Holiday Cocktails
Holiday Cocktail Recipes
As I began planning the menus for this holiday season, I took a little poll around the Conservtory to see what holiday cocktails our people enjoy most this time of year. It gave me some inspiration and I thought I should share it with you.
Shane Pliska recommends this sophisticated gin cocktail with notes of cranberry, lime and sage. It sounds refreshing and light which is a nice complement to big holiday meals.
Cranberry Sage Cocktail
(via Salted Plains)
Serves two.
Ingredients
For cocktail:
4 oz. Gin
8 oz. White Cranberry Juice
2 Tblsp. Lime Juice
2 Fresh Sage Leaves
¼ Cup Fresh Cranberries, divided
For candied sage:
1 Cup Pure Cane Sugar, divided
¼ Cup Water
8-10 Fresh Sage Leaves
Instructions
1. To make candied sage, bring water and ½ cup sugar to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Place remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl. With a pastry brush, brush fresh sage leaves with sugar syrup and then sprinkle to coat sugar on leaves. Place leaves on an oiled wire rack to dry and harden (about 2 hours).
3. When ready to make cocktail, in two glasses, fill half with ice cubes. Divide cranberries and add to glass.
4. In a cocktail shaker, place the two sage leaves. Muddle. Fill half with ice cubes, add gin, white cranberry juice, and lime juice. Shake!
5. Pour mixture between both glasses and garnish with candied sage.
Carolyn Espinoza likes to serve her guests a cocktail with a little kick and ginger beer is perfect for the holidays.
Mexican Mule
1.5 oz. Tequila
3 oz. Ginger beer
Juice of half a lime
Combine all ingredients.
Add ice; shake well and strain. Serve over ice in a highball glass.
Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
Drew Burns’ holiday go-to is a fine bottle of bourbon, but when he’s feeling a bit more festive this peppermint martini does the trick.
Candy Cane Martini
1 1/4 oz. Vanilla Vodka
1 1/4 oz. White Chocolate Godiva Liquer
3/4 oz. Rumple Minze
Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a peppermint stick.
David has perfected his own holiday sangria that is a tradition at his house. He mixes up the pitcher a couple days before his party so the flavors have time to mingle.
David’s Holiday Sangria
Makes one pitcher.
One Bottle of Red Wine
1/4 Cup Calvados Apple Brandy
1/4 Cup Cinnamon-infused Simple Syrup
1/2 Cup Apple Cider
Handful of Pomegranate Seeds
1 Tart Apple, chopped
1 Pear, chopped
1 Persimmon, chopped
Combine all ingedients in a large pitcher. Stir and refridgerate. Serve over ice.
And although I will be trying each one of the cocktails suggested above, for me, it wouldn’t be the holidays without enjoying a few of my grandmother’s whiskey sours. I always have a pitcher of these on hand when family comes for Christmas.
Tear’s Whiskey Sours
Makes one pitcher.
12 oz. Lemonade Frozen Concentrate
12 oz. Whiskey
30 oz. Club Soda
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir. Serve on the rocks with an orange slice and a cherry to garnish.
Cheers!