8 Date-Infused Cocktails & Mocktails for Holiday Parties

Holiday parties and get-togethers are incomplete without some buzzy beverages, alcoholic or not. So why not make your soirees a little sweeter with dates? 

Dates add a delightfully deep, syrupy flavor and subtle creaminess to homemade drinks. Plus, the dried fruit is surprisingly simple to incorporate into recipes. You can either simmer them into syrup to use as a substitute for simple syrup in cocktails and mocktails, or you can muddle the dates or use them as a garnish.

To help inspire some creativity this holiday season, we rounded up our favorite cocktail and mocktail recipes featuring dates. If you're avoiding alcohol, feel free to turn any of the cocktail recipes below into a virgin version by omitting the liquor.

Holiday Party Cocktails & Mocktails

Old-Fashioned Cocktail With Medjool Date Syrup

Upgrade the timeless Old Fashioned with rich, caramel-like Medjool date syrup. The syrup is made from scratch by simmering dates in water for an hour, straining through cheesecloth while pressing to extract all liquid, and then reducing the liquid by boiling until it thickens into syrup. The result is a rich syrup that adds deep, complex sweetness to complement bourbon's warmth in this classic cocktail. Meanwhile, the aromatic bitters and a bright orange twist tie all the flavors together. Don't forget to garnish with a plump date on top!

Honey Date Delight Mocktail

This refreshing mocktail features two sources of sweetness and proves you don't need a long list of ingredients to create a crowd-pleasing, non-alcoholic sipper. The drink combines the caramel richness of dates with golden honey and adds acid from lemon juice to balance it all. Bonus: This mocktail comes together in just minutes. Just blend, strain, and serve over ice with a sprig of fresh mint.

Medjool Date Spiced Rum Cocktail

Pour the warmth of the holiday season into a glass with this wintry cocktail. Rich spiced rum mingles with velvety Medjool date syrup and aromatic orange bitters, and it's topped off with a splash of bubbly club soda to brighten things up. For fall and winter soirees, don't forget to add apple cider and garnish with Honey Crisp slices. 

Matcha Gin Fizz

If you're into gin's fresh, piny flavor, you know it goes hand-in-hand with citrus.  This festive cocktail adds matcha to the mix, which means you can shake it up from brunch all the way into the wee hours. Most of the flavors here are acidic or subtly bitter, so you'll sweeten things up with some homemade Medjool date syrup. Remember, you can always make this a mocktail by swapping the gin for extra club soda.

Salty Ginger-Ade

This one takes inspiration from India and shows us that mocktails can be bold and far from boring. Lime juice, date, salt, and cumin are all muddled in a shaker for a combo that's complex, warming, and just a tad bit sweet. The concoction is poured into a glass, stirred with fizzy ginger beer, and finally garnished with a mint sprig. This is the kind of drink you'll crave way beyond the holidays.

Rosemary, Fig & Date Tequila Smash

This drink requires some planning and prep in advance, but the effort is well worth it. This craveable cocktail calls for date-infused tequila — it sounds fancy, but it's somewhat easy to make: Halve and pit about 12 dates, add them to a large glass jar with a bottle of white tequila, seal it, and let the flavors infuse for 5 to 10 days. Once you have your naturally sweetened vodka, you'll add fresh figs, rosemary simple syrup, and lemon juice, muddle it, and then serve in a rocks glass with a generous splash of club soda.

Medjool Date Sangria Cocktail

Is a holiday drink roundup really complete without sangria? This classic gets a glow-up with juicy Bing cherries, ripe strawberries, and delicate white peaches, all macerated in a rich blend of Pinot Noir, brandy, and date syrup. Fresh thyme and basil add a bit of bright herbaceousness that brings depth. The date syrup in this sangria creates a more complex sweetness than traditional sugar, allowing the wine and fruit flavors to truly shine. 

Old-Fashioned Mocktail

The traditional Old Fashioned is made with whiskey, but nixing the liquor and loading up on flavor — something this mocktail recipe excels at — is the key to alcohol-free entertaining. First, you'll steep black tea, and once it cools, add bitters and date syrup instead of the maple simple syrup the recipe calls for. Using date syrup adds a bit more sweetness and warmth. Plus, if you already made a batch, it'll save you the extra effort of making a new syrup from scratch. The result is a delicious mocktail your loved ones will request every year.

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April Benshosan is a writer and editor covering all things health, nutrition, and wellness. She graduated with a master's degree from Pace University and went on to spearhead the nutrition verticals at both Eat This, Not That! and LIVESTRONG.com. Her passion for responsible health journalism and helping people live their healthiest lives comes to life through her work. In her free time, you can catch April hitting a deadlift PR, getting steps in with her mini Australian Shepherd, or planning her next international remote work location.