‎Celebrate the Holiday Season with Fun Drinks for the Whole Family

During the winter holidays, many people get together with family, friends, and loved ones to celebrate and enjoy a relaxing time together. If this year’s gatherings are taking place at your home, you may already be planning out the menu with cookies, treats, and other indulgences. However, you may not have thought about the drink menu. While it’s true most people love a carbonated beverage, or a beer, those beverages get redundant, miss out on important added healthy benefits, and do nothing to make the celebration special.

You can upgrade your holiday beverage options by making cocktails, mocktails, and smoothies that use 100% juice. Not only do these drinks tastes delicious, but they are a fun and creative way to get your guests invested in the holiday spirit. In addition, adding 100% juice to your drinks is a great way to add some fruit into your diet. In fact, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, one cup of 100% fruit juice is equivalent to one serving of whole fruit.

Best of all, the drinks listed below can be made both as cocktails for the adults, or mocktails for younger guests and those looking to get in on the low-to-no alcohol trend.

Spiced Grape Spritz: You can’t have a proper holiday party without a proper drink to toast with, right? This fun Spiced Grape Spritz includes winter spices, like cinnamon, delicious strawberries, and 100% grape juice. To counter the sweet blend of ingredients, a dash of lime juice is also included. It features champagne, which can be replaced with seltzer water for those who would rather enjoy a mocktail, so it’s the perfect drink to cheers to the holidays or ring in the new year.

Caramel Apple Smoothie: This fun smoothie, brought to you by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Culinary Professionals, is the best sweet treat to make for “kids” – both young and old – at your party. Unlike other smoothies, it has a full serving of 100% apple juice and apple sauce and includes Greek yogurt and peanut butter to give it texture and a blend of flavors. This healthy smoothie can be consumed as is, or topped with favorites, such as caramel, nuts, and whipped cream. Those who are only young at heart can add a bit of rum or whisky to this smoothie and turn it into a spiked shake.

Maple Spiced Rum Punch: At a holiday party, it’s important to have a universally loved drink that most of your guests will enjoy and that fits the festive theme. An easy way to check both boxes is to make this Maple Spiced Rum Punch. It’s made with 100% cranberry juice and a blend of festive spices and flavors, including nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. It’s guaranteed to be a hit at your party!

For more fun recipes, cocktails, and mocktails, to make during your holiday season celebrations, check out our recipes section. Happy Holidays!