Remarkably Easy Holiday Cocktails to Make Ahead of Time

By Erika Robertson

Searching for recipes to bump up the holiday happy? You might have a list of easy holiday cocktails that you go to time and again. But, have you tried adding tea to them?

This year, serve them up some tea cocktails and put even bigger smiles on their faces. We have some fantastic new holiday cocktails that will make all of your guests just a little merrier and brighter! 

We’ve been serving up some fun tea cocktails and holiday tea recipes for some time, now. So, here’s a brief recap of some recent favorites you might want to revisit.

Our Spiced Winter Blues Tea is a hot traditional concoction of black tea mixed with rich spices and vanilla that will lift your spirits and get you through the cold winter.  

Our Wild Cinnamon Chai Martini is a chilled easy holiday cocktail filled with all the exciting flavors of the season and topped with a splash of Kahlua.  

We believe that iced tea should be enjoyed all year round. If you’re looking for chilled mocktail ideas you can check out our Winter Iced Tea recipe blog. We have ideas that highlight the fruits and spices of the season like orange “cranberry iced tea” and “pomegranate citrus cinnamon and clove iced tea”. 

We hope you try some of our favorites above, but we’re super excited to introduce you to some new delicious tea cocktails for this holiday season. Many of these easy holiday cocktail recipes can be prepped ahead of time or set aside for your guests to serve themselves, so you can mingle and be as hands-off as possible for the festivities. 

Looking for some mocktail recipes? Just skip the booze for an alcohol-free tea mocktail that your guests will enjoy just as much as the spirited version. Ready? Let’s dive in!

Snowfall Earl Grey Martini

This Earl Grey Martini brings out the tea’s classic citrus notes. Earl Grey tea on its own is commonly enjoyed with fresh lemon. The egg white gives this tea cocktail a smooth and creamy finish that looks like it’s topped with fresh white snow. A sugar-rimmed glass sparkles like winter ice.

Be sure to use a high-quality loose-leaf tea for this martini. The loose-leaf tea will steep faster and won’t taste bitter, unlike other recipes you come across. 

Many Earl Grey martini recipes call for the use of tea bags that contain lower-quality tea that is naturally bitter. Other recipes also call for you to steep your bagged tea for up to 8 hours, but we do not recommend this. Instead, remove the loose-leaf tea after only a few minutes of steeping in order to reduce the bitter tannins and achieve a more balanced flavor that is purely Earl Grey. 

Ingredients

1.5 ounces of gin infused with Earl Grey tea (instructions below)

0.75 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ounce simple syrup

1 egg white

Lemon twist and sugar for garnish

How to Make Earl Grey Infused Gin

To make the flavored gin for this tea cocktail, steep 2 to 3 ounces of quality Earl Grey Private Garden tea leaves in half a cup of gin. Steep it at room temperature for 2 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid is mid-brown in color. Strain the infusion through a coffee filter or a few times through a fine strainer or tea infuser. You can make the Earl Grey gin in large batches and store it indefinitely in the refrigerator. 

Instructions

Pour the Earl Grey gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a shaker and shake without ice for about 10 seconds. Add ice to the shaker and shake it again until it is chilled. Strain into a sugar-rimmed glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Very Merry Holiday Sangria

This Holiday Sangria is an excellent make-ahead tea cocktail that highlights the best flavors of the season. The light crisp taste of the white wine pairs elegantly with the bold flavor of the juice and the unique addition of green tea. A hint of cinnamon rounds out the medley of fresh fruits. 

This tea cocktail recipe is one of our favorites to use with a large tea pitcher. When you make everything the day before, you give the ingredients time to marry together. You also free up more time to attend to your beloved guests. Win-win!

Ingredients

0.5 cup of brandy

0.5 cup of gin

1 cup of chilled quality green tea

1 cup of pomegranate or cranberry juice

2 ounces of cinnamon syrup (instructions below)

1 bottle of dry white wine

1 fresh apple

1 fresh pear

1 fresh orange

3 cinnamon sticks

1 cup of club soda

Apple and orange slices for garnish

How to Make Cinnamon Syrup

Bring a half cup of sugar and a half cup of water to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce the heat add two cinnamon sticks, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and keep it covered while the syrup cools for at least an hour. You can let this steep for up to 6 hours for a stronger flavor. Strain and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Instructions

In your iced tea pitcher, combine your brandy, gin, chilled green tea, juice, and cinnamon syrup and stir very well. Add the entire bottle of white wine. Cut and add your fresh fruits and cinnamon sticks. Let your mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight so the elements have time to meld together. 

Right before serving your Holiday Sangria, pour the club soda into your pitcher. Serve your tea cocktails in glasses with ice and garnish each one with apple and orange slices. 

Santa’s Cranberry Apple Bourbon Bash

When it’s time for Santa to relax after a long night he puts the milk and cookies to the side, kicks off his boots, and unwinds with this refreshing easy holiday cocktail. Santa loves it and your guests will, too! 

Use the cinnamon recipe from the holiday sangria above and prep a pitcher of chilled black iced tea. Stick with a tea that has a neutral flavor profile — like an English Breakfast or a Darjeeling — so you can clearly taste all of these holiday flavors. 

Ingredients

1.5 ounces of quality bourbon

1 ounce of apple juice

1 ounce of cranberry juice

1 ounce of chilled black tea

0.5 ounce of cinnamon syrup

Apple slices for garnish

Instructions

Pour all of the ingredients above into a shaker. Add ice and shake well until very cold. Strain into a chilled tea cocktail glass and garnish with fresh apple slices. 

Rudolph’s Secret Reindeer Rum Chai

It wasn’t Rodolph’s nose that lifted everyone’s spirits: his hot rum chai recipe is what really made the reindeer smile. In this easy holiday cocktail recipe, strong chai is mixed with vanilla, cinnamon, condensed milk, and spirits for a hearty and super-sweet concoction that you’ll keep coming back for. 

The best part? You can keep this heated tea cocktail in your crockpot for easy serving throughout the night. If you think it might be a little too sweet, add more tea and add less of the condensed milk. 

Ingredients

8 cups of water

A third of a cup of loose-leaf chai

1 vanilla bean

0.5 cup of spiced rum

0.5 cup of vodka

3 cinnamon sticks

6 cloves

2 star anise

1.5 cups condensed milk

Instructions

Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds out. Set all of this aside and bring 8 cups of water to a rapid boil. Add the Sweet Vanilla Chai leaves and the vanilla bean seeds and pod to the water. Steep for 5 minutes or until the tea is strong and flavorful. Strain into a crockpot.

Set the crockpot to low and add rum, vodka, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Cook for two hours. Add condensed milk and set the crockpot to warm until you’re ready to serve the chai. Remove spices with a strainer or ladle and serve this tea cocktail in double-walled mugs. This recipe is also delicious without the spirits and a little more tea! 

Prep for the Holidays with Tea Cocktail Recipes and Serveware

Add a touch of holiday spirit to your parties with tea cocktails your guests will crave! These easy holiday cocktail recipes are convenient and simple to create with teaware made for hosting. 

Teabloom has the largest selection of premium teaware that’s perfect for your holiday gatherings both large and small. Tea pitchers accommodate hearty batches of iced teas and sangria. 

Double-walled teacups and mugs keep your guest’s drinks at their ideal temperature — whether hot or cold! And the best part? No coasters are needed for these incredible cups, which means your furniture is spared of those unsightly ring stains. 

Find premium organic teas, superior teaware, and timeless style at Teabloom, every day. 

Comment below and let us know if you’re going to try any of these delicious cocktail recipes. Let us know how they turned out.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Cheers!

www.Teabloom.com