The beginning of winter is all about the holiday season, with festive cocktails, punches, and New Year’s sparklers. Once we settle into the winter months, drinks take on a warming, comforting quality. Here are a few to try your hand at making.
Christmas Cup
1 ½ oz. Roku Japanese gin
1 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
½ oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Spiced cranberry juice (recipe follows)
2oz. Champagne to top off
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake. Pour into a glass with ice. Garnish with 3 lime wheels, 7-10 frozen cranberries, 8 fresh ginger trips (chopped ginger), 3 star anise, and sprig of rosemary.
For House-made spiced cranberry juice:
2 lbs. Cranberries (frozen is fine)
3 cups Water
300 g. Sugar
4 Cinnamon sticks (prefer Mexican cinnamon for more flavor)
12 Cloves
5 Star anise
3 oz. Ginger root, chopped
In a large pan place all the ingredients and bring to boil, cover and let simmer until the cranberries are soft enough to be pressed, remove from stove, let it cool down, strain and press a sieve press all the cranberries and collect all the juice. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
The mixologists at Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, IL, created this recipe.
The Grinch
1 ¼ oz. Peanut butter whiskey
½ oz. White creme de cacao
½ oz. Green creme de menthe
¾ oz. Half and half
Shake all ingredients and strain into a coupe. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
The mixologists at Skrewball created this recipe.
It’s A Wonderful Life
2 oz. Heavy cream
2 oz. New Riff KY Straight Bourbon
1 oz. Chai tea spice syrup
Nutmeg
Biscotti cookie
Shake and strain into a highball glass with ice. Grate fresh nutmeg over top. Garnish with a biscotti cookie.
Katie Tobin, bar manager at The Aquifer Bar at New Riff Distilling, Newport, KY, created this recipe.
Something Corny
¾ oz. Mezcal (Banhez)
¾ oz. Chipotle Tanteo
1 ½ oz. Nixta corn liqueur
¼ oz. Chili-infused agave
¼ oz. Lime
Combine ingredients and shake. Double strain and pour fresh ice in. Pour into a bourbon glass. Garnish with a corn husk.
The mixologists at of Drawbar at Bellyard in Westside Atlanta created this recipe.
Copper Skies
1 ½ oz. Uncle Nearest 1856 whiskey
¾ oz. Cinnamon syrup
½ oz. Lime juice
1 ½ oz. Coconut water
Grapefruit soda
Grated cinnamon
Grapefruit peel garnish
Combine whiskey, cinnamon syrup, lime juice and coconut water in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice and top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit peel and fresh grated cinnamon.
The mixologists at Uncle Nearest created this recipe.
Acetivo di Modena
1 ½ oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
½ oz. Carandini Emilio Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
¼ oz. Lustau East India sherry
¼ oz. Apricot liqueur
1 oz. Water
Combine ingredients and stir. Serve on a big rock. Garnish with an orange twist.
Mixologist Julie Reiner of New York’s Clover Club, Leyenda and Milady’s, created this recipe.
Cranberry Sage Smash
2 oz. Avion Cristalino tequila
1 oz. Canned cranberry sauce
3 Lime wedges
2-3 Sage leaves
Barspoon of Agave nectar
Muddle lime, sage, cranberry and agave in a shaker tin. Add tequila and ice and shake vigorously. Strain ingredients over fresh ice. Garnish with two cranberries and a sage leaf.
The mixologists at Avion created this recipe.
Holiday Punch
24 oz. Brandy
12 oz. Cranberry juice
12 oz. Americano Bianca amoro
4 oz. Simple syrup
2 oz. Fresh lemon juice
12 oz. Soda water (Optional)
Garnish with fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and lemon slices
The mixologists at Fast Penny Spirits created this recipe.
Pecan Pie Martini
1 oz. American Harvest organic vodka
1 oz. RumChata
2 tbsp. Torani butter pecan syrup
1 ½ oz. Half & Half
Combine in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish rim with finely chopped pecans and top with whipped cream
The mixologists at American Harvest created this recipe.
Navidad in Antigua
(Serves 8)
1 ½ cups Zacapa No.23 Rum
¼ cups Orange liqueur
¼ cups of Cranberry maple syrup*
2 cups of Sparkling wine
1 pinch Grated nutmeg
Combine rum, orange liqueur, and cranberry maple syrup into a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir with a whisk until fully incorporated. Add a large frozen block of ice to the punch. Just before serving, add the 2 cups of sparkling wine to the bowl. Garnish with rosemary sprig, cranberries, and a pinch of nutmeg.
*For Cranberry maple syrup:
¼ cup Whole canned cranberries
2 oz. Lemon juice
2 oz. Filtered water
4 tbsps. Brown sugar
2 oz. Maple syrup
1 dash Cinnamon
Place whole canned cranberries, water, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup into a jar with a lid. Shake until mixed. Let sit overnight in fridge.
The mixologists at Zacapa created this recipe.
Apple Cinnamon Martini
1 ½ oz. Ketel One vodka
¾ oz. Berentzen apple liqueur
½ oz. Homemade cinnamon spiced simple syrup*
¼ oz. Lemon juice
Combine in cocktail shaker with ice Shake and strain in to a Martini glass. Garnish with a fan of apple slices on a pick.
* For Cinnamon spiced simple syrup
1 cup Water
1 cup Demerara sugar
3 to 4 Cinnamon sticks
1 Star anise
3-4 Cloves
Splash Vanilla (optional)
Bring all ingredients to a boil then drop to simmer to thicken.
Alida Acosta, general manager and mixologist at Tap & Bitters in New Jersey
