Winter Cocktails
As winter is ushered in, our taste in cocktails takes a decidedly different twist, whether it’s something warm and cozy, or the desire for a Caribbean dream. Special spices, flavors and syrups come into the mix.
Espresso Martini
1 ½ oz Kahlúa
2 oz Absolut Vodka
1 shot freshly-brewed espresso
Espresso bean garnish
Combine all ingredients in a Boston shaker; shake well and strain into a martini glass. (Substitute in Kahlúa Pumpkin Spice or Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha for a seasonal twist.)
Candy Cane
1 oz Twenty Grand Rosé
1 oz Irish cream liqueur
1 oz peppermint schnapps
Candy cane garnish
Add liquors to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled and frothy. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane and/or crushed candy cane pieces rimming the glass.
Winter Mojito
1 oz PAMPERO® Especial Rum
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz maple syrup
2 dashes bitters
6 mint sprigs
Muddle bitters and all but one sprig of mint in a shaker. Add PAMPERO® Especial Rum, lime juice and maple syrup. Let sit for one minute. Shake hard. Strain over fresh ice, into a double old-fashioned glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Bajan Snowfall
Created by Lauren Egan at Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar
1 ½ oz The Real McCoy 12 Year Aged Rum
3 oz Milk Mix (see recipe below)
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz egg white
Shake and serve up in coupe glass.
(Optionally, serve on the rocks.)
Milk Mix
(makes 8 servings)
3 cups milk
2 tbsp Clément Orange Liqueur
1 tsp vanilla liqueur
¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Saffron Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
Bring ingredients to a boil, then turn off heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain, if desired, then cool and store in refrigerator.
Saffron Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp saffron
Mix all ingredients and heat on medium until sugar dissolves. Let cool and store in airtight container.
El Presidente No. 1
2 parts BACARDÍ Gold rum
1 parts MARTINI® rosso vermouth
1 dash Angostura® bitters
Cherry or orange peel twist
Place cubes into a mixing glass and add a dash of bitters. Add the rum and vermouth and stir for at least 2 minutes. Fine strain the mix into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or orange peel twist.
Kraken Cider
1 oz Kraken Rum
2 ½ oz warm apple cider
Add rum to warm cider, stir and garnish with cinnamon stick.
RumChata Gingerbread Martini
1 ½ oz RumChata
¾ oz spiced light rum
¾ oz ginger liqueur
A shake of ginger spice
Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, strain and enjoy. (Optional: top with fresh whipped cream.)
Grace
By Bound at The Cromwell Las Vegas
Recipe by Salvatore, Sponsored and garnished by Dress The Drink
1 ⅔ oz Grey Goose La Poire vodka
1 ⅔ oz bourbon pear purée
1 ⅔ oz fresh apple juice
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Fresh lemongrass
Mint leaves
Garnished with Dress
The Drink (DTD) Pear Honey Chip
In a Boston shaker, add first 5 ingredients. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into an ice tea glass type. Place fresh lemongrass and mint on top side of vessel. Accent with DTD pear honey chip.
Madame Moka
By The Cromwell Las Vegas,
Sponsored and garnished by Dress The Drink
1 ⅓ oz coffee
1 ¼ oz Hennessy VS Cognac
⅔ oz Disaronno Amaretto
⅓ oz Monin simple syrup
Garnished with Dress
The Drink Caramel
Espresso Stick
Hendrick’s Cucumber Ginger Mule Martini
By Roy’s Pacific Rim Cuisine, Sponsored and garnished by Dress The Drink
Offering nationwide in January 2015
1 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz lemon juice
1 ½ oz ginger beer
4 ginger root slices
4 cucumber slices
DTD crushed cucumber, ginger, lemon zest with hints of sea salt and white sugar blend
DTD cucumber, ginger, lemon zest pop
Rim martini glass with DTD crushed cucumber, ginger, lemon zest with hints of sea salt and white sugar blend. Set aside. In a Boston shaker, muddle ginger and cucumber. Add remaining ingredients, except for ginger beer. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into chilled martini glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with DTD cucumber, ginger, lemon zest pop.
Sparkling Grapefruit Tequila Punch
By Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®
Makes about 16-20 servings.
Wintertime brings us fresh California citrus, highlighted in this cocktail. The punch can be made ahead for special events or pre-mix everything but the Prosecco for individual cocktail service – topping with Prosecco to order. I like to serve this over ice balls.
Cinnamon Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
Combine syrup ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer slowly for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before proceeding with recipe. Or you can prepare up to a week in advance and store refrigerated.
Punch
1 bottle Blanco tequila (750 ml)
2 cups fresh squeezed Sunkist® grapefruit juice
1 cup fresh squeezed Sunkist® orange juice
¾ cup fresh squeezed Sunkist® lemon juice
1 ½ tsp Peychaud’s bitters
1 bottle chilled Prosecco
Ice mold or ice balls
In a large container, combine the cinnamon syrup, tequila, juices and bitters. Stir to combine well (at this point you can refrigerate the punch for service up to 3 days in advance). Present in a large punch bowl. Add Prosecco right before serving. Serve punch in an Old Fashioned glass over ice or ice balls.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®, LiquidKitchen.com
Photo by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®
Red Velvet Fizztini
3 oz Fizz56 Brachetto Spumante
1 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz crème de cacao
2 lemon wedges
Fill a shaker with ice. Add vodka, crème de cacao and juice of two lemon wedges. Shake and strain into a martini glass, top with Fizz56 and garnish with a lemon twist to serve.
More Precious than Gold
1 ½ oz Milagro Añejo
½ oz dark crème de cacao
4 saffron threads
1 pinch chili flakes
½ oz brown sugar syrup
3 dashes chocolate bitters
½ oz sweet potato puree
1 ½ oz hot water
Add all ingredients in small pot and heat until almost boiling. Pour into Irish coffee cup or mug. Top with whipped cream and garnish with saffron.
Paper Plane
By Mixologist Sam Ross
New York, N.Y.
¾ oz bourbon
¾ oz Nonino Quintessentia Amaro (bittersweet Italian liqueur)
¾ oz Aperol (bitter orange Italian aperitif)
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients and shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe.
Spiced Citrus Punch
1 ½ oz spiced rum
½ oz peach schnapps
1 oz Monin Orange Tangerine Syrup
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz pineapple juice
Combine ingredients in a shaker in the order listed. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into serving glass and garnish with an orange, lime and lemon slice. Top with a cherry.
