We’re in front of a burning fireplace, cuddling under blankets with those we love, and what’s in our hands? Yep. Hot chocolate. Preferably with a ridiculous amount of Baileys mixed in. During the holidays to come, stress is rarely taken care of better than with a good book and a good drink to match the mood. If you don’t want to spend the time fighting lines at the mall or the money buying expensive electronics, try a couple homemade gifts that keep on giving: drinks.

Eggnog with brandy

This classic Christmas cocktail brings home the creamy texture of eggnog and combines it with another one: the sharp bite of a strong brandy. Brandy comes from pretty much any place that makes wine — it’s a distilled grape spirit — so the choices are plentiful. Because eggnog is cheap, you can splurge on a decent brandy without feeling guilty. Try the sweet Spanish Duff Gordon; its flavor far outperforms its price and mixes smoothly into the ‘nog. Drink warm or cold — it doesn’t really matter because it’s delicious either way.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 oz milk or same amount of premade eggnog
1 shot brandy
1/2 oz sugar syrup

Preparation:
Pour milk, brandy and sugar syrup into a shaker with ice cubes. Most grocery stores this time of year will have eggnog, so feel free to use that in place of the milk. Shake well. Strain and serve over ice.

Candy cane cocktail

If you like peppermint, arguably the best drink out there is this cocktail. Yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds and is easily made on a kitchen counter. Just grab the appropriate amounts of berry vodka, peppermint schnapps, white crème de cacao, grenadine, half-and-half, soda water and voilà! A minty, fruity cocktail that separates itself from your average party beverage, the candy cane offers an interesting and compelling tasting experience.

Ingredients:
1 shot berry vodka
1 shot peppermint schnapps
1 shot white crème de cacao
1/4 oz grenadine
half-and-half
soda water

Preparation:
Pour the vodka, schnapps, white crème de cacao and grenadine into a shaker with ice and shake. Place into a glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy and then fill with half and half and top with a splash of soda water.

English Christmas punch

With just a bottle of red wine, dark rum and a bit of tea, a delicious punch can be made for a party of 20. The mixture sounds disgusting, but the contrasting flavors blend together well enough to nail the best punch-bowl experiences. This isn’t your average jungle juice — it’s heavier on the alcohol. After a few tastes, though, it’s hard not to be a fan of the sweetness followed by nice alcoholic warmth on the way down. This is the best of the best when it comes to holiday punch.

Ingredients:
1 bottle dark rum
1 bottle dry red wine
3 cups strong tea
1 lb superfine sugar
juice of 1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Heat the wine, tea, lemon and orange juices in a saucepan to just below a boil, then pour into a heat proof punch bowl. Place sugar into the ladle and soak with rum, then ignite the rum and sugar and stir into the punch to extinguish the flame. Pour the remainder of the rum into the punch and serve warm.