Editorial
Every bar has a holiday menu. Most of them are designed by committee and forgotten by January. A few — the ones at bars that take their drinks seriously year-round — are genuinely worth ordering. This guide covers 12 cocktails that consistently appear on the best holiday menus and why they're worth your time and money. Some are classics you've heard of. Others are modern variations that the best bars have made their own. All of them are better than another round of mulled wine.
The foundation of any serious holiday menu rests on cocktails that have proven themselves across decades. These are the drinks that appear consistently at the category of cocktail bars that take their craft seriously. They don't need trendy presentation or theatrical service — the drinks speak for themselves.
Beyond the classics, the best bartenders have created modern variations that honor tradition while pushing the format forward. These cocktails appear at cocktail bars in New York and other major cities as seasonal specials, and many have become annual traditions in their own right. They represent the current thinking in how to balance festive flavors with technique and restraint.
Geography matters when it comes to holiday drinking. The best bars in each city have developed their own seasonal traditions. London's cocktail bar scene has entirely different reference points than New York's, and that difference shows up in the cocktails. Here's where to order specific holiday cocktails in major cities:
Not every bar runs a holiday menu. At those that don't, you have several solid options. The best strategy is to ask the bartender what spirits they have that are particularly good right now, and then request one of these drinks made with those spirits. If that doesn't work, here's what consistently works anywhere:
If none of these work, a well-made Negroni using cocktail classics guide principles never goes wrong at any time of year. The spirit, the Campari, and the vermouth — when they're good, they're good. The season doesn't change that.
As important as knowing what to order is knowing what to skip. Holiday menus often include gimmicky drinks designed to sell rather than to be enjoyed. Here's what to avoid:
The bars that do the season seriously — the ones you should be going to — don't need decorative props. When you know what you're doing, the drinks sell themselves. How to order the right cocktail is about paying attention to what the bar is actually making, not what it's telling you to drink.
The best holiday cocktails are not complicated. They take familiar flavours — warmth, spice, citrus, sweetness — and balance them in a glass. The bars on this list do that without fanfare. Order something warm on a cold night. Order something sparkling at midnight. Let the bar decide the rest. The season rewards those who drink with intention.
Tom Callahan covers craft beer, cocktail culture, and spirits globally for barsforKings. He has tested more holiday cocktail menus than he would recommend for anyone's health.
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