4 Holiday Cocktail Recipes to Bring Good Cheer!

Cocktails are a big part of any Christmas, Hannukah, or New Year’s Eve gathering, whether it be a larger party, or an intimate family celebration.  I thought it would be enlightening to focus on single serving drinks, instead of punchbowl, or pitcher sized cocktails because they can be so much more innovative, and full of holiday cheer.

Making holiday drinks doesn’t take much effort, and you can always substitute most any base alcohol for another, so you can utilize what you already have in your cupboard, or what you prefer to drink.  The other ingredients like fruit juice, citrus peel and dried spices are fairly common things you probably already have for cooking and baking during this season.  Creating a little something special to sip on while you’re listening to your favorite carole definitely makes any social occasion more joyous, and if you have some non-drinkers in your family, you can leave out the alcohol in most recipes and add a splash of sparkling water instead, and still have something fabulous.

Eggnog Martini

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1 ounce Amaretto

2 ounces eggnog

dash of nutmeg

(Makes 1 Cocktail)

To Prepare:

1. Add all ingredients, except nutmeg to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake, shake shake and strain into a martini glass.  Top with nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Hot Buttered Rum

Ingredients

1 tablespoon softened butter

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice

2 ounces dark rum

5 ounces hot water

1 cinnamon stick

(Makes 1 Cocktail)

To Prepare:

1. In a small saucer, mix together butter, brown sugar and spices.  Dollop mixture into a heat-proof glass.
2. Add rum and simmering water over top, stir until creamy.  Serve with cinnamon stick and another dash of spice.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Mezcal Margarita

Ingredients

2 ounces Mezcal

2 ounces Reposado tequila

5 ounces cranberry juice

2 ounces egg whites

juice of 1/2 lime

2 lime wedges

(Makes 2 Cocktails)

To Prepare:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add mezcal, tequila, cranberry, egg whites and lime.
2. Shake, shake, shake until frothy.  Place a large cube, or several cubes into 2 glasses.  Strain drink into glasses.
3. Serve with lime wedge on edge or rim.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Martini

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces vodka

3/4 ounce peppermint Schnapps

3/4 ounce chocolate liqueur, any variety

organic sugar for rim, optional

(Makes 1 Cocktail)

To Prepare:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add vodka, schnapps and chocolate liqueur.
2. Shake, shake, shake.  Wet rim of martini glass.  Add organic sugar onto a plate and coat rim of glass.
3. Strain into glass.  Enjoy!