It’s a Wonderful Life

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Cocktail History

The It’s a Wonderful Life is a Christmas cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in her book Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season. Paying homage to the classic holiday film and its iconic protagonist, George Bailey, this recipe incorporates Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur as a creamy base and blends it with half-and-half to create a velvety texture. Meanwhile, a splash of green crème de menthe adds a fresh, minty kick and lends the drink its subtle, festive green hue. This leads to a charming and simple dessert-like cocktail that perfectly captures the spirit of the season, making it a delightful treat for cozy holiday celebrations.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Half & Half: This is a dairy product made with equal parts milk and cream. I used Prairie Farm Half & Half.

Irish Cream Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cream, whiskey, sugar, and spices. I used Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur.

Green Crème De Menthe: This is a liqueur made with mint, sugar, green food coloring, alcohol, and water. I used Bols Green Crème De Menthe.

Ground Cinnamon: This is a finely milled spice made with the inner bark of cinnamon trees. I used Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface to catch spills, provide grip for glasses and tools, and keep the workspace clean and organized. I used the Highball & Chaser 18×12 Bar Mat.

Jigger: This is a small, double-sided measuring tool that’s used to accurately portion spirits and mixers, typically with one side measuring 1 oz and the other 1.5 or 2 oz. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker consisting of a metal tin and a glass or metal mixing glass that’s used for shaking and blending ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a metal strainer with a spring around its edge that’s used to filter out ice and solids when pouring the cocktail into a glass. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Lowball Glass: This is a short, wide glass with a thick base that’s used for serving spirits neat or on the rocks. I used the Libbey Christmas Holly & Berries Rocks Glass.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Faint green color

• Aroma: Fragrant cinnamon and mint

• Taste: Menthol-laced sweet cream flavor with a hint of Irish whiskey

• Finish: Lingering cream and mint

Kendall’s Take: “To achieve the drink’s green-ish color that was shown in the book, I had to alter the recipe by using quite a bit more crème de menthe than was called for. Increasing an ingredient like that can be risky, but it turned out I enjoyed the second version quite a bit more. The first wasn’t quite balanced—too heavy on the Irish cream with a hint a mint; meanwhile, the second, which is the recipe I’m sharing, puts the delightful minty flavor front and center. I enjoyed the It’s a Wonderful Life quite a bit and have since added it to my Christmas cocktail rotation.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand.