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During the holiday season, I love making my drinks a little more fun and colorful, and this Grinch Cocktail never disappoints. With its bright green color, sweet melon liqueur, smooth vodka, and fizzy lemon-lime soda, it’s my go-to bubbly beverage for Christmas parties. It takes just minutes to shake up and pour, and the red sanding sugar rim adds the perfect festive touch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love this Grinch Cocktail recipe for so many reasons, and I know you will too:
- Ready in just minutes: Simple ingredients come together quickly so you can spend more time enjoying the celebration instead of fussing in the kitchen.
- Festive, bright green color: Instantly brings holiday cheer to any Christmas party.
- Sweet, fizzy, and fruity flavor: Always gets compliments from friends and family.
- Easy to customize: Swap in different alcohols or mixers to suit your taste.
- Picture-perfect presentation: Looks amazing next to other Christmas cocktails and desserts on your holiday table.
Serve it alongside my Grinch Cake Mix Cookies or Grinch Fudge for the ultimate green-themed party spread.
Ingredients Notes
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy Grinch Cocktail:
- Ice: For shaking and serving.
- Midori melon liqueur: Adds that signature green color and fruity flavor. You can substitute green melon syrup if Midori isn’t available.
- Vodka: A smooth base for the cocktail. Silver rum works 1:1 as a substitute.
- Sweet and sour cocktail mix: Balances the sweetness. You can also mix fresh lemon and lime juice with simple syrup instead.
- Lemon-lime soda: Sprite or 7UP work best. Club soda with a splash of lemon juice is another option.
Garnishes
- Simple syrup: Used for rimming the cocktail glass. Clear corn syrup gives a thicker, more even coating if you prefer.
- Red sanding sugar: Creates the Grinch’s festive “holiday heart” look.
- Maraschino cherry: Adds a fun pop of color and completes the garnish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Non-Alcoholic Grinch Mocktail:
Skip the vodka and Midori, and use lemon-lime soda with green melon syrup or green apple syrup. For a fruity twist, add a splash of pineapple juice to give your mocktail extra sweetness and tropical flavor-perfect for kids and party guests alike!
How to Make the Grinch Cocktail
- Prepare the rim: Pour simple syrup into a shallow dish and red sanding sugar into another. Dip the glass rim into the syrup, letting any excess drip back, then dip into the sugar to coat evenly. Set aside to dry while you mix the cocktail.
- Mix the ingredients: In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Midori, vodka, and sweet and sour mix. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until well chilled.
- Pour and top: Fill the prepared cocktail glass halfway with fresh ice. Strain the chilled mixture into the glass and top with lemon-lime soda, pouring gently so the sugar rim stays intact.
- Garnish and serve: Add a maraschino cherry for the Grinch’s “heart” and serve immediately.
How do I rim the glass neatly with sanding sugar?
Dip the glass rim in water, simple syrup, or light corn syrup, then press it into red sanding sugar, twisting gently to coat evenly. Use a shallow dish and tap off any excess for a clean, festive look.
Recipe Tips
- Drip excess syrup: Allow excess simple syrup to drip back into the dish before dipping in sanding sugar for a neat, even rim.
- Pre-rim ahead: You can rim glasses up to 1 hour in advance. Keep them upright and dry until serving.
- Keep it crisp: Use very cold ingredients and fresh ice to prevent dilution and maintain a bright, refreshing flavor.
- Shake well: Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds for a smooth, frothy finish.
- Try a twist: Substitute blue curaçao for the melon liqueur to make a Grinch Cocktail with Blue Curacao for a fun variation in color and flavor.
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
- Store: This Grinch Cocktail is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate briefly, but note that the fizz will fade quickly.
- Reheat: Not applicable, this is a chilled cocktail.
- Freeze: Not recommended, as freezing can separate the ingredients and affect the texture.
- Make ahead: Mix the Midori, vodka, and sweet and sour mix up to 1 hour in advance and chill in the refrigerator. Shake with ice and top with soda just before serving.
More Holiday Cocktails to Try
If you loved this Grinch Cocktail, you’ll want to sip on these other festive drinks too:
- Drunken Rudolph: A playful, spiced holiday cocktail.
- Dirty Snowmen: Creamy, boozy, and perfect for winter nights.
- Fireball Eggnog: A cinnamon-spiked twist on a classic.
- Sangria Fireball: Fruity, fizzy, and full of holiday cheer.
- Christmas Morning Punch: A bright, crowd-pleasing holiday punch.
If you’ve tried this Grinch Cocktail Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Grinch Cocktail
Serves — 1
This Grinch Cocktail is bright green, fizzy, and full of holiday cheer! Made with melon liqueur, vodka, and lemon-lime soda, it’s a fun and easy drink for Christmas parties.
Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice (plus additional for serving glass)
- 2 ounces Midori melon liqueur
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 1½ ounces sweet & sour cocktail mix
- 2 ounces lemon-lime soda chilled (Sprite brand soda used)
Garnishes
- Simple syrup
- Red sanding sugar sprinkles
- Maraschino cherry (for the Grinch’s heart)
Instructions
- Add the simple syrup to a shallow dish slightly larger than the width of a 10-ounce cocktail glass. Do the same with red sanding sugar. Dip the rim of the glass into the simple syrup, allowing any excess to drip back into the dish, then dip into the red sanding sugar being sure to evenly coat the entire rim. Set aside to dry and set while preparing the cocktail.Simple syrup, Red sanding sugar sprinkles
- Add 1 cup of ice to a cocktail shaker followed by the Midori, vodka, and the sweet & sour cocktail mix. Shake for 30 seconds or until well combined and chilled.1 cup ice, 2 ounces Midori melon liqueur, 1½ ounces vodka, 1½ ounces sweet & sour cocktail mix
- Fill the prepared glass halfway with fresh ice.
- Strain the cocktail mixture into the glass and top with the lemon-lime soda being careful not to disturb the sugar rim.2 ounces lemon-lime soda
- Garnish with a single maraschino cherry and serve.Maraschino cherry (for the Grinch’s heart)
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- Store: This Grinch Cocktail is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate briefly, but the fizz will fade quickly.
- Reheat: Not applicable for this cold drink.
- Freeze: Not recommended, as freezing will separate ingredients and affect texture.
- Make Ahead: You can mix the Midori, vodka, and sweet and sour mixture up to an hour ahead and chill in the refrigerator. Shake with ice and top with soda just before serving.
- Allow excess simple syrup to drip back into the dish before dipping in sanding sugar for a neat rim.
- You can pre-rim glasses up to 1 hour ahead; keep them upright and dry until serving.
- Use very cold ingredients and fresh ice to keep the drink crisp and prevent dilution.
Shake vigorously for a smooth, frothy finish. - Pour the soda slowly down the side of the glass to keep the sugar rim intact.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 1mg | Sugar: 43g | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.01mg
Sounds good! Is their a recipe for kids Grinch punch? Please let me know.Thank You!
Yes – here you go! https://princesspinkygirl.com/grinch-punch/