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Cocktail History
The Sugar Cookie Cocktail is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Jassy Davis and was first published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. In the author’s words, it’s a “slightly ridiculous, definitely extravagant, and wonderfully indulgent” take on a cookie in drink form that pairs vanilla-flavored vodka with hazelnut, Irish cream liqueur, heavy cream, sugar, and sprinkles.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Vanilla Vodka: This is a type of vodka made with vanilla pods, grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka because it has a tasty vanilla flavor and is affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not Vanilla V*dka in place of the vanilla vodka.
Hazelnut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, baking spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Frangelico because it has a unique sweet and nutty flavor with notes of cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur.
Irish Cream Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cream, whiskey, sugar, and spices. We used Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur because it’s exceptionally creamy and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Bailey’s Non-Alcoholic Irish Cream Coffee Creamer in place of the Irish cream liqueur.
Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. We used half & half instead of heavy cream because it’s lower in calories. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative in place of the cream.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Sprinkles: These are small pieces of confectionary that are used as decoration. We used Wilton Assorted Holiday Sprinkles.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Tasting Notes
The Sugar Cookie Cocktail features sweet aromas of vanilla and Irish cream, and it has a heady, nutty taste of vanilla and cream with a hint of whiskey bitterness in the mix, all followed by a bittersweet aftertaste that has more nutty and vanilla notes.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both liked this festive dessert drink! It’s creamy, full bodied with a hint of nuttiness, and vanilla forward, and it really does taste like you’re drinking a home-baked sugar cookie, just in cocktail form. We probably won’t make it very often because it has a lot of dairy in it, but the Sugar Cookie Cocktail is definitely worth trying at least once.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Once again, this overly sweet and creamy Christmas cocktail won me over, this time with a clever blend of nuttiness mixed with Irish cream and a bitter finish. Despite being loaded with sugar, cream, and other sweet ingredients, this recipe has a slightly dry note somewhere along the line that I really enjoyed, and the finish is almost prominent with an Irish whiskey note.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I will admit that Alex was right about the sprinkle rim being a pain, but boy, is this cookie-flavored cocktail so very delicious. It also wouldn’t have been quite the same without its fun rim, in my opinion. Overall, I really loved this drink and would call it a dangerous holiday cocktail because its sweet dessert flavors mask the booziness a little too well. Put this on your post-holiday dinner menu though, and you are sure to hear rave reviews from your guests!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
Pour sprinkles onto a plate, rub outer rim of glass with simple syrup, and roll glass in sprinkles until coated.
Add vanilla vodka, hazelnut liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, heavy cream, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into sprinkle-rimmed cocktail glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour sprinkles onto a plate, rub outer rim of glass with simple syrup, and roll glass in sprinkles until coated.
Add vanilla vodka, hazelnut liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, heavy cream, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into sprinkle-rimmed cocktail glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use STRYKK Not Vanilla V*dka in place of the vanilla vodka, Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur, and Bailey’s Non-Alcoholic Irish Cream Coffee Creamer in place of the Irish cream liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Holiday Gin Mule: A blackcurrant gin cocktail made with apple cinnamon syrup, lime juice, ginger beer, rosemary, and cranberries
Grand Galliano: A low-proof cocktail made with Liquore Galliano L’Autentico, Grand Marnier, heavy cream, an orange twist, and grated nutmeg
Winter Berry Gin Fizz: A gin cocktail made with lime juice, cranberry syrup, raspberry liqueur, soda water, cranberries, and rosemary
Hot Peppermint Patty: A low-proof cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
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