The Holiday ‘Spirits’ | December Decor and Cocktail Recipes

Everything changes in December. For instance, you stop drinking coffee. Now you order peppermint mochas until you’re made up of more peppermint than plasma. You don’t binge-watch random Netflix shows; it’s time for holiday specials and Christmas Pandora. You no longer eat peanut butter cups — you eat peanut butter trees. And there’s simply no space for vodka tonics or margaritas. This time of year is all about the holiday ‘spirits.’

I love every festive treat and tradition that comes with the holidays. I start using my Christmas mug, momentarily pretend I like baking, and get to obsess over the fabulous origami that is wrapping packages. Our apartment isn’t entirely decorated (yet) but our table is looking fun and festive… And sparkly, but that’s practically synonymous with festive.

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (10)

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (11)

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (12)
Decor c/o Gordmans

Aren’t those trees the cutest? I love how they go with our retro Christmas decor — and they’re festive without being exclusively red and green. The serveware and trees are from Gordmans, a.k.a. the discount store you’re probably not utilizing enough. Their holiday selection was out of control, and I practically caroled with glee when I found these matching serveware items. No Gordmans item pictured was more than $10, and all were regular Gordmans price — plus, I even used a 20% off coupon I scored from their website, which brought my most expensive item ($9.99) down even lower. If you’ve ever read this blog, you know how I feel about double-discounts, so I’ll skip my happy dance and head straight to what the people want: booze.

Ah, booze. A cocktail can make the annoying parts of the holidays — the occasional bad song, forced conversation, those times when someone yells at you for how you express season’s greetings — bearable, and the fun parts even funner. Looking for something festive to serve at your holiday party? Or, if you’re like me, a little liquid patience before tackling the tangled lights? Here are two tasty ideas.

holiday rum punch recipe

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (2)

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (4)
Glass, straws, napkins, plate, and trees c/o Gordmans

Mrs. Claus’ Rum Punch

You think it’s hard to find your man a gift? Imagine being married to Santa Claus. Pour the Mrs. a drink, asap.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C pomegranate juice
  • 1/2 C cranberry juice cocktail
  • 1/2 C Champagne
  • 1 oz. spiced rum
  • Ice
  • Decorative sugar

Directions

  • Mix pomegranate juice, cranberry juice and rum
  • Rim a separate glass with decorative sugar
  • Pour mixture into glass over ice
  • Top with Champagne

Serve with salty or savory snacks, such as nuts, cheese, or salami.

holiday chai tea cocktail recipe

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (7)

Christmas Table Settings and Cocktail Recipes (8)
Mug, napkins, plate, and trees c/o Gordmans

Blitzen’s Boozy Chai Tea Cocktail

C’mon… His name is practically ‘blitzed.’ So how does the drunkest reindeer stay warm in the snow? Hard chai tea, obviously.

Ingredients

  • Chai tea latte powder
  • Milk
  • 1 oz. Rumchata
  • 1 oz. Licor 43
  • Whipped cream
  • Decorative sugar

Directions

  • Make one hot serving of chai tea latte using milk per package directions
  • Mix in Rumchata and Licor 43
  • Top with whipped cream and decorative sugar

Serve with cookies, such as these gingerbread Biscoff spread sandwiches.

Cheers!


Don’t forget to find more holiday ideas and inspiration on the Gordmans Facebook page. Have a favorite festive treat? Tell me about it!

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *