As children, my siblings and I would rush to the tree on Christmas morning and to two things: shake every single present and check to see if Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk. I remember wondering why he only ate half the cookie and never finished the milk, but would polish off the tumbler of brandy. As a kid, I questioned his taste. But as an adult, I'm wondering if Saint Nick was onto something with pairing Christmas cookies with booze.
I feel you, Santa. I'm sure I'll be wanting an boozy boost when I'm on hour two of putting together my kid's Cozy Coupe this Christmas Eve. (Spoiler: I'm totally making my boyfriend do that job.) But more than that, booze just puts me in the holiday spirits. When enjoyed responsibly, alcoholic beverages and Christmas just go together. And pairing your favorite cocktails and beer with a Christmas cookie? Perfect. To get you in the spirits (literally), here are 17 booze and Christmas cookie pairings. Santa will appreciate the extra kick in his pants when you leave him a peppermint martini with a chocolate peppermint cookie, while you'll enjoy indulging and realizing those Barbie Dream House stickers aren't so crooked after all.
1Sugar Cookies With Belgian Blond Ale
Those sugar cookies coated in frosting are gorgeous, but you can't eat too many or you'll find yourself passed out in your own chimney in a sugar coma. Cut the sweetness and pass out because you drank too many Belgian blond ales with those cookies instead. The carbonation of beer works well with an overly sweet cookie, and the spice of the ale can help tone down some of the sweet taste.
2Gingerbread With Sherry
Gingerbread cookies are totally delicious, but they can also be pretty heavy with all of that dark brown sugar and molasses. That's what makes pairing it with a glass of sherry such a good choice. While sherry is very sweet, it doesn't overpower the gingerbread and can actually bring out some of the spice in the cookie.
3Thumbprint Cookies With Champagne
Without the jam inside of them, thumbprint cookies are basically shortbread and shortbread calls for champagne. The dry beverage helps cut some of the heaviness of the cookie without taking away from the sweetness of the jam.
4Biscotti With Spiked Coffee
Biscotti can be made in a variety of ways with all types of nuts, dried fruit, and candies baked into the cookie. But no matter what, a biscotti cookie deserves a hot cup of coffee for dipping. The perfect boozy pairing for this dessert means spiking your coffee. However you prefer, whether it's Irish creme or hazelnut liqueur is good!
5Chocolate Mint Cookies And Hot Buttered Rum
Totally different from peppermint, chocolate mint cookies are a seasonal favorite. You probably don't want to pair it with too much sweetness, but I can't help thinking a hot buttered rum would go nicely with these cookies. For one thing, rum and mint just go together. And for another, the drink has a spice and kick to it, so it can offset all of that sugar. Plus what's more Christmas-y than a mint cookie and a glass of hot rum?
6Gingersnaps With Eggnog
Gingersnaps are those hard, spicy cookies with a ton of bite. Pair them with a basically half-melted, ice cold, boozy milkshake and you're good to go.
7Linzer Cookies With Rose
A traditional Austrian cookie, Linzer cookies are sandwiched with raspberry jam and are so addicting. Bring out that sweet raspberry flavor with a crisp glass of Rose wine.
8Citrus Sugar Cookies With Limoncello
With lots of orange and lemon zest, I'm using my own boozy experiences to tell you that a cold sip of limoncello is the best way to wash those cookies down. An Italian after-dinner liqueur, limoncello is meant to be sipped and savored anyway, so it'll keep all of those citrus flavors together.
9Snickerdoodles With Shiner Holiday Cheer
I don't get too specific about the type of beer you should drink, but Shiner has always been one of my favorites. And around the holidays, they release Shiner Holiday Cheer, a beer rich with the taste of peaches and pecans, which is exactly what you should pair with snickerdoodle cookies. All of that cinnamon sugar paired with the fruit taste of the Shiner Holiday Cheer will make your mouth supremely happy.
Images: NinaMalyna/Fotolia; Cliff Johnson, Flare, Asha Yoganandan, Mike McCune, Jamie Pearson, zoyachubby, Markus Spiske, Vegan Feast Catering, Mattie Hagedorn/Flickr
