Shaken, stirred or on the rocks, our region’s bars and restaurants have curated this ultimate list of holiday and festive cocktails that will be sure to make your spirits bright. So, grab a friend, pull up a chair and raise your glass to the season.

Find Holiday Spirits and Zero-Proof Drinks below.

Holiday Spirits

Sugar or spice, make these bevvies so nice. 

Wally’s Wieners: Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini

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Christmas flavors combined with a delicately crafted espresso martini.

Instructions

Combine ingredients to a shaker cup, shake vigorously, pour into a chilled coup garnished with peppermint crumble rim and candy cane.

Ingredients
  • Vanilla vodka
  • Borghetti espresso liqueur
  • Wally’s blend Custom House espresso
  • House made peppermint mocha cream

Wally's Festive Cocktail Blog

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Leo’s Ristorante: Spiced Cranberry Margarita

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With the warm spice of cinnamon and ginger balanced by tart cranberry, this margarita captures the flavors—and the spirit—of the holiday season from fall through winter.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Pour into a glass with a cinnamon sugar rim.

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 oz Tequila
  • 1 oz Triple Sec
  • 1 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
  • 1 oz Sour Mix
  • 1/2 oz Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup*
  • 1/2 oz OJ

For the Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup Cranberry Juice
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup frozen cranberries

Leo's Festive Cocktail Blog

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Newport Marriott: Sweater Weather Margarita

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A cozy twist on a classic—citrus meets cider in this autumn hug in a glass.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, shake, and pour over ice!

Ingredients
  • Patron Reposado
  • Triple Sec
  • Fresh Orange Juice
  • Apple Cider
  • Fresh Lime Juice

Newport Marriott Festive Cocktail Blog

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Gas Lamp Grille: White Chocolate Peanut Butter Martini

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Delightful chocolate & peanut butter in a glass!

Instructions
  • Fill a shaker with ice. 
  • Add Vanilla Vodka (1.25 oz.), Peanut Butter Whiskey (1.25 oz.), Bailey's (3/4 oz.), and White Chocolate Liqueur (3/4 oz.).
  • Rim a chilled martini glass with cocoa powder.
  • Shake ingredients and strain into chilled martini glass. 
  • Top with whipped cream and sprinkled cocoa beans.
Ingredients
  • Vanilla Vodka
  • Peanut Butter Whiskey
  • White Chocolate Liqueur
  • Bailey's Irish Cream
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Whipped Cream (optional)
  • Roasted Cocoa Bean Nibs (optional)

Gas Lamp Grille Festive Cocktail Blog

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Brenton Hotel: White Cap

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Filled with cozy seasonal spices, Brenton's White Cap is like fall in a glass.

Ingredients
  • Tequila Ocho Plata 
  • Belle Brillet
  • De Canon
  • Pear
  • Lemon
  • Cinnamon Foam

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O’Brien and Brough: Caramel Apple

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Like a hot buttered whiskey and a hot cider snuggled up together to keep warm.

Ingredients
  • O’Brien & Brough bourbon 
  • Cherrystone rye
  • Apple cider
  • Caramel syrup
  • Lemon
  • Butter
  • Served warm

O'Brien and Brough Festive Cocktail Blog

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Little Clam at Wayfinder: Autumn Cask

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A seasonal twist on an Old Fashioned.

Instructions
  • Infuse Knob Creek with halved walnuts for 24/48 hours and strain
  • Add 2 oz. of Infused Knob Creek with 1/4ounce of real maple syrup & 5-6 dashes of Black Walnut Bitters
  • Shake and strain over the Ice Ball, garnish with infused walnuts and orange peel.
Ingredients
  • 2 oz. Walnut infused Knob Creek
  • 0.25 oz. Maple Syrup
  • 5-6 dashes of Black Walnut Bitters

Little Clam Festive Cocktail Blog

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Newport Vineyards: Maple Newport Sour

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The Newport version of the New York Sour!

Instructions
  • Combine bourbon, lemon, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake.
  • Strain cocktail over fresh ice in rocks glass
  • Gently pour red wine over the back of a bar spoon held just above the cocktail. The wine will float on top of the cocktail and create a beautiful layered effect!
  • Garnish with luxardo cherry and/or cinnamon stick!
Ingredients
  • 2 oz of your favorite bourbon
  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1 oz maple syrup
  • 1/2 oz red wine for floater (we recommend Newport Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon!)

Newport Vineyards Festive Cocktail Blog

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Stoneacre Brasserie: The Naughty List

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A mischievous mug of mayhem and merriment — this isn’t your grandma’s hot chocolate. It starts innocently enough: a velvety swirl of rich cocoa, warm and comforting as a holiday sweater. But then — bam! — tequila crashes the party with a sly wink, bringing that unmistakable twinkle of rebellion.

Ancho Reyes slinks in next, smoky and sultry, whispering of winter bonfires and secret kisses under mistletoe. A cloud of vanilla cold foam drifts lazily on top, all sugar and satin, pretending to be angelic while hiding a smirk. Finally, the chili threads crown it like tinsel spun from pure mischief — a fiery halo for a drink that knows it’s been very, very bad this year.

Sip carefully — it’s sweet, spicy, and just the right amount of scandalous.

Instructions
  • Make the base mischief: In a small saucepan or milk frother, prepare your hot cocoa.
  • Think indulgent — dark chocolate, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon if you’re feeling extra naughty.
  • Spike it up: Pour the tequila and Ancho Reyes into your favorite mug.
  • Add the hot cocoa and stir gently — let the spirits mingle like gossip at an office party.
  • Float the foam: Top with a generous layer of vanilla cold foam (see below).
  • Let it drift on top like a snowbank hiding a secret.
  • Finish with flair: Crown your creation with a small tangle of chili threads.
  • They’ll look like Santa’s beard caught fire — in the best way possible.
  • Vanilla Cold Foam (Quick Recipe)
  • In a milk frother or jar, combine: 2 tbsp heavy cream or half & half
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract + a bit of sugar)
  • Froth or shake until silky and foamy — light enough to float, luscious enough to tempt.
Ingredients
  • Tequila, hot coco, Ancho Reyes, Vanilla Cold foam, Chili Threads
  • 1½ oz tequila (blanco or reposado, depending on your mood)
  • ¾ oz Ancho Reyes (for that smoky spice)
  • 6 oz hot cocoa (rich and thick — homemade )
  • Vanilla cold foam
  • Chili threads (for garnish, a fiery little crown)

Stoneacre Brasserie Festive Cocktail Blog

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Chomp: Bog Juice

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Tart cranberry and citrus meets rich Amaro warmth for a festive twist on winter brightness.

Instructions
  • Add all ingredients to a shaker tin
  • Shake vigorously
  • Double strain into a chilled coupe
  • Express an orange peel over top. 
  • **Mix 2 parts white sugar to 1 part 100% cranberry juice, blend until combined.
Ingredients
  • 2 oz Cranberry vodka
  • 0.5 oz Orange juice
  • 0.5 oz Amaro nonino
  • 0.5 oz Lemon juice
  • 0.75 oz Cranberry simple syrup**

Chomp Festive Cocktail Blog

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Bar 12: Pecan or Pecan

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A sweet and nutty take on an old fashioned.

Ingredients
  • Browned butter fat washed Redemption bourbon, 
  • Candied pecan syrup
  • Black walnut bitters
  • Finished with a pie crust rim

Bar 12 Festive Cocktail Blog

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The Safari Room at Oceancliff: S’mores Martini

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A decadent S’mores Martini crafted with Grainger’s Vanilla Vodka, chocolate liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and crème de cacao, finished with a crushed graham cracker rim and a perfectly toasted marshmallow garnish.

Instructions
  • Rim a chilled martini glass with chocolate syrup, then dip it into crushed graham crackers.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add:
  • 2 oz Grainger’s Vanilla Vodka
  • 1 oz chocolate liqueur
  • 1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 oz crème de cacao
  • Shake vigorously until the mixture is cold and creamy.
  • Strain into the prepared martini glass.
  • Skewer a marshmallow, toast it lightly with a torch or over a flame, and place it on top.
Ingredients
  • Grainger’s Vanilla Vodka
  • Chocolate liqueur
  • Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • Crème de cacao
  • Crushed graham cracker rim
  • Garnished with toasted marshmallow

Safari Room Festive Cocktail Blog

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Atlantic Sports Bar: French Toast Martini

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The sensation of breakfast French toast, but make it a night cap. Classic

Instructions
  • Dash of maple syrup 
  • Dash of cinnamon 
  • 1/2 oz of vanilla vodka 
  • 1/2 oz of Bailey's 
  • Splash of milk 
  • Cinnamon sugar rim 
  • Topped with glaze donut
Ingredients
  • Vanilla vodka 
  • Maple syrup 
  • Cinnamon 
  • Milk
  • Bailey's

Atlantic Sports Bar Festive Cocktail Blog

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Scales & Shells: Flannel Blanket

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Warm & cozy seasonal play on a Sazerac.

Instructions
  • Spritz Absinthe in rocks glass then fill with ice
  • Mix remaining ingredients together in a mixing glass
  • Strain into rock glass
  • Garnish with Luxardo cherry.
Ingredients
  • 1 oz Fruitful Pumpkin Spice 
  • 1 oz O’Brien & Brough Cherrystone Rye 
  • Spritz Absinthe 
  • Dash Peychaurd’s Bitters

Scales and Shells Festive Cocktail Blog

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Giusto: Chai-Oh-My

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Our Chai-Oh-My evokes bonfires and autumn spices. This rich, warming cocktail is perfect for crisp days with its sweet spices and dry, slightly bitter finish.

Instructions
  • Combine all ingredients over ice
  • Shake
  • Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  • Garnish with a whole star anise.
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Mezcal
  • 1 oz Maple-chai syrup
  • ½ oz Cocchi rosa
  • ½  oz Lemon
  • 2 Dash of Angostura

Giusto Festive Cocktail Blog

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Mother Pizzeria: Harvest Edition of Spicy Tequila Thing

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This cocktail built around house-infused spicy tequila has been on our menu since we opened, with rotating seasonal flavors. For autumn this year we've gone with fresh pumpkin puree and sweet baking spices.

Instructions
  • Combine all ingredients less angostura over ice
  • Shake
  • Double strain over a large ice cube
  • Top with bitters and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.
Ingredients
  • 1 oz spicy tequila
  • ½ oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
  • ½ oz Clement Mahini Coco
  • ¾ oz lime
  • ½ oz simple
  • ¾ oz pumpkin puree
  • ½ oz Allspice Dram 
  • 4-5 dash Angostura Bitters

Mother Pizzeria Festive Cocktail Blog

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Studio Bar at Gardiner House: Apple Cider Margarita

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Studio Bar’s take on autumn — crisp, cozy, and even better beside the fire.

Ingredients
  • Lalo Tequila
  • Apple Cider
  • Lime
  • Cinnamon
  • Sugar Rim

Studio Bar Gardiner House Festive Cocktail Blog

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The Helmway: The Crimson Snowball

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A sweet bubbly holiday filled cocktail!

Ingredients
  • Vodka
  • Prosecco
  • Cranberry sorbet
  • St-Germain

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Audette: Normandie’s Kiss

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An elegant, French-inspired cocktail that captures the essence of the apple orchards of Normandy.

Instructions
  • 1.5 oz calvados 
  • 2 oz apple cider 
  • 0.75 oz cinnamon syrup 
  • 0.5 oz lemon juice 
  • Shake well and serve in a tall glass over ice with an orange twist
Ingredients
  • Calvados
  • Apple Cider
  • Cinnamon Syrup
  • Lemon Juice

Audette Norman Festive Cocktail Blog

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La Vecina Taqueria: Silver Solstice

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A shimmering winter mix of citrus, herb, and coconut. A little snow-globe in a glass, like winter over Newport Harbor!

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz Campo Bravo Blanco
  • 0.5 oz Licor 43
  • 1.5 oz coconut water
  • 1 oz Rosemary Simple
  • 0.5 oz Lime
  • Garnished with a Rosemary Sprig and edible glitter

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Brick Alley Pub: Peppermint Bark Martini

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A winter cocktail special to get you in the holiday spirit. Combining all the flavors enjoyed in one of our favorite holiday desserts.

Ingredients
  • Vanilla Vodka
  • Peppermint schnapps
  • White creme de cacao
  • Light splash of cream, with a candy cane sprinkle.

Brick Alley Pub Festive Cocktail Blog

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Diego’s: Diego’s Coquito

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A staple for the Puerto Rican holiday season. Coquito is a creamy coconut and rum based cocktail often compared to eggnog.

Ingredients
  • Coconut milk
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Cream of coconut
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Ginger
  • Vanilla
  • Egg yolks
  • Plantaray Cut and Dry coconut rum
  • Rum 44

Diego's Festive Cocktail Blog

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Wharf Southern Kitchen: Hot Mulled Wine

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Holiday Hot Mulled wine, infused with winter forward flavors and heated to perfection.

Ingredients
  • Red Wine & Brandy 
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Clove
  • Star Anise
  • Fresh Orange
  • Ginger
  • Blackberries
  • Maple Syrup

Wharf Southern Kitchen Festive Cocktail Blog

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Wharf Fishhouse & Tiki Bar: Island Hot Chocolate

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House made hot chocolate using Mexican chocolate as the base. Spiked with Amaretto and Rye Whiskey. Topped with a house made Cinnamon and Vanilla whipped cream. 

Can be made with rye, rum, or virgin style!

Ingredients
  • Mexican Chocolate
  • Rye Whiskey/Rum
  • Amaretto
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Heavy Whipping Cream

Wharf Fishhouse Festive Cocktail Blog

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The Vanderbilt: Into the Mystic

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A seasonal and nutty play on a popular spanish espresso cocktail with your choice of chilled espresso or hot chocolate.

Ingredients
  • Spanish Vanilla
  • Hazelnut
  • Fernet
  • Dry Sherry
  • Espresso

Vanderbilt Festive Cocktail Blog

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The Quencher: ‘I can’t feel my face, Captain!’

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“I can’t feel my face, Captain!”

Ingredients
  • 2 oz Captain Morgan Rum
  • Topped with mulled hot apple juice
  • Apple juice simmered with cinnamon sticks, star anise, and half of an orange squeezed

Quencher Festive Cocktail Blog

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Tavern on Broadway: Jingle Juice

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Short, sweet, and bubbly!

Ingredients
  • 1 oz. Tito’s 
  • 0.5 oz. Elderflower 
  • Splash of cranberry juice
  • Topped with Prosecco

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Zero-Proof Drinks

"Tis the season to be jolly. 

Gas Lamp Grille: Cranberry Ginger Kombucha

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A refreshing non-alcoholic option with seasonal flavors of cranberry and ginger.

Instructions

Muddle cranberries and ginger with a splash of simple syrup. Fill the glass with ice and add kombucha and a splash of seltzer. Gently box (pour the drink into another glass or shaker then back into the original glass). This mixes the muddled ginger & cranberries into the drink without taking the carbonation away like it would if shaken.

Ingredients
  • Fresh ginger
  • Fresh cranberries
  • Kombucha (Try your favorite flavor, Gas Lamp uses Guava)
  • Splash of simple syrup (50/50 water to sugar ratio)
  • Splash of seltzer

Gas Lamp Grille Mocktail Festive Cocktail Blog

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The Chanler: Hot Chocolate Bar

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Because there's more to winter than watered-down Swiss Miss. 

Spend an afternoon in front of the roaring fire pit or take a winter stroll along the Cliff Walk with a decadent cup of hot chocolate in hand. Artisanal hot chocolate is crafted with the finest Valrhona chocolate blended with velvety cream from Wright's Dairy Farm, and has the option to upgrade to a version with alcohol. 

Rekindle the warmth of childhood memories in every sip.

RELATED: HOT CHOCOLATE BAR AT THE CHANLER

Chanler Hot Chocolate Festive Cocktail Blog

 

Audette: Figgy Piggy

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An indulgent mocktail with flavor of late fall, early winter.

Instructions
  • Shake well
  • Serve in a tall glass over ice, with a lemon wedge
Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz fig puree
  • 1 oz pomegranate juice
  • 0.75 oz simple syrup
  • 0.5 oz lemon juice
  • 2 dashes of balsamic reduction

Audette Figgy Festive Cocktail Blog

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