7 Holiday Cocktail That Will Warm You During NYC’s Snow Blast: Spiked Cocoa, Spiced Cocktails and Decked Out Bars!

From cozy rooftops and skyline lounges to Hamptons chalets and New Jersey hideaways, the holiday season is pouring strong. Whether you’re craving creamy dessert-inspired sips, cranberry-forward classics, or warming winter cocktails, these festive spots are serving Christmas cheer by the glass. Here’s where to toast the season in New York City and right across the way.

Haven Rooftop — Midtown Manhattan Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

📍 132 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Haven Rooftop leans fully into holiday whimsy with the Mrs. Clause Christmas Cocktail

that’s as festive as it is flavorful. Think of it as a seasonal spin on a cranberry lemon drop, elevated with house-made cranberry jam, three cranberries skewered like ornaments, and a rosemary garnish styled to resemble a miniature Christmas tree. “This recipe is straight from Mrs. Claus herself! We put the ingredients together and created this cocktail for the Christmas month,” shares the Haven Rooftop bar team. “Credit for the cranberry jam goes to Chef Carlos, our Chef de Cuisine. He made it for Thanksgiving, and once I tasted it, I knew it would be perfect in a cocktail. He shared the recipe and helped us bring it to the bar team.”Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

Sungold — Williamsburg, Brooklyn

📍 Arlo Williamsburg, 96 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11249

Sungold steps into the holidays with Santa’s Silk ($20), a limited-run cocktail available December 16–27. Known for its seasonal, ingredient-driven menu and thoughtful bar program, the restaurant delivers a festive sip that feels like dessert in a glass. The cocktail blends Ketel One vodka with vanilla, a warming holiday spice syrup made with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and maple, and a tres leches–style base crafted from sweetened condensed milk. Creamy, cozy, and lightly spiced, it’s an indulgent winter treat.

ART SoHo — Lower Manhattan Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

📍 Arlo SoHo, 231 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013

Perched above SoHo’s iconic cobblestone streets, ART SoHo offers a stylish indoor retreat for cold-weather sipping. The rooftop’s winter cocktail menu focuses on inventive, seasonally inspired drinks designed for lingering. Guests can warm up with the Cranberry & Fig Toddy, a fragrant hot cocktail layering Angel’s Envy rye with fig and cranberry for a rich, comforting finish. For something celebratory, the Tree Topper sparkles with Angostura bitters, Lillet Rouge, gooseberry syrup, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, and Perrier Jouët Grand Brut—capturing holiday cheer in every glass. Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

The Skylark — Midtown Manhattan Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

📍 200 W 39th St., 30th Floor, New York, NY 10018

Thirty floors above Times Square, The Skylark serve the Me So Fancy ($23) cocktail, which delivers a festive take on the classic vodka cranberry. Bright and bubbly with a touch of indulgence, the cocktail blends vodka, cranberry, and ginger with a subtle hint of miso for wintery depth, finished with a cloud of foam. The result is a celebratory sip that balances sparkle and sophistication, made for toasting against the glow of the city skyline. Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

NoMad Diner — NoMad, Manhattan

📍 11 E 31st St, New York, NY 10016

NoMad Diner is serving holiday cheer with two seasonal cocktails that capture both cozy and indulgent moods. The Coconut Sleigh-Rita ($20) offers a winter-forward twist on a margarita, made with Astral Blanco Tequila, Triple Sec, coconut cream, lime juice, coconut flakes, rosemary, and a bright holiday cherry. For something sweeter, the Santa’s Chocolate Martini ($20) combines Misguided Vodka, Dorda Chocolate Liqueur, peppermint syrup, and rich heavy cream. Together, these festive sips make NoMad Diner a cheerful stop throughout the season. Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

Calissa — Water Mill, The Hamptons

📍 1020 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976

Calissa brings Mediterranean warmth to winter with its Greek Spiked Hot Chocolate, served steaming in the restaurant’s cozy winter chalet. Made with dark chocolate, Greek honey, cinnamon, orange zest, and a generous pour of Metaxa, the drink is both indulgent and transportive. “A cozy, après-ski–style Greek spiked hot chocolate, it drinks like a grown-up cocoa with a Mediterranean accent—dark chocolate with Greek honey, cinnamon, orange zest, and a generous hit of Metaxa,” says Kylie Monagan, Partner of Civetta Hospitality. Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC

BarBacoa — Summit, New Jersey

📍 10 Maple St, Summit, NJ 07901

Just outside the city, BarBacoa offers a Christmas-inspired twist on a tiki classic as they vamp up festive cheer. Their Saturn's Reef cocktail reimagines the original with Navy Strength gin, Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth, cranberry syrup, orgeat, and lemon. By swapping falernum for sweet vermouth and passionfruit for cranberry, the cocktail takes on deeper dark-fruit and cola-like notes—festive, complex, and perfect for winter sipping with a tropical edge. Christmas Cocktail Bars in NYC