BETTERSWEETDRINKS

THE DRINKS NOTEBOOK

Jim

Co-owner and Editor. Jim oversees editorial work at Better Sweet Drinks. He reviews recipes for clear instructions, consistent measurements, and useful notes, and handles corrections before publication.

Search by ingredient

Cocktails

Christmas Orange-Spice Mezcal Ginger Highball

Mix a Christmas mezcal ginger highball with fresh orange, lime and nonalcoholic ginger beer. A smoky, citrusy holiday cocktail in 7 minutes.

  • 7 min
  • ≈ 160 kcal
  • ≈ 9% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Cherry-Almond Rye Sour

Shake a Christmas cherry-almond rye sour with tart cherry juice, amaretto, fresh lemon and a silky foam. An easy festive whiskey cocktail.

  • 9 min
  • ≈ 180 kcal
  • ≈ 18% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Cranberry-Cardamom Gin Sour

Shake a Christmas cranberry gin sour with fresh lemon, cardamom-honey syrup and aquafaba foam. A bright, spiced holiday cocktail in 12 minutes.

  • 12 min
  • ≈ 185 kcal
  • ≈ 16% ABV

Cocktails

New Year's Chocolate-Orange Cognac Espresso Coupe

Shake a chocolate-orange Cognac espresso cocktail with chilled coffee, crème de cacao and cream. An elegant New Year's coupe ready in 8 minutes.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 215 kcal
  • ≈ 19% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Gingerbread Dark Rum Cream Martini

Shake a gingerbread dark rum martini with cream, molasses, maple syrup and warm spices. A festive dessert cocktail ready in 8 minutes.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 255 kcal
  • ≈ 16% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Pomegranate-Rosemary Tequila Sour

Shake this Christmas pomegranate tequila sour with lemon, a light foam and fragrant rosemary for a tart festive cocktail.

  • 7 min
  • ≈ 180 kcal
  • ≈ 14% ABV

Non Alcoholic Drinks

Snowy Pear & Vanilla Fizz for Kids

A sparkling Christmas pear mocktail with vanilla bean, cinnamon and a snowy sugar rim, completely alcohol-free.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 75 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Maple Espresso Bourbon Flip

A rich Christmas bourbon coffee cocktail with espresso, maple syrup, cream and nutmeg.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 275 kcal
  • ≈ 13% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Ginger Snowball Cocktail

A fizzy Christmas Snowball cocktail with advocaat, fresh lime, ginger ale, soda and nutmeg.

  • 12 min
  • ≈ 200 kcal
  • ≈ 3.7% ABV

Non Alcoholic Drinks

Halloween Mummy White Hot Chocolate for Kids

A creamy alcohol-free white hot chocolate for kids with a simple whipped-cream mummy face and cocoa eyes.

  • 20 min
  • ≈ 320 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Non Alcoholic Drinks

Halloween Frankenstein Honeydew Slush for Kids

A naturally green honeydew Halloween slush for kids with coconut water, lime and a removable Frankenstein face.

  • Make ahead
  • ≈ 121 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Halloween Midnight Mezcal Black Manhattan

A smoky Halloween mezcal Black Manhattan with Averna, chocolate bitters and an orange crescent garnish.

  • 12 min
  • ≈ 222 kcal
  • ≈ 30.4% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Graveyard Irish Coffee

A hot Halloween Irish coffee with Irish whiskey, brown sugar, softly whipped cream and a cocoa graveyard stencil.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 249 kcal
  • ≈ 9.2% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Full Moon Gin Flip

A creamy Halloween gin flip with maple, a pasteurized whole egg and a nutmeg crescent moon on its foam.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 380 kcal
  • ≈ 18.3% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Pumpkin Oloroso Sherry Cobbler

A nutty Halloween sherry cobbler with pumpkin, maple and spice, served over crushed ice with a jack-o'-lantern orange peel.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 162 kcal
  • ≈ 10.2% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Ghost Nigori Sake Highball

A cloudy nigori sake Halloween highball with ginger syrup, soda and a crisp edible nori bat garnish. Ready in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 141 kcal
  • ≈ 6.5% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Black Widow Brandy Alexander

A creamy brandy and dark crème de cacao Halloween cocktail finished with an easy chocolate-syrup spiderweb. Ready in about 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 310 kcal
  • ≈ 18.3% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Green Fairy Absinthe Frappé

A pale, cloudy Halloween absinthe frappé with simple syrup, chilled water and crushed ice. Shaken and served in about 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 169 kcal
  • ≈ 16.5% ABV

Cocktails

Haunted Scotch Tea Highball for Halloween

A smoky Halloween Scotch highball with Lapsang Souchong tea, honey and club soda. Built over ice in about 35 minutes.

  • 35 min
  • ≈ 169 kcal
  • ≈ 8.5% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Blood Moon Rye Boulevardier

A bitter Halloween rye Boulevardier with Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred cold and served in a coupe with an orange-peel crescent.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 201 kcal
  • ≈ 24% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Black Cat Amaretto Cold Brew Highball

A dark Halloween highball with amaretto, cold brew and soda water, finished with removable black-paper cat ears. One fizzy adult drink in 8 minutes.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 126 kcal
  • ≈ 5.2% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Vampire Ruby Port and Tonic

A ruby-red Halloween port and tonic with a cocoa-sugar half rim. Build one fizzy adult cocktail in a wine glass in 8 minutes.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 165 kcal
  • ≈ 8.1% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Headless Horseman Cognac Old Fashioned

A stirred Halloween cognac Old Fashioned with a little amaretto, aromatic bitters and an orange-peel pumpkin garnish. Makes one adult drink.

  • 8 min
  • ≈ 166 kcal
  • ≈ 32.4% ABV

Mocktails

Halloween Midnight Plum Grape Slush for Kids

Blend two small purple Halloween slush drinks for kids with ripe plums, 100% grape juice and ice. No alcohol, dairy or added syrup.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 123 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Poinsettia Cocktail

A Poinsettia cocktail with cranberry juice, orange liqueur and chilled Prosecco. Make this Christmas toast in five minutes, one glass at a time.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 138 kcal
  • ≈ 10.2% ABV

Milkshakes & Creamy Drinks

Halloween Ghost Milkshake for Kids

Make two small banana vanilla ghost milkshakes for Halloween. A sweet, alcohol-free drink for kids with an optional whipped cream ghost decoration.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 368 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Halloween Ghost White Russian

Make a Halloween White Russian with coffee liqueur, cream and an edible marshmallow ghost perched above the glass. One cocktail, ready in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 349 kcal
  • ≈ 20.8% ABV

Cocktails

Christmas Cranberry Rosemary Spritz

A tart cranberry and rosemary Christmas cocktail topped with chilled sparkling wine, with a quick alcohol-free variation.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 110 kcal
  • ≈ 7.3% ABV