Holiday cocktails don’t get more festive than a Yuletide Moon! These holiday drinks have red wine (Merlot) and bourbon in an old fashioned glass. Made with cherries, spices, and a bit of maple on the rocks. Tis DIVINE! This festive red holiday cocktails recipe will spice up your party and gatherings!
Totally appropriate! Cheers to Friday and all things Festive! Can I interest you in a Red Holiday Cocktail? I think you’re gonna like this one. It has a good story, a fun name, plus it’s tasty.
Now pull up a chair, an old fashion tumbler, and let me make you one of my Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails.
You see, I’m wine a lover. You know this. A good red wine or dry white wine. I rarely make cocktails or drink them. Actually, scratch that, I only drink cocktails that you can sip on and savor. Old fashioned cocktails are my jam. . I adore refreshing cocktails, like Mojitos. Or cozy comforting holiday cocktails like a Hot Toddy. Not too sweet or sugary, always smooth. So much better for you too. But you also can’t go wrong with booze in a bite. Um, like Margarita bites or chocolate whiskey bites! YES! In my humble opinion.
Back to my point here. You see, a few weeks ago at BlogHer Convention, my friend Katie introduced to a Negroni. If you don’t know what it is, look it up. Refreshing and AMAZING! Ever since then I’ve been looking for a similar tasting cocktail that incorporated red wine. To make it more of a festive red holiday cocktail, I researched, I played mixologist, and then BAM! I found one.
Actually, it found me, in a recipe newsletter from one of my favorite New Zealand Magazines. There on the front was a recipe for a Yuletide Moon Cocktail. I was intrigued, learning that a Yuletide Moon Cocktail is part merlot, part bourbon, part cherry, part simple syrup, and lemon zest. Sometimes a dash of nutmeg is added.
The recipe for these holiday cocktails will be in your hands in a minute. I won’t leave you hanging.
But first, let me introduce the ROUND UP of the month with my blogging buddies! Yes, we are back. Remember those soup recipes? Well all those lovely ladies (and myself) are back to share our festive holiday cocktail recipes with a healthy spin!
All are gluten free friendly, but feel free to email me for certain brands of liquor if you need suggestions. I’ve researched a ton!
FESTIVE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS ROUND UP
Festive Hot Toddies from Lee at Fit Foodie Finds
Warm your soul with a homemade hot toddy! This adult beverage mixes cinnamon whisky with apple cider and citrus for a delicious winter drink!
Snickerdoodle Martini from Taylor at Food Faith Fitness
Coconut Bourbon Coffee Nog from Gina at Running to the Kitchen
Sparkling Vodka Cranberry with Lime from Brittany at Eating Bird Food
Okay, you ready for me to finish my Yuletide Moon Holiday Cocktails story? Of course you are!
So there I was again playing mixologist. Kinda fun, kinda scary. But ya’ll, this Yuletide Moon cocktail was it, the one I had been looking for! Except I swapped out a few ingredients to make this holiday cocktail a little healthier and more festive. Can you guess the swap?
Orange ya glad I didn’t say banana… Oh me oh my, I’m glad it’s Friday. You can laugh at the puns. Anyway…
What You Need to Make Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails:
- a good red wine (Merlot works best)
- gluten free bourbon
- maple syrup
- cherries (jarred cherries work too)
- fresh orange or clementine juice
- and a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Festive red holiday cocktails to spice up your party and gatherings! Yuletide Moon is a red wine (Merlot) and bourbon holiday cocktail in an old fashioned glass. Made with cherries, spices, and a bit of maple on the rocks.
Ingredients
- 4 cherries, pitted (fresh or in jar)
- 1.5 ounces merlot wine
- 1 oz bourbon ([url] gluten free bourbon list ∞http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-whiskey-list/[/url])
- 2–3 tbsp fresh orange or clementine juice (more if desired)
- 1–2 tsp maple syrup
- ice
- dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
- lemon zest/peel
Instructions
- Juice the orange and remove pits from cherries.
- Place cherries is a tall glass then muddle the cherries (if no pitter, just remove pits after muddling). This is basically just pressing the cherries with a spoon or a tool called a muddler to extract the juice. Keep the cherries once muddled.
- Add your orange juice, maple syrup, merlot, bourbon and mix again. Pour into an old fashion glass with handful of ice. Stir then tip with lemon peel and dash of with grated nutmeg or cinnamon.
Notes
- If you don’t have merlot, make sure to use a bold red wine.
- Honey or agave can replace maple syrup if needed. The more orange juice you use, the sweeter.
- Category: drinks
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 143
- Sugar: 10.6g
- Sodium: 2.9mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12.8g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: holiday cocktails, holiday drinks, cocktail recipes, gluten free cocktails
Do you have a favorite Holiday Cocktail? Do share!
Have you ever tried red wine holiday cocktails? Um… you need!
Cheers! Like literally!
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
Sign up & get 5 FREE RECIPES from my
Looks so inviting! I’m a fan and want one now.
come over!I
You + Me, + 2 of these + GF Smores + Fire + blanket gabbing all night. #letsgo
So there!
I’m all about the multiple cocktail recipes today, and look at that first shot! GOLD.
yes! trade you cocktails?
Party time! I want a glass (or two) of each, please! Happy Friday!
So there!
Lady, I don’t drink often (am more about the Margarita bites AND chocolate whiskey bites) but this festive GORGEOUS cocktail is driving me to it! Cheers to a boozy weekend!
I think you’d like this. Or I will make you cocktail bites. haha for sure!
That sweater you’re wearing in the photo = pure coziness 😉
Target! haha best sweaters ever!
I LOVE wine cocktail. And I know you need like 20 of these right now. Cheers brother.
cheers! p.s. totally channeled my inner Laura for this drink
Wow, look at that colour! Incredible. Looks almost too good to drink… almost!
Becky at http://therecipebible.com
haha almost indeed. BUt you must! <3
It’s basically like sangria and a manhattan collide and I’m SO in love with it. Can’t wait to make this happen this season 🙂
yep! You’re gonna love! Like… A LOT!
These look incredible. Not sure which cocktail i want the most!
Haha i know! One of each?
I am SO glad you posted this! One of my girlfriends is having a Christmas Eve party because she wants to make eggnog and she asked me to find other drinks and now I have a bunch to try! This looks so good!
So I want to reach right into the screen and drink all these cocktails. Surely it’s noon somewhere. 🙂
Bourbon has been making it’s way into a lot of my recipes and drinks lately. This looks amazing!!!
It’s the best recipe addition hehe
Thanks for great wine. that’s fantastic for summer!