Icy Hot

• Not all Christmas ice cream drinks have to be cold; a few of them will warm you up. Hot buttered rum, a seasonal favorite, actually has ice cream as part of its batter. Mix together one part each butter, white and brown sugars, and a pinch of vanilla extract, heat the mixture until it is smooth, mix in two parts vanilla ice cream, then store the batter in the freezer. To serve, add a spoonful of the batter to a mug, pour in a shot of rum, then fill with hot water. Another hot drink is eggnog coffee punch. Mix together two parts coffee and three parts each coffee ice cream and eggnog, heat until melted, then serve topped with whipped cream and nutmeg.

Fancy Fetes

• A few Christmas ice cream drinks have some sophistication as well as sweetness. Sip on a soothing gingerbread martini while being warmed by the fire. To make it, mix two parts each vodka, Irish cream and vanilla ice cream with one part each coffee liqueur and gingerbread syrup in a cocktail shaker, strain the contents into a cocktail or martini glass, and garnish with whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie. Another Christmas cocktail is the white Russian winter, which is a variation on the classic cocktail: Add two parts each milk, coffee ice cream and ice, and one part each coffee liqueur and vodka to a blender, blend for about 10 to 15 seconds, then serve topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder.

Punched Up

• No Christmas would be complete without a punch or two to sip on during family get togethers, and a few punches have a little ice cream in them. One easy punch is the eggnog royale, which has all of the nog and none of the egg. Mix together four parts hot coffee and 20 parts ice cream. Wait till the mixture has melted. Add one part rum and three parts rye whiskey, then top with freshly grated nutmeg. Another simple Christmas punch is the mocha punch: Mix eight parts each hot coffee and chocolate ice cream until the mixture has melted, then mix in one part rum, another eight parts chocolate ice cream, and two parts whipped cream.

For All Ages

• If you are either making ice cream drinks for the kids or the kid in you, you have a few non-alcoholic options. The orange eggnog float is a good option for the little ones who want to partake of the punch: Beat four part eggs and one part sugar until the mixture becomes light, then stir in five parts orange juice, one part lemon juice, and four parts each vanilla ice cream and ginger ale. Another simple punch is the peppermint punch. Mix one part milk, four parts peppermint ice cream and 10 parts ginger ale in a punch bowl. Another option for the teetotalers of the group is to make virgin versions by omitting the alcoholic ingredients.