The season tis upon us and while many may greet it with cheer, some of us need a little something stronger to get us to the end of the year. For both parties TUBE has assembled a list of tasty and effective drinks to carry us through the festivities.
Peppermint Mocha Martini
Serves 2
3 ounces Kahlua
3 ounces espresso vodka
1 ounce peppermint schnapps
1 tablespoon Guittard cocoa powder
Martini Glass Garnish
peppermint schnapps
cocoa powder
Preparation
Pour a tiny bit of peppermint schnapps into a plate. Pour cocoa powder into a shallow bowl. Dip martini glass in peppermint schnapps then dip moistened rim into the cocoa powder.
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour ingredients into the cocktail shaker including cocoa powder, and shake for 20-30 seconds.
Strain and serve into martini glasses.
White Christmas
Serves 1
4 oz eggnog
1/2 oz white chocolate liqueur
1 oz Southern Comfort
Edible gold flakes or chocolate flakes for garnish
Preparation
Build the ingredients in to snifter glass and stir lightly. Sprinkle gold or chocolate flakes on top.
Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Serves 1
1 green tea or black tea bag ( like Tazo China Green)
1 1/2 oz rye whiskey or bourbon (like Bulleit)
1 oz real apple cider
1/2 small lemon garnishes: thin, round slices of lemon, a cinnamon stick, and star anise
Preparation
Heat water to the boiling point and pour over the tea bag in a mug. Leave about an inch of room in your mug for the whiskey and cider. Let the tea steep for a few minutes, then discard the bag so the tea doesn’t get bitter.
Pour in the whiskey or bourbon and a hefty splash of apple cider (adjust these amounts to suit your tastes). Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and garnish with lemon slices, a cinnamon stick and a star anise. Sip up.
Cider with a Snap
Trader Joe’s Spiced Apple Cider
Black Spiced Rum [Kraken or Captain Morgan work best]
Preparation
Heat up the cider the cider either in a sauce pan or by individual mug in the microwave. Spike with rum as desired.
Cranberry Ginger Holiday Cocktail
Serves 8-10
12 ounces vodka (could use flavored such as cranberry or ginger, but regular is fine)
24 ounces cranberry juice
32 ounces ginger ale
lime slices for garnish (2 limes)
frozen cranberries for garnish
Preparation
Mix the vodka, cranberry juice, and ginger ale in a large pitcher. Add a handful of cranberries and the lime slices from 1 lime. Fill the rest of the pitcher with ice, and then stir. Serve or refrigerate. Garnish
glasses with lime slice and additional cranberries if desired.
Gingerbread White Russian
4 ounces whole milk
4 ounces vodka
4 ounces Kahlua
3 teaspoons molasses
⅛ teaspoon ginger
cinnamon for rimming glasses
sugar for rimming glasses
whipped cream for topping
molasses drizzle for topping
Preparation
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small shallow plate. Wet rims of two glasses and dip the rim in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
In an ice filled cocktail shaker, combine milk, vodka, Kahlua and shake.
Add the molasses and ginger, shake until cold.
Strain into ice filled/chilled glasses.
Top with whipped cream and molasses if desired. Serves 2
Prefer not to drink but don’t wish to be left out? Here are some yummy beverages for those who want to keep their wits about.
Apricot Mocktail
Serves 2
2 cups orange juice
1 cup apricot nectar
optional: 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation
Shake ingredients in cocktail shaker and serve.
Holiday Virgin Sangria
Ingredients
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 orange, sectioned
3/4 cup cranberry-grape juice frozen concentrate, thawed
Tiny pinch of ground cinnamon
3 cups seltzer water (or half seltzer and half white wine)
Preparation
In a medium pitcher, make the sangria mixer by adding the apple slices and lemon juice to the pitcher and stir. Add in the orange juice, orange sections, the cranberry-grape frozen concentrate and the cinnamon. Let the mixture sit for an hour (up to 12 hours) to allow flavors to meld. Just before serving, add the seltzer to the pitcher. Serve in glasses filled with ice.
Virgin Mojito
1 oz Lime Juice
4 oz Club soda
6 Mint Leaves
2 tsps Brown Sugar
Preparation
Add the lime juice, brown sugar and mint leaves in a Highball glass.Bruise a few mint leaves using a spoon so that their juice can get out. Let this mix rest for a few hours for best results.Fill the glass with ice and stir.Top with Club Soda (or Sprite). Add a twig of mint for decoration.
Recipes suggested by Lea Bradley King, K. Hules, Naomi Lucchesi