15 Fun and Festive Christmas Party Shots

Enjoy a round with old friends

Written by
Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham is a cocktail expert, professional bartender, and cookbook author with over 10 years of experience in the food-writing world.
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Colleen Graham
Updated 09/09/20
Red Snapper Shot Drink

The Spruce

When it's time for all those holiday parties you may be thinking a few booze-filled shots are in order. The gathering of friends around Christmas and New Year's is a great opportunity to share a round of drinks while reminiscing about old times and sharing funny stories. Luckily, there are some very fun shooter recipes you can mix up and share. From delicious sweets to robust whiskey shots, these drinks are sure to make it a merry night.

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    Snowshoe

    Snowshoe shot

    The Spruce

    Warm up from the inside out with the Snowshoe. It's a simple whiskey shot that's typically made with Wild Turkey Bourbon. That bold spirit is offset by the cool taste of peppermint schnapps. Be careful when you serve this—pouring the 100-proof options for both liquors can turn this one into a very potent little drink.

  • 02 of 15

    Three Wise Men

    Three Wise Men Whiskey Shot

    The Spruce

    A fun play on the Christmas theme, the three wise men shot is filled with the Three Wise Men of the whiskey world: scotch, whiskey, and bourbon. The flavor is fascinating, offering a little taste of each whiskey style. It's also not quite as strong as you may think because it's shaken and the dilution helps it go down nice and smooth.

  • 03 of 15

    Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Shooter

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    A fun creamy shot, the grasshopper is one you will not want to miss. This one is filled with that favorite holiday combination of mint and chocolate. The color comes from green crème de menthe, so it's sure to fit the party theme.

  • 04 of 15

    Snowball

    Snowball Shot With Brandy
    S&C Design Studios

    Brandy is a fantastic liquor for the winter months, though it doesn't make an appearance often in shooters. The snowball is one of the exceptions, combining brandy with peppermint schnapps and crème de cacao. It's a great twist on the average mint-chocolate drink.

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  • 05 of 15

    Tomahawk

    Tomahawk Shot
    Rakoskerti / E+ / Getty Images

    The tomahawk is one you'll want to drink all winter and it's a great choice for a toast with old friends gathered for the holidays. The combination of cinnamon schnapps and amaretto has an instant warming quality that's perfect for a cold night.

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    Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Shooter

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    The flavor of mint-chocolate makes another appearance in the polar bear. This one takes a different approach to the classic combo, opting for white crème de cacao liqueur and peppermint schnapps. The result is a clear-colored shooter that goes down easy (maybe a little too easy!).

  • 07 of 15

    Red Snapper

    Red Snapper Shot Drink

    The Spruce

    Few whiskey shots can compare to the appealing taste of the red snapper. This one customarily features Crown Royal Canadian Whisky, though nearly any whiskey will do. No matter what you choose to pour, it will go great with the amaretto and cranberry to create a festive drink for a Christmas party.

  • 08 of 15

    Office Party

    Hornitos Tequila's Office Party Shooter

    S&C Design Studios

    When you want to serve guests a truly unique shooter, turn to the office party. This funky tequila shot combines lime juice, grenadine, and ginger syrup for a shot that's spicy, sweet, and tart at one time. The fun part comes in when you add the juice from a red bell pepper. It's strange, but works out surprisingly well! 

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  • 09 of 15

    Santa Shot

    Santa shot shooter recipe

    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

    A layered shooter will help you show off some bartending skills. The ideal recipe for the holiday theme is the Santa shot. This one is a colorful combination of grenadine, green crème de menthe, and peppermint schnapps. As you might expect, it's very minty, but the sweet fruit of the grenadine does a fair job of taming that.

  • 10 of 15

    Oatmeal Cookie

    Oatmeal Cookie Shooter

     The Spruce

    The holidays are a great excuse to indulge in all sorts of sweet treats. If you want the taste of a cookie in a glass, try this decadent oatmeal cookie shooter. This fun drink mixes butterscotch schnapps, Irish cream, Jägermeister and cinnamon schnapps to form a drink that's absolutely delicious.

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    Chocolate Cake

    Chocolate Cake Shooter

    The Spruce

    Unsuspecting ingredients come together to create a shooter that tastes like a chocolate cake. The recipe may not look the part, with its combination of citrus, vanilla, clear vodka, and a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico, but the flavor will convince you otherwise. Things get even weirder when you're told to suck on a sugar-coated lemon after drinking it.

  • 12 of 15

    Pudding Shots

    Pudding Shots

    The Spruce

    Pudding shots are fun to share and easy to make. These boozy little delights are eaten rather than drunk and can take on any flavor you like. For a Christmas party, try the chocolate-mint version or go all out with the chocolate cream. The mocha pudding shot with coffee liqueur and chocolate vodka is another great option.

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  • 13 of 15

    Silver Bullet

    Silver Bullet Shooter With Gin and Scotch
    S&C Design Studios

    The silver bullet is a shot that combines two common bar ingredients that are generally not associated with one another. Both happen to be favorites for the season, so it seems like a good time to give it a try. All you need for this one is gin and scotch, though a lemon twist is a nice touch.

  • 14 of 15

    Big Fat Elvis

    Big Fat Elvis Shot

    Jason Westplate

    Extraordinary does not even begin to describe the big fat Elvis shot! If you're a fan of DIY projects and bacon, this is definitely the recipe for you and it's sure to turn a few heads. The recipe combines a bacon-washed whiskey with peanut butter-infused amaretto, maple syrup, and apple-smoked sea salt. It's a mouthful in more ways than one.

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    Woo Woo

    Woo Woo cocktail

    The Spruce 

    If vodka is more your thing, a great option is the very fun Woo Woo shot. The color and dominance of cranberry juice fit the holiday theme and the peach schnapps gives it a delightful twist. Plus, you get to say, "woo woo" every time you make it. What better way to celebrate with friends?