\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n What makes the perfect holiday drink? That depends on where you are. In Germany, it may look like a steaming hot mug of beer; in New Orleans, it may be pulled from a slushy machine. But one thing they all have in common is the fact that, for their devoted fans, the holidays are not complete without them. Creamy and tropical, or steeped with spices, these six holiday staples from around the world are classics for a reason\u2014so we suggest slotting them into your home bar menus for the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Love it or hate it, eggnog is everywhere this time of year. \u201cEggnog is a drink that effectively transports you to your grandma\u2019s house,\u201d says Max Overstrom-Coleman, a Vermont-based bartender who makes one of <\/span>our favorite<\/span><\/a> takes on the drink. His version is boozy\u2014made with bourbon, rum and Cognac\u2014but for a nonalcoholic (and easier) option, here are some of our favorite <\/span>store-bought options<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Coquito is often described as Puerto Rico\u2019s answer to eggnog. But despite its creamy, boozy build, the drink is lighter and incorporates coconut, condensed and evaporated milks. Portland, Maine, bartender LyAnna Sanabria, whose <\/span>version of coquito<\/span><\/a> is batchable and giftable, describes it as \u201cChristmas in the Caribbean\u201d; it\u2019s \u201cdecadent and warming, but you\u2019re still wearing a bikini top.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Aperol Spritz has a winter cousin. At Christmas markets across Europe, especially in Germany and Austria, the summer staple gets thrown into a pot, with the bubbles swapped out for white wine, along with apple or orange juice and mulling spices like cinnamon and clove. Like its warmer-weather counterpart, <\/span>hot Aperol<\/span><\/a> has a flexible template, and variations can include a range of different liqueurs and wines\u2014and, of course, the optional whipped-cream topping.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n New Orleans is known for having many homegrown cocktails<\/a>, from the showstopping <\/span>Ramos Gin Fizz<\/span><\/a> to the bracing <\/span>Sazerac<\/span><\/a>. But every winter, there\u2019s one drink that takes the city by storm: the <\/span>Eggnog Daiquiri<\/span><\/a>. A fixture at walk-up counters and drive-thrus, the Slurpee-fied eggnogs get pulled from frozen-drink machines into Styrofoam cups annually. Bars across the city, like Cuban-inspired Manolito, <\/span>take a more nuanced approach<\/span><\/a>, blending a bespoke version of eggnog with Demerara rum, sugar, crushed ice and nutmeg for a lighter, brighter mix.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Recipes for sorrel, a Caribbean sweet iced tea made with hibiscus, spices and sugar, differ depending on who\u2019s making it<\/a>. In Jamaica, the drink is typically made with ginger, while in Trinidad, it\u2019s not; for the Caribbean diaspora in New York, it\u2019s common to steep the drink for several days for a more intense brew. Some add orange slices for brightness, or ferment sorrel to lend a subtle fizz. Uniting many of the different versions of the drink, however, is its pairing with rum, whether the sorrel is simply spiked with the spirit or the tea is used to add color and herbaceousness to rum-forward cocktails<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Caribbean holiday staple, in hot toddy form.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n While Hot Buttered Rum requires a bit of prep work, it\u2019s actually easier to make than you might think. \u201cIt\u2019s not a challenging drink, and that\u2019s the beauty of it,\u201d says Andrew Volk, of Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine, who makes <\/span>an East Coast-style version with ice cream<\/span><\/a>. Once you\u2019ve got the base down (good quality, unsalted butter emulsified with sugar and spices), you\u2019re ready to riff with your choice of spirits, spices and modifiers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Stateside drinkers are likely familiar with hot mulled wine and cider, but Germany\u2019s hot mulled beer, <\/span>glueh kriek<\/span><\/a> (or gl\u00fchkriek) tends to be more obscure. It\u2019s typically made with amber or sour beer, plus cinnamon, star anise, cloves and orange peel. For years, Portland, Oregon\u2019s now-closed Cascade Brewing made its own interpretation, sweetened with a touch of honey and garnished with an orange slice.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tA gl\u00fchbier recipe that works with sours, stouts, ales and more.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n Making Amaro Caldo, Italy\u2019s take on the Hot Toddy, couldn\u2019t be simpler: Take your favorite amaro, and top it with hot water. \u201cThink of it like amaro and soda, but with snow tires,\u201d <\/span>writes<\/span><\/a> Punch contributor Brad Thomas Parsons. We recommend it with alpine amari like rich and botanical Antico Amaro Noveis or smoky <\/span>Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThis cocktail is about as easy as it gets\u2014just add water.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n A hot, spirituous cocktail featured at Italian ski resorts in the winter, Bombardino is typically made by mixing Italian egg liqueur with whiskey, rum or brandy, and sometimes fortified wine. At Quattro Teste, a bar in Lisbon, Portugal, themed around Basque and Italian drinks, the <\/span>Bombardino<\/span><\/a> gets a Basque twist: The bar makes its own egg liqueur, with txakoli-based vermouth and amontillado sherry, which is then spiked with Scotch and topped with salted cream as well as freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tA modern take on the Italian Alps staple.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n Typically served chilled and made by the bottle, Trinidad and Tobago\u2019s Ponche de Cr\u00e8me combines milk, eggs, sugar, rum, spices and Angostura bitters. Trinbagonian bartender <\/span>Chad Lee Loy\u2019s version<\/span><\/a> of the drink kicks it up with fennel and cardamom, and is heated, simmering its aromatics and offering a warm option for enjoying the comforting Christmas cocktail<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Drink historian David Wondrich describes<\/a> the Tom & Jerry, as \u201cjust so freaking delicious.\u201d The drink is certainly indulgent; one batch takes a dozen eggs, a pound of sugar and full bottles of Cognac and rum. It originates from the 19th century and was popularized by Jerry Thomas, who is often referred to as the father of American bartending. Today, especially in the Midwest, the drink lives on. Wondrich’s recipe<\/a> can serve 50 and doubles as a starter for eggnog\u2014just add milk.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n In Japan, <\/span>steaming cups of Campari<\/span><\/a> aren\u2019t necessarily a staple, but, as Julia Momos\u00e9 of Chicago\u2019s Kumiko puts it, \u201cif you know you know.\u201d Essentially a toddy, the bittersweet botanical cocktail can be made by simply topping the aperitif with hot water. But for an extra-festive drink, <\/span>Momos\u00e9\u2019s take<\/span><\/a> adds k\u00fcmmel for spice, honey syrup for richness and sudachi shochu for a touch of winter citrus. \u201cI wanted to really lean into this being a wintry cocktail that warms you inside [and] out, just from the aroma,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/punchdrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Social-Sorel-Toddy-Cocktail-Recipe.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nSorel Toddy<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Gluhbier](\"https:\/\/punchdrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Social-Gluhbier-Mulled-Beer-Holiday-Hot-Cocktail-Recipe.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGlueh Kriek<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"amaro](\"https:\/\/punchdrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Social-Best-Holiday-Drinks-Wine-Beer-Cocktail-Recipe-Hot-Amaro.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nAmaro Caldo<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/punchdrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Social-Holiday-Cocktail-Recipe-Bombardino.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBombardino<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/punchdrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Social2-Hot-Campari-Julia-Momose-Kumiko-Chicago.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n