BETTERSWEETDRINKS

THE DRINKS NOTEBOOK

Seasonal Drink Recipes

Seasonal cocktails and mocktails for Halloween, Christmas, New Year's Eve and other occasions, with clear ingredients and practical serving tips.

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OCT 31

Halloween

All Halloween drinks →

Mocktails

Halloween Witch's Swamp Kiwi Chia Punch for Kids

A fizzy green Halloween punch for six children, blended with kiwi and cucumber and dotted with hydrated chia seeds. Completely alcohol-free.

  • 40 min
  • ≈ 73 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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

Mocktails

Halloween Hibiscus Ice-Hand Punch for Kids

A sparkling alcohol-free Halloween punch for six children, with hibiscus tea, cranberry juice and a frozen-water hand centerpiece.

  • Make ahead
  • ≈ 53 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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

Mocktails

Halloween Shrunken Apple Head Punch for Kids

A warm alcohol-free Halloween apple punch for four children, served with simple carved apple heads and no extracts or bitters.

  • 30 min
  • ≈ 111 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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

Mocktails

Halloween Mango Coconut Mummy Smoothie for Kids

A dairy-free, alcohol-free Halloween mango coconut smoothie for kids, served in cups wrapped like mummies. Makes two small drinks in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 95 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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

Mocktails

Halloween Pumpkin Patch Steamer for Kids

A warm alcohol-free pumpkin milk drink for children with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Makes two small mugs in 12 minutes.

  • 12 min
  • ≈ 193 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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

Mocktails

Halloween Bat-Wing Rooibos Tea for Kids

A caffeine-free Halloween drink for kids made with plain rooibos tea, cinnamon and a little sugar, served lukewarm in bat-decorated cups.

  • 30 min
  • ≈ 18 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

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 Green Monster Pear-Cucumber Cooler for Kids

Blend ripe pears and cucumber into two pale green Halloween coolers for kids. Serve over ice with cucumber ribbon “tentacles”; no alcohol or extracts.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 79 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Halloween Graveyard Irish Cream Hot Chocolate

Make one Halloween Irish cream hot chocolate with cocoa, milk and a chocolate wafer tombstone. A warm adult drink ready in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 276 kcal
  • ≈ 3.4% 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

Halloween Smoky Mezcal Bloody Maria

A savory Halloween Bloody Maria with mezcal, tomato, lemon, horseradish and olive "eyes." Stir one smoky cocktail in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 162 kcal
  • ≈ 8.2% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Candy Corn Martini

Make a Candy Corn Martini with vanilla vodka, pineapple, orange, lemon and grenadine, finished with whipped cream and candy corn.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 180 kcal
  • ≈ 10.6% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Lychee Eyeball Martini

Make a spooky lychee eyeball martini with vodka, canned lychee syrup, fresh lime and an edible lychee-blueberry garnish in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 219 kcal
  • ≈ 17.1% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Witch's Brew Melon Sour

A bright green Halloween cocktail with melon liqueur, vodka, fresh lime and soda water. Shake one Witch's Brew Melon Sour in five minutes.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 198 kcal
  • ≈ 14.6% ABV

Mocktails

Halloween Jack-o'-Lantern Orange Fizz for Kids

Make two small jack-o'-lantern orange fizz drinks for kids with orange juice, pineapple juice and sparkling water. Decorate the outside of the cups.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 56 kcal
  • Non-alcoholic

Cocktails

Halloween Poison Apple Cider Mule

A Halloween apple cider mule with dark rum, lime and ginger beer. Build one crisp autumn cocktail in five minutes and garnish with red apple slices.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 210 kcal
  • ≈ 10.6% 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 Vampire Bite Margarita

A Halloween margarita with a pomegranate “blood” shot guests add themselves. Measured tequila, lime and orange liqueur; one drink in 10 minutes.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 213 kcal
  • ≈ 17.4% ABV

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

Halloween Black Cherry Bourbon Smash

A dark cherry bourbon cocktail with fresh lemon and a little maple syrup, served over ice for a Halloween gathering.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 211 kcal
  • ≈ 13.5% ABV

Cocktails

Halloween Blackberry Witch Fizz

A dark purple blackberry and gin cocktail with lemon, ginger beer and a rosemary garnish. Ready in 10 minutes for a Halloween party.

  • 10 min
  • ≈ 236 kcal
  • ≈ 10.2% ABV

NOV 27

Black Friday

All Black Friday drinks →

Cocktails

Black Friday Maple Espresso Martini

A maple espresso martini with fresh coffee and a cocoa dusting for a Black Friday evening gathering. Ready in five minutes.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 211 kcal
  • ≈ 17.1% ABV

DEC 25

Christmas

All Christmas drinks →

Mocktails

Christmas Morning Punch for Kids

A cranberry-orange Christmas Morning Punch for kids, with sparkling water for a lighter drink or sparkling grape juice for a sweeter one.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 112 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

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

DEC 31

New Year's Eve

All New Year's Eve drinks →

Cocktails

New Year's Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

A ruby pomegranate and lemon sparkling wine cocktail for a New Year's toast. Ready in five minutes, with an alcohol-free option.

  • 5 min
  • ≈ 105 kcal
  • ≈ 9.1% ABV