What’s a holiday celebration without a cheery, slightly cheesy themed cocktail? Not very jolly, we say.

Even if you don’t normally go in for a frou-frou drink, who can resist a glass of something icy and decorated with a mini candy cane or gold sparkles at this time of year? Not us.

Here are three spots for festive holiday drinks guaranteed to lift your spirits:

Morton’s The Steakhouse is capitalizing on the martini madness among the rich and powerful – or those who just want to be seen among them at the bar. Their new Heavenly Mortinis™ series aims to elevate the loosely named concoction by deconstructing it.

The deconstruction concept, explains Tylor Field, vice president of wine and spirits for the upscale Chicago-based chain, is borrowed from food trends. Morton’s has created drinks of differing textures and contrasting flavors that stay separate in the glass initially, but complement each other as they begin to blend via gravity.

The key component of the series of drinks is a frothy little foam made of passionfruit puree, sweet and sour mix and Grand Marnier, bound together with whipped egg whites and lime juice. This foam makes up the final layer of the “deconstructed” martini.

“It almost has a soufflé on top of it,” Fields said.

We tried the Palm Beacher with the foam atop Morton’s own pineapple and mint infused Skyy vodka, which was sitting sweetly on the bar in one of those elegant glass canisters with a spigot. It gave us a tangy and refreshing alcoholic bite once we got past the sweet blanket of foam. -- perfect for wishing you were somewhere warm. One twist on this one, you must go to a D.C. or Maryland Morton’s to try it. Virginia law prohibits spirits stored on the bar like this.

Another drink in the series seems very appropriate for holiday sipping because it combines decadent dessert flavors. The Pistachio Mochatini features Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, Starbucks Liquor, heavy cream, Baristella Pistachio Lite Syrup, Hershey’s syrup, and of course, the foam.

And if you want to learn to make your own holiday drinks, check out “Christmas Cocktails at Cloud” on December 20. From 7 - 9 p.m. Professionals in the City, a group of people who organize social events for those who want to party outside of their cubicles is sponsoring the “course” at the bar in Dupont Circle known for its tapas menu chic all-white decor.

For $45, would-be mixologists learn how to make six holiday-themed drinks. Highlights will include a bright green “Holly-tini” (2 parts vodka or gin, 1 part dry vermouth, ½ part crème de menthe) or a “Snowball” (1 part chilled advocaat, 2 parts chilled lemonade, ½ lime squeezed, sugar for decorating glass), says Professionals in the City Events Staff Manager Nicole Kinsey.

While it’s not strictly holiday-themed, we would be remiss not to mention the line of cocktails the new M Café and Bar/Famoso in the MaxMara in Chevy Chase has created around a bitter orange liquor called Aperol that is popular in Italy but little known here. It reminds us of the smell of childhood holiday projects like studding oranges with cloves, so we say, close enough.

Bright options include the Aperol Creamsicle, featuring Aperol, orange juice and a drizzle of cream. “All you will miss is the truck with the bell,” the menu gushes.

And for those who go for more naughty than nice, M Café offers the Aperol Grapefruit, featuring Aperol and grapefruit juice on the rocks in a glass rimmed with salt. Just right for when you’re feeling a little puckery after a long day of waiting in a checkout line.

Know a hot spot serving a cool cocktail this month? Let us know.

Morton's the Steakhouse
5 locations around DC, including Arlington, Bethesda, Downtown, Georgetown, Reston, Tysons Corner

Cloud
1 Dupont Circle NW
(202) 872-1122

Famoso
M Café and Bar
The Collection at Chevy Chase
5471 Wisconsin Avenue
Chevy Chase, Md.
Famoso: (301) 986-8785
M Café: (301) 986-4818