The 5 Best Cocktails To Spice Up Your Next Office Party
Throwing an office party — whether for the holidays or just because — is the perfect way to strengthen your company's culture and cultivate relationships between employees. Some people dread office parties (the idea of spending another second with their coworkers makes them cringe), while others thoroughly enjoy catching up with colleagues in a relaxed environment. One thing most agree on, though, is that office parties are always more enjoyable when a little alcohol is involved.
Of course, limiting the amount of liquor served at work events is recommended (via LiveAbout). One of the reasons is your employer will be held liable as a "social host" under certain situations, like if alcohol is served to minors (per Quinnan Law). Nevertheless, we aren't here to buzzkill, as there's nothing wrong with letting loose and enjoying a cocktail with your colleagues responsibly. To spice up that office party, we rounded up five cocktails that are sure to impress everyone — even the most uptight of coworkers.
Cran Fizz
Champagne lovers, this one's for you — except this cocktail is a little stronger than your standard mimosa, as the mixer isn't plain juice. The cran fizz involves mixing your favorite champagne with Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka, creating a fizzy cranberry drink sure to pack a punch. The recipe, via Entrepreneur, involves one ounce of chilled Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka, four ounces of chilled prosecco (or champagne), and dried cranberry for the top.
To make the cocktail, do as you would a standard mimosa: Fill the flute with champagne, top with Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka, and add dried cranberries for the garnish. Not only is the cranberry vodka infused with "real juice from cranberries," but it's also sweetened to counteract the tartness of the cranberry. For those who prefer to keep it light, add cranberry juice to the champagne flute instead of vodka. Similar delicious taste, half the buzz!
Mocha Martini
What's a workday without a cup of coffee? Keep the vibe going during the evening office party with a mocha martini that your caffeine-addicted coworkers will love. With classic mocha flavors of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla, this cocktail has a dessert-like taste, perfect for after dinner (via Martha Stewart). The best part? You don't need to work the coffee machine, as coffee liqueur (like Kahlua) will do the trick.
For this recipe, The Spruce Eats recommends pouring one standard shot of vanilla vodka, one shot of coffee liqueur, and three-quarters of an ounce of chocolate liqueur into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake it well and pour into a martini glass with sugar and white chocolate on the rim. Rum or whiskey can be substituted in place of vanilla vodka, if preferred, and of course, if caffeine is required, feel free to add a shot of espresso in place of coffee liqueur.
Rosa Gin & Tonic
A recent study shared by Delicious found that gin and tonic drinkers are more likely to feel "energetic," "confident," and "sexy." While we're not sure an office party is an appropriate setting for sexiness, this list wouldn't be complete without a classic and sophisticated gin and tonic cocktail. This recipe has a fun-flavored twist, incorporating Malfy Rosa, a Sicilian grapefruit gin. Giving a pale rose color and intense grapefruit aroma, this cocktail is a fun and different take on a traditional gin and tonic, providing fresh citrus, grapefruit, and juniper flavor (via Malfy Gin).
This simple recipe calls for only a few ingredients: Malfy Rosa gin, tonic water, grapefruit, and rosemary for the garnish. To make this cocktail, mix the gin and tonic water in an ice-filled glass and add a slice of grapefruit for the garnish. Place a sprig of rosemary on the top for an added touch, and enjoy!
Coquito
A Puerto Rican must-have when traveling there is this cocktail that is a delicious mix of sweet and creamy. Don't be fooled — coquito may translate to "little coconut" in Spanish, but this drink is known for its big and bold coconut flavor. Culture Trip mentions that coquito is basically the "coconut equivalent to eggnog," as it's usually served during the holidays, but this drink will be great for any office party you're planning.
However, it does require quite a few ingredients: cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, rum, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat all your ingredients together, minus the rum, and once it reaches a simmer, let it cool down. That's when you can add in the rum before pouring into a pitcher, covered in plastic wrap, to chill. This easy recipe is sure to bring compliments your way.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
What's a holiday party without a Christmas-themed cocktail? This recipe was created by New York City-based bartender Nate Fishman (via Entrepreneur) and is a holiday-inspired seasonal version of the contemporary whiskey sour. While your traditional whiskey sour typically involves an added egg white (via Kitchn), Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree does not (phew). Instead, this cocktail consists of adding cranberry juice and rosemary honey syrup for that classic Christmassy taste.
While not many ingredients are needed to create this cocktail, the recipe does call for rosemary honey syrup, which you must whip up yourself (which involves some TLC, so hang in there). First, take one quart of boiling water and add in about seven to 10 sprigs of rosemary to sit for 10 minutes. Once they've soaked, remove the rosemary and combine the mixture with one quart of honey that you'll want to stir in until it's dissolved.
This is your rosemary honey syrup that you mix with cranberry juice, lemon juice, and bourbon whiskey. If you add your cocktail to a bowl, you've got a 21-and-over adult punch bowl that's sure to keep your colleagues quenched at your next office party.