Entertaining

The Best Blue and White Cocktails to Celebrate Hanukkah

This white cocktail will leave an impression on anyone who drinks it, and not just because of the milk mustache it’ll leave on their grinning face. The mix of scotch, Rumchata and honey syrup is mesmerizing, memorable and sure to make return appearances at your Hanukkah celebration for years to come.

Thanks to a frothy layer of egg white, this festive take on a Sidecar is both blue and white, letting it do double duty on a color-coordinated Hanukkah bar. The swirls of red Peychaud’s on top are up for religious interpretation: The undying embers of the menorah? Sure. The blood of the Seleucid conquerors? Why not. A pretty garnish for a drink that is even better sipped than ogled? Yep, and that one’s not up for review.

With its mix of aquavit and absinthe, this winter white cocktail has all the flavors of an alpine snowstorm—but it’s tempered enough by fruity apricot brandy and lime juice to liven your local Hanukkah gathering. The drink’s chalky complexion lives up to its wintery name, though it's way more pleasant than wading through yet another Snowmaggedon.

Champagne is usually reserved for New Year’s celebrations, but we’ll break out the bubbly a few weeks early this year. This sweet, candy-rimmed libation is just the sort of indulgent drink that’s appropriate for a winter holiday celebration. The explosive Pop Rocks topping this blue Highball, along with tart pineapple juice and grassy tequila, make for a bright, attention-grabbing sipper.

We’ll admit it may be a tad odd to serve a shot of Fireball-infused Eggnog at Hanukkah, but there are no rules at a truly rebellious holiday party. Guests arriving to a tray of these simple, two-ingredient shooters will immediately understand the no-holds-barred holiday soirée they’ve just walked into. This isn’t a festival of lights—it’s a rager of lights.

Between frying latkes, distributing presents, hustling your nieces and nephews at dreidel, and making sure the Hanukkah candles don't burn the party down, you might not have much time to prep a complicated blue drink. Make this dead simple (yet surprisingly quality) azure-dyed Martini. It’s exactly as blue and tasty as it needs to be.

By night three of Hanukkah celebrations, you might need a light hair of the dog pick-me-up before you can fully jump back into heavy seasonal drinking. This bright white concoction has been reviving drinkers since Harry Craddock rocked it to fame in 1930. Just don’t count on it to save you from all eight nights—you’ll need a Hanukkah miracle to stave off that hangover.