Want to know the perfect holiday Christmas cocktail to make for your friends and family? Santa’s Strawberry Smash is it! This exciting libation is crafted with Vita Coco Mlk, gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and the most festive garnish!

I partnered with Vita Coco to mix up this Santa Strawberry Smash recipe! Recipe and ideas are my own.

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Santa’s Strawberry Smash – The Perfect Christmas Cocktail

One of my favorite parts about creating a cocktail is crafting up a fun garnish to pair it with. There’s something about the garnish that pulls the entire cocktail together. It’s especially fun during the holidays, when your cocktails are a little more unique, but it’s the perfect way to make your cocktail stand out at a holiday gathering or family gathering. Plus, if you’re planning to take photos of your food and drinks, you’re going to want a cocktail and garnish combination that’s a real crowd-pleaser.

So, if you’re wondering what cocktail and garnish duo you should make for the holiday festivities, I’ve got you covered! Santa’s Strawberry Smash is bursting with refreshing flavors of fresh coconuts, strawberries, and my favorite gin. Add a tropical touch to this festive cocktail using Vita Coco. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Santa’s Strawberry Smash

I’m all about keeping things simple especially during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t include a cocktail garnish, even when time is of the essence. 

Mixing up Santa’s Strawberry Smash only takes 10 minutes. Plus, you can prep your garnishes ahead of time if you’re planning to bring this cocktail to your holiday party. 

• Vita Coco Mlk: For a light and tropical dairy-alternative, you have to try Vita Coco Mlk. It brings a slight sweetness and creaminess to Santa’s Strawberry Smash and makes an excellent base for curries, soups, baked goods, desserts, sauces, and shakes.
• Gin: Add your preferred gin to this recipe. I like to use a gin that’s a bit more botanical like The Botanist or Hendrick’s Gin. I find that the taste and aroma is less pinetree-like and more balanced. 
• Lime juice: Add a squeeze citrus to this cocktail recipe to balance beautifully with the light sweetness from strawberry juice and Vita Coco Mlk.
• Simple syrup: a splash of simple syrup will make this cocktail the perfect sweet treat for your guests. You can make your own homemade simple syrup or add in your favorite store-bought brand like Stirrings Simple Syrup. If you’re not a fan of simple syrup, substitute this ingredient for agave or honey for a more natural addition. 
• Strawberry: find the freshest strawberries at you local supermarket and choose a larger one that you would like to muddle. I love using the addition of the fresh strawberry juice because it brings a slightly sweet and slightly tart element to this cocktail. Plus, it mixes well with the Vita Coco Mlk
• Strawberry santa hat and mint sprig: Garnish your cocktail with the strawberry santa hat – using strawberry and marshmallow. See below for more direction on how to assemble your garnish.

Learn More About Vita Coco

Vita Coco creates deliciously refreshing and most importantly hydrating coconut water products. Their drinks have simple, nutrient-rich ingredients with a light, tropical taste. Their main mission is to create amazing products while supporting and empowering farmers to fuel programs that provide access to nutrition and wellness in local communities. They’re committed to spreading the goodness of coconuts to as many people as possible. Hear more about Vita Coco’s story!

The product that I used in this Santa Strawberry Smash is the Vita Coco Mlk – a dairy alternative that’s an excellent base for curries, soups, baked goods, desserts, sauces, and shakes. I love using this in my cocktails, mocktails, and even in my coffee for a refreshing element, that’s also hydrating! Vita Coco Mlk is available at Walmart and online. And Vita Coco doesn’t stop there. They have a whole line of delicious products with fresh, tropical flavors. Shop their selection here!

How to Make Santa’s Strawberry Smash

Create this fun cocktail and garnish duo in under 10 minutes! 

For the cocktail, start by adding Vita Coco Mlk, gin, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker is chilled. Then, you’ll add the strawberry to the cocktail glass and gently muddle it until broken down. Fill the glass with ice. Strain the cocktail mixture into the glass and garnish with a Strawberry Santa Hat and mint sprig.

To make the Strawberry Santa Hat garnish, slice the hull off each strawberry to make a flat base. Then, slice a thin strip of the large marshmallow. Flatten with your hand or place under something heavy. Place the strawberry on the sticky side of the marshmallow and skewer onto your toothpick until just the tip of the toothpick comes through. Place a mini marshmallow on the tip of the toothpick.

More Christmas Cocktail Recipes To Try

• Creamy Coconut Margarita
• Cranberry Vanilla Sparkler

If you’re interested in taking Insta-worthy photos of your cocktails too, check out my free training on how to take Food & Drink Photos on a Budget!

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