31 Festive Cocktails: One for Each Day Left in 2020

Let’s show 2020 the door and enjoy ourselves while we’re at it! Grab a cocktail shaker and mix a different drink every day of the month! Whether you prefer an Old-Fashioned or a French 75, we have the recipes for you.

By
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel began testing recipes for Simply Recipes in 2018. She started her food blog in 2017 and taught children's baking classes around Seattle.
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Published December 01, 2020
Rachel Knecht
Three photos side by side. To the left is a glass mug of Hot Buttered Rum, in the center are three flutes of Chamb' and Bubbly. To the right is a glass mug of hot mulled wine.

I always look forward to December and this year I want to celebrate even more. It’s finally the LAST MONTH OF 2020!! It’s been a long year folks, and I am more than happy to show 2020 the door. Grab a glass and let’s sip our way through this month.

I don’t know about you but our liquor cabinet is much better stocked than it was in 2019 and I’m not mad about it. What to do with all that liquor? Cocktails of course.

The only trick to creating 2020 sustaining cocktails is a variety of liquors and a few essential tools:

  • cocktail shaker or canning jar with a lid
  • muddler
  • strainer
  • ice cube trays

I also recommend keeping simple syrup on hand to avoid waiting for the syrup to chill before mixing up your favorite drink.

Let’s celebrate the end of 2020 with a variety of classic and seasonal cocktails. Cheers!

  • Chamomile-Honey Hot Toddy

    Chamomile Hot Toddy
    Garrett McCord

    Add a little bourbon to your evening cup of tea and ease into the end of 2020. I love this simple, pantry cocktail, especially with fresh lemon and ginger.

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  • Manhattan Cocktail

    Manhattan cocktail with cherry garnish
    Nancy Mitchell

    A simple weeknight cocktail to sip after dinner, made with whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Don’t forget the maraschino cherry (or two)!

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  • Gimlet Cocktail

    A chilled coupe with a frothy gin cocktail to show what a gimlet is.
    Sam Schick

    A gin cocktail requiring only lime juice and simple syrup steeped in lime zest to round out into the perfect pre-weekend drink. Leave yourself a little time to make the special syrup.

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  • Brandy Alexander Cocktail

    brandy and heavy cream cocktail with grated nutmeg
    Nancy Mitchell

    Celebrate the first weekend of December with a special, creamy cocktail made with crème de cacao, brandy, and heavy cream. You’ll want a cocktail shaker and strainer to get the frothy, creamy texture.

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    Continue to 5 of 31 below.

  • Hemingway Daiquiri

    Papa Doble Daiquiri - closeup two cocktails with orange in background
    Nancy Mitchell

    It’s citrus season so make the most of it with this white gin cocktail mixed with grapefruit juice, lime juice, and maraschino liqueur.

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  • Pear and White Wine Sangria

    How to Make Sangria with White Wine
    Nancy Mitchell

    Pitcher cocktails are perfect for the new 2020 norm: day drinking. This sangria has one bottle of wine and a can of ginger beer mixed with pear nectar, sliced pears, and spices. Perfectly spiced for the season.

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  • French 75 Cocktail

    Fancy French 75 cocktail with champagne gin and simple syrup ingredients
    Nancy Mitchell

    This is one of my favorite cocktails and since it’s my birthday, lets toast! Shake simple syrup, gin and lemon until frothy and then strain into a flute glass. Top with champagne. Cheers!

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  • Pomegranate Mimosa with Hard Cider

    Hard Cider and Pomegranate Mimosa on a wooden board with an apple, stir spoon and second glass behind it.
    Elana Lepkowski

    Mimosas aren’t just for brunch! This pomegranate version replaces the champagne with easy to open cans of hard apple cider. The orange juice is replaced with pomegranate juice.

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    Continue to 9 of 31 below.

  • Classic Vodka Martini

    Vodka Martini Stirred Recipe two martinis on gold tray
    Nancy Mitchell

    Replacing the gin with vodka, this martini is exactly the classy, easy, drink I want in my hand. Get your zen on by stirring the vodka and vermouth with ice. Strain into a glass and enjoy!

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  • Fall-Spiced Old Fashioned Cocktail

    Holiday Spiced Old Fashioned Drink
    Nancy Mitchell

    Make a batch of the maple infused bourbon and enjoy this spiced twist on the Old Fashioned.

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  • Classic Margarita

    Classic Margarita
    Elise Bauer

    Most Friday nights we eat Mexican food and drinking this classic Margarita is exactly how I want to end the work week. All you need is tequila, orange liquor and lime. Flaky salt for the rim of the glass is not optional in my opinion but the ice is!

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  • Whiskey Sour Cocktail

    Whiskey sour cocktail with egg white foamy top
    Nancy Mitchell

    This simple cocktail of whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup is balanced and delicious as is, but we recommend adding an egg white to the shaker for a frothy, creamier Whiskey Sour.

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    Continue to 13 of 31 below.

  • Spicy Bloody Maria Cocktail

    Spicy Bloody Maria Cocktail closeup of drink ice and radish carrot tops
    Alison Bickel

    We often eat brunch instead of breakfast on Sundays. Adding a smoky adobo sauce to this vodka-based rendition of a Bloody Mary, sounds like the perfect accompaniment to toast and eggs. Better yet, serve with Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos.

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  • Penicillin Cocktail

    Honey, ginger, and lemon in Penicillin cocktail recipe
    Nancy Mitchell

    Scotch blended with a honey-ginger syrup and lemon juice makes Monday more bearable. The fresh ginger and honey syrup can be made up to a month in advance but needs at least an hour head start so that it can chill in the fridge.

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  • Pomegranate Paloma

    Pomegranate Lime Juice cocktail

    Tequila mixed with pomegranate juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and club soda makes an eye-catching drink. Be sure to use tequila that is 100% agave. A cube of sugar can be substituted for the simple syrup if needed.

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  • Dark and Stormy

    Dark n Stormy
    Elise Bauer

    The name seems like an accurate assessment of 2020. Grab a highball glass and stir together black rum (or other dark rum), lime, and ginger beer to recreate this moody cocktail.

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    Continue to 17 of 31 below.

  • Cosmopolitan

    Cosmopolitan ingredients on a counter with a cosmo drink in front.
    Sam Schick

    Shake citrus vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass. Enjoy the prettiest cocktail in town while wearing your comfy pants.

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  • Negroni Cocktail

    Red Negroni cocktail made with gin campari and sweet vermouth
    Nancy Mitchell

    Start the weekend with this classic. Stir gin with sweet vermouth and Campari and garnish with an orange peel. You’ll be sipping in 2 minutes flat.

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  • Chocolate Lark Cocktail (Low-Proof)

    Low-proof cocktail in a coupe glass with a black salted rim. Lime, bitters and a bottle are in the background.
    Sam Schick

    Start the week off with a festive, low-alcohol, judgment free cocktail. This full-bodied drink uses chocolate bitters and crème de cacao to achieve the hint of chocolate that runs throughout.

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  • Boulevardier Cocktail

    Boulevardier cocktail ingredients negroni with whiskey
    Nancy Mitchell

    Warm up on a cold evening with a whiskey cocktail similar to a Negroni. Stir sweet vermouth, Campari, and whiskey of your choice (bourbon for me!) in an ice-filled glass. On a Monday night, I’d skip the step of straining into a second ice-filled rocks glass and just drink it right then and there.

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    Continue to 21 of 31 below.

  • Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

    Two Glasses of Coquito
    Elise Bauer

    Save yourself the hassle of cooking egg yolks and beating egg whites and drink this egg-free version of eggnog. Serve Puerto Rican Salmorejo (Stewed Crab and Tomatoes with Rice) for dinner and pretend you’re on vacation in Puerto Rico!

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  • Spiced Mulled Wine

    spiced mulled wine recipe for christmas
    Nancy Mitchell

    I love that this recipe uses the slow cooker for an oh-so-easy approach. Plus, it will use up all that boxed wine I panic bought!

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  • Orange & Vanilla Hot Buttered Rum

    Hot Buttered Rum
    Garrett McCord

    Sit by the fire and enjoy a warm hot buttered rum after the children are nestled all snug in their beds. It’s best to make the compound butter a few days in advance to give it time for the flavors to fully develop.

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  • Classic Mimosa

    Prosecco, orange juice, orange slices and three glasses of the best mimosas are on a tray. Whole oranges are to the left of the tray.
    Elana Lepkowski

    Serve up a classic cocktail of champagne and orange juice and celebrate the last Friday of 2020!

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    Continue to 25 of 31 below.

  • Sazerac Cocktail

    Close up horizontal view of sazarec drink. Sazarec ingredients are in the background.
    Andy Christensen

    Sip on this whiskey forward cocktail and up your bartender skills with Herbsaint (anise-flavored liqueur) rinse for the glass.

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  • Hurricane Cocktail

    How to make a hurricane cocktail
    Andy Christensen

    Pretend you’re dancing in the streets at Mardi Gras with this boozy, celebratory rum cocktail.

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  • Sidecar Cocktail

    Sidecar cocktail with a halved lemon to the left and a lemon peel on the edge of the glass.
    Sam Schick

    Shake away the gloom of 2020 with this citrusy drink of Cognac, Cointreau, lemon juice. Make it extra special with a sugared rim.

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  • Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail

    Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail
    Elise Bauer

    Replace lemon juice with freshly squeezed blood orange juice and sip your way to the end of 2020 in style.

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    Continue to 29 of 31 below.

  • Vieux Carré

    Vieux carre in a whiskey glass with ingredients to make the cocktail behind it.
    Sam Schick

    Warm your blood with a boozy whiskey cocktail straight from New Orleans. Stir brandy and rye whiskey, bitters, Benedictine, and vermouth and remind yourself that there is only 1 day of 2020 left!

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  • Chamb' and Bubbly (Chambord Kir Royale)

    Kir royale cocktail recipe
    Alison Bickel

    We made it! Celebrate with a bubbly champagne and Chambord cocktail. You deserve it!

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  • Gold Rush Cocktail

    Two Gold rush cocktails with ice on a wood background.
    Alison Bickel

    Enjoy this refreshing, easy-to-make cocktail with bourbon, honey, and lemon juice.

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