As the holiday season rolls out, people across the world partake in unique rituals and traditions. One common shared custom remains centered around festive drinks. Whether it's savoring warm mugs of mulled wine at Germany's Christmas markets, enjoying the Coquito's richness in Puerto Rico, or tickling the palate with a Sorrel punch elsewhere in the Caribbean, holiday-inspired libations appear prominently in seasonal celebrations areas worldwide.

Let's take a cocktail-filled tour around the globe. Try concoctions ranging from warm and comforting to creamy and robust to bright and effervescent, guaranteed to set the celebration mood right. Before long, you'll be joining in sharing toasty cheers.

Scandinavia serves Glögg, a perfumed mulled wine, during festive occasions. A traditional recipe features red wine, sugar, spice, and a spirit to enhance the mix's strength. In a twist, chef Marcus Samuelsson incorporates white wine and rosé along with vodka infused with cardamom and ginger into a Swedish White Glögg, lending it a new brightness.

Coquito, or "little coconut," is a creamy rum-based treat served in Puerto Rico throughout the winter holidays. Shamil Velázquez, the executive chef of Delaney Oyster House in Charleston, whips up a version with coconut cream, three milk varietals, aromatic seasonings, and white rum. "The signature touch from my family is adding ginger, which imparts a slight fiery accent, setting our version apart," reveals Velázquez.

In Somerville, Massachusetts, Maccabee Bar draws from the Whiskey Smash to create a special Hanukkah-themed cocktail, the Whiskey Shamash. Additions of fig syrup lend a layer of complexity and sweetness against a robust backdrop of whiskey, lemon, and mint.

Dating back to the 1800s in England, the Tom & Jerry cocktail offers warm and lavish holiday indulgence reminiscent of eggnog. It espouses a blend of rum, eggs, spices, sugar, cognac, and warm milk –a culinary delight topped with a light garnishing of nutmeg.

Seasonal celebrations in Mexico often showcase the Ponche Navideño, a spicy fruit punch. Food and drink writer Paola Briseño González reimagines a chilled variant of this classic, featuring vermouth and a bevy of fruits and herbs, resulting in a light but profoundly flavorful drink.

Alissa Diaz, wine director at Centrolina, brings an Italian touch with Inverno Arancione. A sophisticated play on red wine-based cocktails, Diaz utilizes Pinot Grigio to create a white mulled wine cocktail focused on citrus and ginger flavors, drawing inspiration from the winter Italian specialty, panettone.

Rounding off the holiday spirits list is the silky Oaxacan Coffee and the creamy White Russian-inspired Cola de Mono from Chile. Not to forget an invigorating Italian take on the Espresso Martini from Charleston’s Sorelle, a nutty serving of Horchata from Nixta Taqueria in Austin, helmed by 2023 Food & Wine Best New Chef Edgar Rico and his wife, Sara Mardanbigi.