Brit’s All-Time Favourite Christmas Cocktails, Revealed

Global searches for “cocktails” peak every year in December, according to Google Trends, with partygoers excitedly preparing for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Whilst on TikTok, content tagged with #cocktails has clocked up more than 4.2billion video views. It’s not just the classic Festive cocktails we’re loving either, just last month the lesser known ‘Negroni Sbagliato’ cocktail went viral thanks to House of Dragons actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. While trends such as this may be short-lived, new research has revealed the failsafe options this festive period.

To help party goers ensure they’re ordering the “right” cocktails at the bar this year, experts at NIO Cocktails, the UK’s top rated ready-to-drink at home cocktail provider, have analysed 84 cocktail types across 187 countries to find out which cocktails are the most popular with consumers during the holiday season.

The UK’s Most Popular Winter Cocktails
The UK’s most popular winter cocktails, according to Google searches, are the traditionally-festive eggnog and the coffee-infused Espresso Martini, with both averaging more than 135,000 online searches per winter month (Dec – Feb).

Both having originated in the UK, it’s comforting to see that British drinkers are partial to a local tipple at Christmas. While eggnog was thought to be used as a cold and flu remedy in the Middle Ages, the creamy cocktail is now considered to be one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas – alongside mulled wine. In comparison, the Espresso Martini is a relatively new drink, having been invented in the late 80s by London bartender Dick Bradsell.

Following these festive tipples are the classic Negroni, the fruity Pornstar Martini, and the Dirty Martini, each seeing an average of 90,500 Google searches from across the UK over winter. Rounding out the top three spots are the Cosmopolitan and the Old Fashioned, as well as the most traditional winter favourite: mulled wine. These winter tipples see just under 75,000 monthly searches from Brits over the holiday season.

The World’s Most Popular Cocktails this Holiday Season

While England is responsible for inventing both Eggnog and the Espresso Martini, Italy is renowned for having invented the Negroni – in all its forms. Unsurprisingly, this local gin, vermouth and campari-based tipple is also the most popular cocktail in Italy, with an average of 74,000 Google searches each month by cocktail-loving Italians.

In the USA, the most popular winter cocktail is their very own Old Fashioned. This bourbon-based drink sees more than 368,000 Google searches every month by Americans looking for what to drink during the holiday season.

Across Europe, the Cosmopolitan reigns supreme with this tipple topping searches in Spain, the Netherlands and Romania, while there’s a lot of love for the Moscow Mule with France, Germany and Italy all naming this in their top three winter cocktails.

Globally, the most popular cocktail for the holiday season is margarita with almost 1.1 million searches each month – a 22% rise year-on-year, followed by the Moscow Mule (957,000 searches) and Cosmopolitan (956,890 searches). With so many festive favourites across the globe, NIO Cocktails’ extensive menu caters for all, featuring classics such as the Margarita, Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini, and the Cosmopolitan.

Cheers to a Festive Cocktail!
In a UK survey, NIO Cocktails also revealed that Brits are choosing more and more to toast celebratory occasions with cocktails, instead of Champagne, wine and prosecco.

The research showed that New Year is the most likely occasion when 5.8 million Brits will choose a cocktail over any other drink. This is most prevalent among Gen Zers and Millennials, with a quarter of these consumers (both 24%) say a cocktail will be their drink of choice on New Year’s Eve.

NIO Cocktails’ Global Marketing Director, Karla Castro explains, “Cocktails served at home add a delightful surprise element to any occasion. With the holiday season approaching, people looking to level up their home entertaining can opt for ready-to-enjoy cocktails, like NIO Cocktails. With more than 20 cocktails to choose from, it’s a great way to please every palate while adding a nudge of luxe and fun to the night.”

At Christmas, 2.9million UK adults will choose to celebrate the festive season with a cocktail over a glass of prosecco or wine, suggesting that cocktails are increasingly becoming the drink of choice for moments that matter.

Karla adds, “We are definitely seeing a growing trend for twists on the classics. Trying new ready-to-enjoy cocktails at home has made buying new flavours more appealing – especially to add a fun element to hosting. For instance, a Snow Daiquiri or a Christmas in Manhattan brings that newness through a seasonal topic, while boosting the imagination on the garnishes to make the evening more special.”