It’s that magical time of year for holiday treats and parties! Nearly everyone is focused on the sweets and treats, but folks need a little sip of a festive holiday cocktail to wash it all down. Most of us have elevated our tasted beyond a Crown and Coke or a whiskey filled egg nog. If you’re hosting a party or family gathering, the seasonal spirits are high and a creative holiday-inspired cocktail will make it merry!
This season our very own @VodkaGirlATX discovered twelve new cocktail recipes perfect for you to enjoy this holiday season!
Bella Vista
2/3 oz Crown Royal
1-2/3 oz Apple Pucker liquor
2/3 oz Grand Mariner
Cinnamon
1 Apple slice
Pour ingredients into a shaker. Shake well. Rim a martini glass with cinnamon sugar. Strain cocktail into martini glass and garnish with a fresh apple slice wedge.
Brown Sugar Maple Old Fashioned
2 oz of Maple Whiskey (we use Jim Beam Maple, but Crown Royal Makes a fantastic maple whiskey as well)
2-3 maraschino cherries
1 small orange wedge
2-3 dashes of bitters
½ teaspoon of brown sugar (be careful with the brown sugar, it’s easy to over-do it, and drastically changes the character of the cocktail)
Splash of cold water on top
Muddle the cherries, orange, brown sugar and bitters in the glass, fill it with ice pour in your whiskey, give it a little shake and top it with a splash of cold water.
Tuscan Tini
2 oz. Bacardi Big Apple Rum
½ oz. Caramel Apple Liquor
½ oz. St. Germain
Cinnamon
1 Apple slice
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake with ice. Pour into a Martini glass with a sugared/Cinnamon rim. Garnish with an Apple slice.
Winter Storm
1 ½ oz. Jameson
½ oz. Carmel Apple Liquor
3 oz. Ginger Beer
1 Lime slice
Add all ingredients into highball glass. Garnish with lime.
Stone Fence
Created by Drink.Well (Austin)
1 ½ oz Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition
½ oz Amaro di Angostura
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 oz Argus Cidery Ginger Perry Cider (if not available, try any very dry/sour cider as a substitution)
2 dashes Jerry Thomas Aromatic Decanter Bitters
In a cocktail tin, combine the whisky, amaro, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and bitters. Shake with ice. Strain into a Collins or highball glass over cubed ice. Top with the ginger cider and use a bar spoon to incorporate gently. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
The Cousin Eddy
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation inspired cocktail at Icenhauer’s
Clove infused bourbon,
cranberry liqueur,
angostura bitters,
topped with champagne,
served up in a coupe.
You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out
Candy cane infused chocolate vodka,
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Christmas Story inspired cocktail at Icehauers.
Rockwell’s Punch
Created by David Alan, Manager, Trade Education & Mixology, The Patrón Spirits Company
1 L Patrón Silver
8 oz Pyrat XO Reserve rum
6 oz lime cordial
6 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
10 dashes Angostura bitters
8 oz tawny port
12 oz unfiltered apple cider
12 oz black tea, chilled
2 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz Suze gentian liqueur
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Float large blocks of solid ice in the punch bowl and garnish generously with lemon wheels, apple slices, and freshly grated nutmeg
Orange Cranberry Cocktail
Yield 1 Servings (to make a pitcher multiply x 4)
¼ cup Cranberries, muddled
2 oz Orange flavored Vodka
3 oz Ginger Beer (Cranberry Ginger Beer works great if you can find it)
1TBL Honey
Splash Cranberry Juice
Pinch Allspice, ground
In a bowl or shaker tin, muddled cranberries, pour the muddled cranberries and juice into serving glass. Mix the Orange Vodka, Ginger Beer and Honey together in a separate bowl. Stir until honey is dissolved. (Vodka and beer should be room temperature so honey will dissolve.) Add a splash of cranberry to vodka/beer mixture to taste.
Fill serving glass with ice over the muddled cranberries. Pour vodka/beer mixture over ice. Sprinkle with Allspice and stir gently. Enjoy!
Madame
1.5oz Rey Campero Espadín
0.5 oz Pimm’s
1oz Cranberry Syrup*
1oz Lemon Juice
1oz Honey Syrup**
Mix all ingredients in shaker. Strain into old fashioned glass that is filled with ice. Garnish with stick of burnt cinnamon (hold lighter to a cinnamon stick or over a flame on the stove with tongs until surface is mostly charred).
*Cranberry Syrup – Blend one 14oz can cranberry sauce with 2/3 cup boiling water. Bottle & refrigerate.
**Honey Syrup – Mix 1 cup honey with 3/4 cup hot water.
Cranberry Mexican Pharaoh
1.5 oz. Avión Reposado
0.75 oz. Combier
2 dashes orange bitters
3 dashes angostura bitters
Stir all ingredients together with ice and strain into a flute. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine and garnish with an orange twist.
Spiked Spice
1.5 oz 1800 Silver
1.5 oz Apple Cider
0.5 oz. Lemon Juice
Add all ingredients in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with cinnamon and sugar for rim.
CHEERS!