At-home entertainers, take note: Sure, you could set out a couple of bottles of wine or champagne at your holiday soiree, but if you really want to put your guests in a festive mood, spice things up — literally — with a big-batch cocktail that features a little kick. With hints of seasonal favorites like cinnamon, clove, and cocoa, these drinks please palates — and look good doing it.
Mama I’m Coming Home from 312 Chicago
Mamma I’m Coming Home
312 Chicago (Chicago), Head Bartender Jennifer Knott
Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 ½ cups Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky
- ¾ cup Fonesca Bin 27 Port
- ¾ cup honey syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 7 cloves
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and let mull for an hour.
- Double-strain the cinnamon sticks and cloves from the hot cider.
- Pour into an Irish coffee mug and garnish with a soft caramel candy.
- Note: For an extra-special cocktail (and if you’re thinking ahead), make it with pecan-infused Scotch. To do so, place 16 ounces of raw pecans on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven set at 200 degrees and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool. Pour pecans and 1 liter of Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky into a large airtight container and let sit and infuse for a week. Strain after a week.
A glass of Negroni Sbagliato courtesy of Tulio
Negroni Sbagliato
Tulio (Seattle), Lead Bartender Matt Slocum
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle Campari
- 1 bottle sweet vermouth (Cocchi Vermouth di Torino preferred)
- 2 bottles prosecco
- 1 bottle Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Directions:
- Pre-mix the Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Pour 2 ounces of the pre-mix over into a rocks glass over ice and stir.
- Top with 1 ounce of prosecco.
- Garnish with orange peel and add one or two drops of the mole bitters.
Polish Plum Punch via Dirty Habit
Polish Plum
Dirty Habit (Washington, D.C.), Head Bartender Sarah Ruiz
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. slivovitz
- 9 oz. Singani
- 9 oz. spiced grenadine
- 6 oz. lemon juice
- 16 dashes Chinese five-spice bitters
Directions:
- Combine the slivovitz and Singani into a bottle and refrigerate.
- When ready to serve the punch, add the spiced grenadine, lemon, and Chinese five-spice bitters to the punch bowl with the batched alcohols and stir over ice.
- Add as much ice as desired and garnish with star anise, bay laurel, plum blossoms, shaved cinnamon, and edible flowers.
