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Seasonal Sips
Celebrate the season with festive libations.
Recipes, tips and tricks for cocktail party success.
No holiday party is complete without fizzy, flavorful cocktails that capture the essence of the season in a glass. Try our irresistible featured recipes, including our new recipe for Holiday Wassail with Apples and Cranberries, White Sangria Punch (perfect for big punch bowls), Blueberry Champagne Spritzer and classic Mulled Wine.
We also have all the accoutrements you need to build a better bar, including sophisticated mixers, garnishes and bar snacks your guests will love. So grab a glass and make a toast—it’s time to celebrate!
Build a Better Bar
Hosting holiday parties is easier when you have the right bartending tools. The Fresh Market offers high-quality sodas (delicious solo or as elegant mixers), spritzers, garnishes and more, so you can serve up seasonal drinks in style.
Cocktail Essentials
Q Drinks Enhance your cocktails with these clean, crisp sparkling beverages. They're less sweet than other mixers, allowing all the flavors of your favorite spirits to shine through.
Navy Hill Soda + Tonic These tonic-soda blends are free of highfructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners and have 56% less sugar and 61% fewer calories than standard tonic waters. They're wonderfully light and crisp, and each one is infused with spices, herbs, fresh fruit flavors and electrolytes.
Chandon Garden Spritz A refreshing and well-balanced blend of sparkling wine and aromatic bitters.
TÖST Sparkling White Tea Beverage Made with white tea, white cranberry and ginger, this dry, low-calorie sparkling beverage makes a tasty mixer or alcohol-free sip.
Tillen Farms Olives Dirty martini, anyone? Grown in the Halkidiki region of Greece, these hand-stuffed olives are lightly brined in vermouth and make an excellent bar snack or garnish.
Luxardo Cherries Founded in 1821, this beloved company made a lasting impression with a cherry liqueur called Maraschino. Their deep-red cherries do wonders for a Manhattan, whiskey sour or ice cream sundae.
Better Bar Snacks
Your guests will want something to munch on while they sip and socialize. Stock up on our sweet and savory snacks, including seasonal, candy-coated almonds, mouthwatering cheese straws and Holiday Sampler Trays with nuts and snack mixes, or try some imported olives and antipasto staples from our gourmet Antipasto Bar.
1Caramelized Pecans + Walnuts
Fancy something sweet? Our Caramelized pecans are made with pecans, sugar and sunflower oil—simple ingredients for a simply delicious snack! Try them sprinkled over a salad for a crunchy, sugary bite. We also love serving them alongside fresh goat or blue cheese. Caramelized Walnuts are another tasty option, especially served with fresh sliced pear.
2Valencia Almonds with Paprika or Fine Herbs
Valencia almonds are a Spanish tapas classic, perfect for serving with beer, wine or sherry. Our Paprika Valencia Almonds are roasted and tossed in sunflower oil, sea salt and smoky paprika. We also have Valencia Almonds seasoned with dried herbs and spice—delicious solo or added to a cheese platter or salad.
3Spanish Cocktail Mix + 5 O’Clock Crunch
Our Spanish Cocktail Mix features a unique blend of Largueta almonds, fava beans, chickpeas and non-GMO giant crunchy corn kernels. We also have a mouthwatering 5 O’Clock Crunch includes honey roasted peanuts, cheddar cheese crackers, chili-lemon corn sticks, honey roasted sesame sticks, honey mustard pretzel sticks and salted corn chips with flax seed.
4The Fresh Market Cheese Straws
Need an effortless, elegant snack for your guests? Our cheese straws are a savory, Southern-inspired delicacy. Try classic Cheddar or White Cheddar Parmesan as a solo snack or paired with a seasonal cocktail.
Bartending Tips
- Choose one signature cocktail and make a large batch ahead of time, before your guests arrive. Once you’re ready to serve drinks, simply pour the mixture over ice.
- Keep cocktails cold but not diluted by adding frozen berries or grapes instead of ice.
- When buying alcohol, always round up to account for last-minute guests or spilled beverages.
- Wondering how much wine to buy? We recommend estimating 1 glass per person, per hour. So, if you invite 10 guests and your party is 3 hours long, you’ll need approximately 30 glasses total, or 6 bottles. (The standard red wine pour is 5 oz., which results in about 5 glasses per bottle.) If your guests are pouring for themselves, it might be a good idea to buy an extra bottle or two.
- In short: Multiply the number of guests by the number of hours your party will last. That gives you the (approximate) number of drinks, beers or glasses of wine to plan for.
Holiday Wine 101
When choosing wine for your guests, variety is key. We recommend serving at least one sparkling, one white and one red wine, so there’s something for every palate. One of our favorite holiday sparklers is La Marca Prosecco—it’s aromatic, festive and refreshing with fresh citrus and honey flavors and fine bubbles throughout. We also love clean, fresh and lively Rombauer Chardonnay, as well as Austin Hope Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, which is full-bodied, rich and sure to satisfy the red wine enthusiasts at your gathering. Visit our Holiday Wine page for more ideas.
Mix It Up
Whether you’re preparing punch for a crowd or hosting an intimate gathering, these drinks are elegant, flavorful palate-pleasers. Keep reading to learn more about some of our favorite Christmas cocktails.
1Holiday Wassail with Apples and Cranberries
A traditional English Yuletide beverage that's ideal for celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Serve it warm with a splash of rum before caroling with the crew.
2White Sangria Punch
Nobody wants to be playing bartender all evening, so why not make a big batch cocktail instead? This vibrant white sangria is made with Fentimans Ginger Beer & Muddled Lime, rosemary-orange simple syrup and frozen grapes in lieu of ice. Pro Tip: Make the recipe ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until your guests arrive.
3Cranberry Citrus Fizz
Seasonal cranberries make another appearance in this tart, sweet fizzy favorite. Rieme Artisanal Sparkling Lemonade serves as a delicious mixer, with lemonade, cranberry and blood orange juice and orange liqueur at the forefront. Add in gin or lemon-flavored vodka to taste, along with fun and festive lemonade ice cubes. You can also serve this recipe without alcohol for an equally delicious mocktail.
4Mulled Wine
This warm, fragrant holiday classic is perfect for holiday get-togethers and evenings by the fire. Combine your favorite bottle of red wine with The Fresh Market Mulling Spice, fresh orange and apple slices and aromatic cinnamon sticks to create a truly memorable beverage. Bonus: Your whole house will smell like Christmas cheer.
5Cranberry Blueberry Smash for a Crowd
Cranberries are a bright, festive and delicious addition to seasonal cocktails. This recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. We recommend using your favorite bourbon in this cocktail. (If you don’t have bourbon on hand or prefer something different, vodka works well, too.) Feel free to adjust the amount of alcohol depending on your taste or audience. Pro Tip: Make the recipe ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until your guests arrive.