add ice and cold water to cover the ice, stir for 10 seconds, then allow the ice water to sit while you shake your cocktail. Shake all ingredients with cubed ice. Dump the ice water from the cocktail glass, then strain the cocktail into the pre-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Sophistication and a Modern Classic
The old Cuban is a classy, refined cocktail that elegantly bridges the worlds of rum and sparkling wine.
Renowned New York mixologist Audrey Saunders created this drink in the early 2000s, and it became an international sensation when she took it to London at the height of the city’s cocktail revival. Word quickly spread among journalists and the trade, and it didn’t take too long for the old Cuban to appear on menus around London, Paris, and Berlin, solidifying it as a bar staple.
A swanky upgrade on the mojito, the old Cuban combines aged rum, fresh mint, sugar, and lime juice, topping the mix with a splash of high-quality champagne or prosecco. The result is a refreshing, effervescent cocktail that captures the essence of Cuba while exuding elegance.
Mojito lovers are everywhere, and if you’ve mixed mojitos before, you know the choice of rum matters—and, in this case, so does the bubbly. You’re looking for a rum that’s light, clean, and not overly sweet. Rhum agricole, made from sugarcane juice, is an excellent choice for this cocktail. The more vegetal, grassy, herbal, and floral flavors to pair with the mint, the better. Brut champagne is a superb choice here; while it’s not the driest, it’s not overly sweet, so the balance is phenomenal. Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine, is also an option—but make sure it’s dry. I highly recommend this cocktail as an apéritif.
Old Cuban
1½ oz white rum
¾ oz lime juice, fresh-squeezed
½ oz simple syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
6 mint leaves, fresh
¾ oz dry sparkling wine
Add rum, lime juice, syrup, bitters, and four mint leaves to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice. Shake well, then fine-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass. Top with chilled sparkling wine and garnish with two mint leaves.
Garnishing tip: You can float the mint leaves—slap them on your hand first, to release some of the oils—or you can peg them to the side of the glass with a bit of honey. To peg the leaves after topping the cocktail with sparkling wine, use a small paintbrush or similar tool, place a small dot of honey onto the inside rim of the glass, press the leaves against it, and hold for a few seconds. The mint should stay in place for a lovely festive look.
Sip Like Royalty
Versions of the classic duchess cocktail appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930 and again in the The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book of 1932. Originally containing equal parts French vermouth, Italian vermouth, and absinthe, it eventually received a dash of orange bitters. It’s easy to adapt, especially for those—like me—who feel intimidated by that measure of absinthe.
The cocktail I feature here is based on an entirely different duchess, evolved to include equal parts gin, orange liqueur, dry vermouth, and sauvignon blanc. It’s a great way to sneak gin into the gullets of those who swear they can’t stand it—I’ve done that for many guests who wound up guzzling the drink without complaint—thanks to the harmonious blend of botanical notes from the gin, floral sweetness from the orange liqueur, and zesty herbal notes from the dry vermouth.
Sparkling wine can further elevate this drink, making it crisp, vibrant, and perfect for celebrations. However, I have my own riff: While the duchess normally calls for London dry gin, I found that a more floral gin with a big bouquet makes a better fit, enhancing the vermouth—along with the wine, that was a game-changer. So, try leaning into a more floral gin with a softer juniper profile.
Besides the choice of gin, the type of dry vermouth and wine are critical to the delicate balance. Strucchi, the first choice when mixing this cocktail, is an Italian vermouth that’s drier than most other dry vermouths. It has a fantastic bouquet of herbal flavors and enough acidity to balance the sweetness of the orange liqueur. Sauvignon blanc is a high-acidity white wine, so it’s excellent for cocktails. It has a medium-to-light body that won’t get lost among the other flavors, offering herbal notes that complement the vermouth’s own herbal notes. This cocktail’s complexity invites conversation and interest from your guests, no matter the occasion.
Roses & Royalty
¾ oz floral gin
¾ oz orange liqueur
¾ oz sauvignon blanc
¾ oz dry vermouth (such as Strucchi, Dolin, or Noilly Prat)
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with cubed ice and stir until the glass is cold to the touch. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an expressed orange twist.
Merci Beaucoup, et Santé!
The French 75 is a classic cocktail that embodies the elegance and spirit of the Roaring Twenties.
Named after the French 75-mm field artillery used in World War I, this cocktail combines gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, topping it with a generous pour of sparkling champagne. The result is refreshing and invigorating, balancing the gin’s botanical notes with the lemon’s tartness and champagne’s effervescence. With its bright flavors and bubbly texture, the French 75 is perfect for toasting special occasions or simply enjoying a sophisticated evening.
However, what happens when you replace the gin with vodka and add rosé, rosemary, and cardamom to the mix? Your guests will say merci beaucoup all night long!
In this riff on the classic (pictured at top), we’re adding holiday flair with cardamom, bringing in rosé for more fruity-floral notes and rosemary for a wintery vibe. As a bonus, homemade rosé syrup is a delicious addition. (It’s also wonderful for ice cream and cakes, and it’s an excellent option for nonalcoholic cocktails with club soda and a squeeze of lemon.)
Substituting vodka for gin lets the cardamom, rosemary, and rosé shine, especially if your chosen vodka has some character—reach for a craft vodka that has more body, flavor, and intrigue.
Finally, when choosing the best rosé for this cocktail, reach for a well-priced bottle—no need to break the bank here. There are plenty of choices for around $15 to $20 that work perfectly.
Whether served in a flute or a coupe, with any riff, this cocktail remains a timeless favorite that evokes a sense of celebration and joie de vivre.
Merci
1 oz vodka
½ oz dry vermouth
½ oz Spiced Rosé Syrup
½ oz lemon juice
2 oz sparkling rosé wine
1 lemon peel
Add all the ingredients except for the sparkling wine and lemon peel to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass or champagne flute, top with the sparkling wine, and garnish with an expressed lemon peel and a sprig of rosemary.
Spiced Rosé Syrup
3 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbs cardamom pods
1 cup dry rosé
1 cup raw sugar
Add the rosemary and cardamom pods to a pot over low heat for 3–4 minutes. Once you smell the aroma, immediately cover with the wine. Raise the temperature to medium and bring to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer, covered, for 5–6 minutes. Strain or spoon out the raw ingredients, bring the heat back to low, add the sugar, stir until dissolved, and remove from the heat. Allow the syrup to cool and store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.