Hot Cocktails & Mulled Wine Alternatives: Winter Drinks for Your Christmas Party

Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Presentation

Christmas drinks taste twice as good when they also look festive.
With a few simple tricks, you can turn any cocktail into a highlight – whether it's a family evening or a corporate party.
Here are creative ideas and professional tricks that will make you rival bartenders:

🔥 1. Flambéed Marshmallow – Sweet, Smoky, Spectacular

A real eye-catcher for creamy drinks like the Chocolate Mint Martini or Hot Chocolate Rum.
Simply skewer a marshmallow and caramelize it briefly over a flame until it turns golden brown.
It adds sweetness, aroma, and show – all without effort.

🍏 2. Caramelized Apple Slice – Scents of the Winter Market

A classic that transforms any glass into an experience:
Dip a thin apple slice in sugar, drizzle with a splash of high-proof rum, and carefully flambé.
Let it cool briefly and place it as a decoration on the drink – perfect for Hot Apple Punch or Orange Rum Toddy.

🥥 3. Coconut Rim or Cinnamon Sugar Rim – Festive Look in Seconds

Dip the glass rim in some liqueur or juice and then into coconut flakes or cinnamon sugar.
Ideal for Marzipan Margarita or Espresso Martini Christmas Edition.
The effect: instantly festive, instantly “wow”.

🎄 4. Serve the Drink in a Christmas Bauble – Trend with Wow-Gaurantee

Carefully open clear fillable Christmas baubles (available online), fill with drink, and serve over ice or place as table decoration.
A trend from London bars that provides plenty of conversation.
Tip: Works wonderfully with Winter Mule or a Mandarin Spritz.

🍬 5. Candy Cane as Decoration or Stirrer

The simplest trick for the Christmas mood:
Hang a small candy cane in the glass – it dissolves easily and gives the drink a fine sweetness.
Works with almost any drink, especially nice with the Espresso Martini Christmas Edition.

🥥 6. Raffaello as Drink Topping – Elegant and Festive

A Raffaello on a skewer or cocktail stick makes an immediate impression –
creamy, white, wintery. Perfect for light drinks like Chocolate Mint Martini or White Christmas Margarita.
A little tip: Dust with a touch of coconut or powdered sugar – for the snow effect in the glass.

🍊 7. Winter Flavors Reimagined – Classics Served Hot

Summer drinks can also be wintery: with the same ingredients, but reinterpreted.
This way, classics turn into completely new experiences.

🔥 Hot Aperol – the Winter Classic 2.0

The Aperol Spritz gets an update: warm, spicy, and perfect for cold evenings.

Ingredients:

• 6 cl Aperol

• 6 cl cloudy apple juice

• 3 cl orange juice

• 1 cl sugar syrup or honey

• 1 slice of orange & cinnamon stick

Preparation:
Lightly heat all ingredients (except decoration) in a small pot – do not boil!
Pour into a heat-resistant glass, garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

💡 Tip: For a bit of sparkle, add 2 cl Prosecco after heating.

🍹 Hot Sarti Spritz – Strong, Fruity, Festive

The more robust brother of Aperol shows what he can do in winter:
Blood orange, cinnamon, and thyme make it a flavorful highlight.

Ingredients:

• 5 cl Sarti

• 8 cl blood orange juice

• 1 cl cinnamon syrup

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme

Preparation:
Heat all ingredients, pour into a glass, and garnish with a thyme sprig.
Optional: a splash of lemon juice for more freshness.

💡 Tip: Especially nice served in a warmed glass with cinnamon smoke – creates fragrance & show effect.

💡 Pro Tip:
Even without a bartender setup, you can play with scents, light, and warmth:
warming the glasses, burning cinnamon sticks, or fragrant herbs instantly create atmosphere.

And for those who prefer to experience live how show and taste merge,
can do exactly that in our Bad Santa Courses, Cocktail & Food Pairings or Winter Courses –
where small tricks create big memories.