If you want to spice up your holiday season this year, we've found the three most festive drinks you need to try here in Minnesota!

When the snow starts to fly  and the temperatures drop in here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there’s only one way to warm your spirits—delicious, festive cocktails! From cranberry-kissed creations to peppermint-laced libations, these three holiday drinks are guaranteed to make your season bright (and your taste buds tingle).

1. Tom and Jerry Drink Recipe

When it comes to holiday drinks, a tradition in my family is to have a piping hot Tom and Jerry on Christmas Eve. It's an egg nog-like drink with a little rum and brandy, along with a thick, cinnamon-infused batter.

You put two heaping tablespoons of the batter in a mug, add the rum and brandy (or, if you'd prefer, you can leave the alcohol out-- though I, of course, never do), and fill the mug up with piping hot water. Stir it up and top it with some nutmeg and it'll warm you up during a cold Minnesota night. You can check the full Tom and Jerry recipe HERE.

CSJ/TSM-Rochester, MN
A Tom & Jerry (using some store-bought batter) CSJ/TSM-Rochester, MN
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2. Candy Cane Martini Drink Recipe

Next up is a drink my wife found several years ago and has now become a holiday tradition in our house: the Candy Cane Martini. If you like peppermint-flavored drinks, you'll LOVE this one.

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The recipe is pretty simple-- it only uses three ingredients: Vanilla vodka, creme de cocoa, and peppermint schnapps. You’ll need a classic cocktail shaker and some martini glasses in which to serve them. We even garnish the rim with some crushed candy canes to make sure our glasses are even more festive.  (Get the full Candy Cane Martini HERE.)

A Candy Cane Martini (CSJ/TSM-Rochester, MN)
A Candy Cane Martini (CSJ/TSM-Rochester, MN)
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3. Classic Cosmo Drink Recipe

And here's a NEW holiday drink we're going to have this Christmas, and it's one we first tried during the early days of the pandemic. It's the classic Cosmo, popularized back then by a video from celebrity chef Ina Garten-- the Barefoot Contessa who made a version in a HUGE glass.)

SEE ALSO: This Minnesota's Most Popular Holiday Drink

The secret to this drink is to use Citron lemon-flavored vodka instead of regular vodka plus lots of lime juice. It also contains a little cranberry juice along with an orange liquor, like Cointreau. It's really good-- and the cranberry fits right in with pretty much any holiday get-together. (Get the best Cosmo recipe HERE.)

Check out the festive color on these Cosmos! (CSJ/TSM-Rochester)
Check out the festive color on these Cosmos! (CSJ/TSM-Rochester)
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Cheers! Maybe one of these three drinks can become a beloved part of your holiday traditions as they now are at our house. The holidays are ALL about tradition and remembering our past, aren't they? So keep scrolling to relive some memories from Christmases past and see what the holidays were like the year you were born!

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LOOK: See what Christmas was like the year you were born

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