Italian Christmas Drinks for a Cozy and sparkling Festive Season
A handpicked selection of the best Italian Christmas drinks perfect for the holiday season: cosy alpine classics, sparkling Prosecco cocktails and festive treats you can easily make at home
Italy may be famous for sunshine and summer spritzes, but the holiday season brings a whole new side to its drink culture. Cosy alpine favourites, sparkling cocktails enjoyed in the cities, coffee based treats are all part of the Italian tradition and have a warmth and charm that feel perfect for Christmas.
These ideas are easy to recreate at home!
Why These Drinks Were Chosen: Italian Christmas drinks balance comfort and sophistication: warm, spiced winter treats from the north, iconic cocktails for toasting, and sweet, dessert-like sippers that are wonderfully indulgent. A great match for families who love travel, culture, food, and simple seasonal pleasures.
Bombardino
Born on the snowy slopes around Sondrio (Piedmont), Bombardino is one of Italy’s classic winter drinks, perfect for Christmas.
It is a warm egg liqueur with a hint of brandy, a little sugar, and whipped cream to finish — every sip as heavenly and decadent as it sounds! To make it Christmassy, add star anise or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
How to make it: Gently warm egg liqueur with brandy, sweeten to taste, and top with whipped cream.
Vin Brulé (Italian Mulled Wine)
Vin Brulé is Italy’s version of mulled wine and a beloved festive drink.
Mulled wine is hot wine simmered with orange peel, cloves, cinnamon and a spoon of sugar (find the full mulled wine recipe here): it is easy to make, delicious and also smells amazing, filling your house with that unmistakable Christmas scent that envelops your guests like a warm embrace as soon as they enter your home!
Italian Hot Chocolate (Cioccolata Calda)
Cioccolata Calda (Italian hot chocolate) is thick, rich, and indulgent, a comforting Italian Christmas drink that doubles as a treat.
Unlike watery or very milky types of hot chocolate, which are basically just chocolate flavoured milk, Italian hot chocolate is cooked to perfection with starch, so that is assumes a thin and creamy consistency that is luscious and soothing.
You can serve it with or without whipped cream and, to make it more even more Christmassy, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or crushed amaretti on top, make it more ‘grown up’ with a hint of citrus peel or you can even spike it with a small dash of liquor (rum works well or orange based liquor too).
Classic Negroni
The Negroni is a timeless Italian cocktail that also shines as a festive Christmas drink.
Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail we are so incredibly proud of, it is a little like carbonara: something we love, take incredibly seriously and are adamant can only be done a certain way: the right way!
Negroni works amazing as a Christmas drink as it is deep red in color, it comes with a slice of orange, which is seasonal, and it is strong so it goes well with celebrations that want to feel indulgent and a little special! You can also dress it with dried orange instead, for an even more seasonal look. How to make it: Stir gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth over ice; garnish with orange.
Negroni sbagliato (negroni done wrong)
You know when I said we take negroni seriously? I really mean this and this negroni sbagliato cocktail is the proof: there is only one way to make a negroni and there is only one way to make it ‘wrong’ (sbagliato). Anything else is just not a negroni!
The negroni sbagliato made with a mistake, aka the use of Prosecco instead of gin! It is delicious, a little less alcoholic than its big bother and perfect for Christmas thanks to the bubbles of your sparkly Prosecco and the red hues of the Campari.
Campari Spritz
Campari sprits is a deliscious and strong cocktails with a deep red color which is perfect for a holiday gathering! This version of spritz is very popular in Italy and a beloved alternative to the more widely praised aperol sprits (light orange in color): it deeper in taste, less sweet, a little stronger and a lot more sophisticated in appearance and taste. You make it by mixing Campari and Prosecco: easy, quick and a a sure success!
You can add an orange slice and a little twig of rosemary for an even more Christmassy presentation and have a festive Italian spritz with a deep red color and sophisticated flavor perfect for entertaining.
Winter Hugo
The classic Hugo is a cocktail born in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the glam ski resort in the Italian Dolomites and combines Prosecco with the local, delicious, fresh elderflower juice sources locally.
It is a perfect Italian Christmas cocktail: while the fresh juice makes it more of a summer cocktail traditionally, if you get good quality elderflower syrup or make your own, its Prosecco base and delicate taste make it perfect as an elegant first aperitif to welcome your guests.
You can find the Hugo recipe here.
Classic Bellini
Elegant, light, and unmistakably Venetian, the Bellini is a sparkling Italian cocktail perfect for Christmas
Created at Harry’s Bar in Venice in the 1940s, it blends Prosecco with smooth white peach purée for a soft, fruity drink that feels celebratory any time of year.
It’s traditionally a summer cocktail, when white peaches are in season in Italy, but it works beautifully at Christmas too: just use high-quality peach nectar or frozen peach purée for a winter-friendly version. Perfect for a festive aperitivo with a touch of Venetian glamour. Find here the full Bellini recipe.
These Italian Christmas drinks bring the festive spirit of Italy into your home. Try them all and enjoy a truly authentic Italian Christmas at home!
Cozy and sparkling Italian Christmas drinks you’ll love this holiday season: pin this!
