Best Christmas Drinks for Restaurants and Cafés in Canada

Holiday traffic and spend typically lift in December, and food-service sales continued to grow through late-2024 into 2025 — a useful backdrop when you're engineering a Christmas menu for margin and speed. Learn how to build a profitable festive drinks menu with hot and cold signatures, zero-proof hits, pricing tips, and fun design ideas.

The Canadian-Ready Festive Drinks List

Hot Crowd-Pleasers (Batchable, Upsell-Friendly)

Mulled wine is a holiday staple for a reason — it’s cosy, fragrant, and easy to batch. Keep your red or white version gently warmed (never boiling) so the spices shine, and aim for a relaxed 10–12% ABV after dilution. It also has a natural non-alcoholic partner: a mulled apple-cider version that feels just as festive for guests skipping the booze.

Irish Coffee, or a maple twist on it, is another cold-weather favourite. A fresh-whipped cream cap makes it feel extra special, and offering both decaf and zero-proof versions means everyone at the table can join in.

If you want something playful, a Spiked Hot Chocolate Bar is a crowd-pleaser. Start with a rich ganache base, then let guests choose their adventure with add-ons like peppermint schnapps, orange liqueur, or a hint of chili.

Hot Toddies are always a winter win, and they work beautifully two ways: a classic whisky build or a zero-proof botanical version. Both stay true to the lemon–honey–clove trio that makes a Toddy so comforting.

For something with a Canadian twist, a Masala Chai Latte (spiked or zero-proof) brings in warm spice and Indo-Canadian flavours. It’s the kind of drink groups love to order together, especially on those deep-winter nights.

Cold Signatures That Travel Well

The Cranberry-Maple Spritz brings a low-ABV option to the table with Prosecco, cranberry shrub, maple, and rosemary. The Toronto, a classic Canadian cocktail made with rye and fernet, adds a smart, wintry touch to any cocktail list. For something a bit more playful, try a prep-batched Candy-Cane Espresso Martini using espresso concentrate and a crème de menthe rinse.

Zero-Proof Winners (Price Like Value, Not Afterthoughts)

Cranberry-Ginger Fizz made with house shrub, soda, and lime gives guests a bright, refreshing option. Hot Spiced Apple Mulled Cider delivers all the comfort of traditional mulled wine without the alcohol. Dirty Chai Nog rounds out your non-alcoholic offerings with rich, warming spice.

Menu Engineering for Margin

Bundle to raise average check by offering $19–$22 CAD hot drink and dessert pairings, such as Hot Toddy with gingerbread. Low-waste batching means building three base batches — mulled base, chocolate ganache, and chai — then adding spirits or non-alcoholic options at service. Consider offering portions in both regular and fireside mug sizes (12oz/16oz) to create trade-ups without adding complexity. Name items to sell them by marking seasonal signatures with a snowflake icon and short, sensory copy of 10 words or less.

What Canadians Tell Us

Canadian diners know what they like — and they’re consistent about it. According to the Toast Consumer Preference Survey 2025, printed menus still come out ahead, with 59% of guests preferring a printed menu over a digital or QR option. It’s a simple detail, but one that clearly shapes comfort and confidence at the table.

Price carries real weight for Canadians. In our survey, 67% of diners told us that price is one of the biggest factors in deciding where to eat. That makes it even more important to show value clearly. They’re also paying close attention to changes as 86.5% say they notice menu price shifts at least some of the time, so transparency matters more than ever.

When it comes to drinks, Canadians want a list that feels curated, not overwhelming. 59.5% expect to see around 10–20 drink options — a perfect sweet spot for a focused, seasonal lineup.

And the setting shapes behaviour, too. Warm, inviting lighting encourages guests to settle in, with 54.5% saying this kind of atmosphere makes them more likely to stay longer and order more.

How to use this data: Keep printed menus front and centre, use photos intentionally, build a tight drinks list with a clear sense of value, and warm up the lighting around the bar and winter patio to create an inviting, linger-worthy space.

Design Tips That Lift Conversion

Photos help drive decisions. A majority of diners rate menu photos as important, so add one hero image for each festive category — hot, cold, and zero-proof. Round numbers read cleaner, too. Canadians most prefer whole-number pricing like $15, which is ideal for holiday set menus.

Seasonal callouts make a real difference. When an item is genuinely seasonal or local, say so — guests gravitate toward those cues. It signals freshness, care, and a sense of place, and it can give your festive drinks the extra nudge they need to stand out and sell.

Operations: Make It Fast for FOH and BOH

Batch and hold your mulled base with citrus and spice kept hot, then spike to order for consistent ABV and speed. 

Handhelds at the table let servers fire drinks instantly and reorder in one tap, so they can cover more tables — a benefit echoed by Gusto and Befikre results. 

KDS routing should send hot drinks to your barista or BOH drinks station while cold signatures go to the bar. Prep boards help too: pre-whip cream and portion garnish boats with orange wheels, star anise, and candy cane dust.

Legal Requirements (Province-by-Province Pointers)

Regulations look a little different in every province and territory, so it’s always worth double-checking your local rules — but these guidelines will point you in the right direction.

In Ontario, the AGCO expects alcohol advertising to be responsible. That means steering clear of anything that encourages over-consumption and sticking to the pricing and promotion standards laid out in the Registrar’s Guidelines.

In British Columbia, the LCRB’s Policy Manual covers the essentials: happy-hour pricing, serving times, and what you can (and can’t) promote as a licensee.

In Québec, the RACJ has firm rules around advertising free alcohol or offering certain types of rebates, and recent legislative updates have added a few new considerations for permit holders.

In Alberta, the AGLC Licensee Handbook outlines what’s acceptable when it comes to alcohol advertising and promotions for Class A, B, and C licensees. And if you’re bottling ready-to-drink beverages for retail or off-site sale, make sure you’re following the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s labelling requirements.

A good rule of thumb everywhere: avoid terms like “all-you-can-drink” or anything that implies excessive consumption, and keep happy-hour language aligned with your province’s standards. Industry groups like the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association also offer helpful province-by-province guidance to keep your team compliant and confident.

Real-World Inspiration in Canada

For video inspiration, check out Booze on the Rocks Canada's Mulled Wine in a Crock Pot tutorial for a fast, batch-friendly method.

Look at Miracle Toronto and other holiday pop-ups for seasonal cocktail menus and decor ideas. NORDIC by BarChef in Toronto showcases winter yurt experiences with immersive seasonal drinks, while d|bar at Four Seasons Toronto regularly posts festive cocktail presentations that offer great visual cues for your own menu.

For ideas beyond Toronto, look to the bigger players who treat holiday beverages like headline acts. Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Château Frontenac are known for their winter cocktail programs, from spiced hot chocolates to alpine-inspired spritzes served in stunning seasonal settings. The Empress in Victoria also leans into festive afternoon teas and signature winter drinks that show how thoughtful presentation and warm hospitality can turn a simple beverage into a holiday moment worth photographing.

Making This Season Count

Creating a festive drinks menu that feels great for guests and easy for your team doesn’t need to be a big lift. With a few smart choices — batchable recipes, clear value cues, and the right tools behind the bar — December can quickly become one of your strongest months.

When you pair thoughtful menu design with promotions that play by the rules and technology that keeps service moving, you set your team up to capture holiday demand without the stress. Whether you’re adding a handful of seasonal specials or giving your whole winter lineup a refresh, the goal is the same: drinks that taste incredible, are simple to execute on a busy night, and deliver the margins your business needs to finish the year strong.