Eggnog is just as synonymous with the holiday season as tinsel and the smell of fresh pine. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like the official kickoff to the holidays until you’ve had your first sip of a seasonal cocktail.

“I like holiday cocktails because they add a sense of warmth, even coziness, to holiday celebrations,” says Jesse Hedberg, bartender and owner of Club Frills in Providence, Rhode Island. “They’re usually a little sweeter and actually share a lot of flavors with Christmas cookies. There’s plenty of nostalgia and comfort in holiday cocktails. Sometimes the best way to help you get in the holiday spirit is spirits themselves!”

So, what can make a holiday cocktail even better? Your fragrance. “I don’t think people really understand how impactful your sense of smell is when you’re drinking a cocktail and how these worlds are so interwoven and how expansive it can be,” says Douglas Little, perfumer and founder of Heretic Parfum.

Though the obvious route is to lean into classic holiday spices and flavors like vanilla, cardamom, and ginger, it can go far beyond that. “It’s the balance of working with the alcohol and the spices to cut through some of those sweet notes or the citruses to be able to make it more awake and alive,” Little says.

Give these holiday cocktail—or mocktail!—and fragrance pairings a try to really get into the festive spirit.

Classic Old-Fashioned

The whiskey-based favorite includes a sugar cube, bitters, and a splash of water, with an orange peel for garnish. 

The bartender says: “It has aromas of woody spices, cedarwood, cinnamon, oud, and orange peel,” Hedberg says. “Try using fresh winter bergamot peel instead of orange for something a little more exotic.”

The perfumer says: “Tobacco is the one linchpin note that summarizes all of it—it’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s nostalgic; it’s got all of those pieces of the puzzle,” Little says. “The next would be citrus, so leaning into something like a bitter orange note. Another note that would summarize this is tonka bean. Lastly—it’s more pulled back—is oakmoss, because within the whiskey that’s used to create an old-fashioned, there’s a peat that is usually present.”

Cozy Irish Coffee

Known for warming people up, it combines hot coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar, topped with whipped cream. 

The bartender says: “There are aromas of brown sugar, maple, caramel, and toasted grains,” Hedberg says. “Shake your cream in a cocktail shaker briefly with no ice and float it right on top of the drink. Also, try adding a pinch of salt to it.”

The perfumer says: “I would lean into something with cacao bean or coffee absolute, and both of those notes are incredible to work with,” Little says. “And tonka bean. Those play well into the Irish coffee. Cedar is an interesting piece of the Irish coffee. There is an odd lactonic note that’s part of Irish coffee that can be mimicked well with an ambergris note.”

Christmas Sangria

Add brandy or orange liqueur to a pitcher of red or white wine, with festive fruits like cranberries, oranges, and apples. 

The bartender says: “There can be notes of red currant, cherry, woody herbs, thyme, vanilla, oak, and jasmine,” Hedberg says. “Serve it in a punch bowl with a big block of ice for an easy Christmas party cocktail.”

The perfumer says: “Another ingredient that mimics a lot of these mulling spices is juniper berry,” Little says. “Juniper berry is a fun note that plays within that same holiday spice space. Cranberry accords, pomegranate accords, any of those fruity notes work really well, too.”

Spiced Hot Toddy

Typically made with whiskey, hot water, honey, and lemon, it can also include spices like cinnamon or a slice of fresh ginger.

The bartender says: “You’re going to get notes of vanilla, cinnamon, clove, warm spices, amber, sandalwood, linalool, and lemon,” Hedberg says. “For best results, don’t just use hot water, heat everything—the whiskey, the honey, even the glass!”

The perfumer says: “Within the hot toddy space, you’re typically dealing with a tea that is very clove note–inspired,” Little says. “The key note in hot toddies is a sweet honey note, so I would work with beeswax absolute or honey absolute. Bergamot would be the other top note; I think that’s really classic. Clove or labdanum complements the hot toddy world. Finally, guaiacwood [ed note: palo santo] is a smoky note that’s present in a lot of fragrances, and that also plays well within the comforting aspects of what you’d find in a hot toddy.”

Hot Buttered Rum

Warm rum is rounded out with butter, hot water, and a blend of brown sugar and spices.

The bartender says: “There is rich vanilla, cream, sweet spice, [and] saffron, as well as a touch of resinous or woody notes, too, like sandalwood and cedar,” Hedberg says. “Don’t use straight butter—make a ‘batter’ with butter, melted vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, and spices.”

The perfumer says: “In the spice notes, I’m leaning toward nutmeg as one of the key features,” Little says. “To capture the butter note, I would lean into the vanilla aspect of a single note and definitely a burnt sugar note and a rum accord, which is easy to find within fragrance.”

Festive Eggnog

Practically synonymous with Christmas, the rich and creamy libation blends eggs, milk, cream, and sugar, and it’s spiked with brandy, rum, or bourbon.

The bartender says: “Age your nog!” Hedberg says. “Make it a month or two in advance and store it in the fridge until Christmas for something really special.”

The perfumer says: “It’s fun to focus on the milk accord that is the key here,” Little says. “A lot of fragrances that have become really popular as of late feature these kinds of lactonic milk notes. Within rum, you could also lean into benzoin and sandalwood.” Of course, you could also focus on a spice accord with notes like clove, cinnamon, or cardamom.

Creamy Coquito

Hailing from Puerto Rico, the creamy, coconut-based cocktail spotlights rum with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. 

The bartender says: “It smells like cream, vanilla bean, sweet cinnamon, warm spices, and sandalwood,” Hedberg says. “Use a blender to combine ingredients and let rest in the fridge in a mason jar for a night or two before serving.”

The perfumer says: “A fun drink, obviously, and within that you’re featuring that lactonic coconut note and spicy toasted notes,” Little says.

Cranberry Mimosa

The classic mimosa gets a holiday spin with sparkling wine and cranberry juice and can be topped with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

The bartender says: “Skip the prosecco and try it with a chilled sparkling red wine like Lambrusco,” Hedberg says.

The perfumer says: “I love the idea of a champagne cocktail, especially during the holidays, and the key parts of champagne cocktails are the sugar cube, bitters, and obviously great champagne,” Little says. “Within the single notes, aldehydes would be a key feature because aldehydes represent that fizzy aspect, and the champagne bitters with orange or grapefruit. Oakmoss plays a [part in] the bitters aspect. Orris root is another interesting feature that plays a lot within the champagne cocktail.”

Mulled Wine

Warm and cozy, wine is infused with citrus fruit and spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.

The bartender says: Expect “aromas of red fruits, hibiscus, cinnamon, clove, warm spices, saffron, and resin,” Hedberg says. “Throw in some sliced fresh ginger for complexity!”

The perfumer says: “Bitter orange would be at the top of my list,” Little says. “Cardamom and clove are part of that mulling process. For the richness of the wine aspect, I would look at myrrh and cassis.”