Twelve Days of Cocktails
Move over cranberries… We have crafted beautiful drinks to make and sip this holiday season. Play at-home bartender/mixologist and whip up these cocktail recipes for party guests and friends. Here are Twelve Holiday Cocktails to serve up this season, with recipes in collab with our favorite mobile bartender around, Billy of FizzyATL.
Pear Thyme Fizz
1.5oz Vodka or Gin of choice
.75oz Mathilde Poire Pear Liqueur
.5oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Thyme Simple Syrup
Sprigs of fresh Thyme
Prosecco to top
Fresh Pear for garnish
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a double rocks glass with ice. Top with Luna Nuda Prosecco and garnish with a pear slice and thyme sprig.
To make the Thyme Simply Syrup, combine 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes before straining out the thyme leaves with a super fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Fig Old Fashioned
2oz Fig Infused Woodford Reserve
.25oz Rich Demerara Simple Syrup
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes of Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
Fresh Figs
Brandied Cherry
Orange Peel for Garnish
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir for 15 seconds to properly dilute. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with one single large ice cube. Garnish with flamed orange peel, fresh fig, and brandied cherry. To make the Fig Infused Bourbon muddle 5 fresh figs {dried will also work} and combine with a 750ml bottle of Woodford Reserve. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1-3 hours stirring occasionally. Then strain through a superfine mesh strainer and store in an airtight container.
For demerara syrup, heat 1 cup of water over high heat. Just before water boils add 2 cups of demerara sugar and stir continuously until sugar is fully dissolved {no crystals left}. Reduce heat if necessary, but do not bring to a boil. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator once cooled.
Beekeeper’s Secret
1oz Woodford Reserve
.5oz Chamomile-infused Rittenhouse Rye
.5oz Amaro Meletti
.75oz fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
.5oz Acacia Honey Syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a fancy coupe glass and garnish with a honey dipper.
For chamomile-infused Rittenhouse Rye, combine 3 heaping tablespoons of loose-leaf chamomile tea with a 750ml bottle of Rittenhouse Rye and let sit at room temperature for 1-3 hours. Stirring often. Strain through a superfine mesh strainer and store in an airtight container.
Peach & Basil Whiskey Sour
3 Ripe Peach Slices
2 Basil Leaves
1.5oz Woodford Reserve
.5oz Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup
Muddle peach slices, basil leaves, and simple syrup in a heavy bottom mixing tin. Add ice, bourbon, and lemon juice to the mixing tin and shake vigorously until frost forms. Double strain into a double rocks glass with ice and top with cold club soda. Garnish with an orange twist and lavender sprig.
Blackberry Sage Margarita
3 Fresh Sage Leaves
4 Large Ripe Blackberries
1.5oz Herradura Tequila Blanco
.5oz Cointreau Orange Liqueur
.75oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup
Muddle blackberries, sage, and simple syrup in a heavy bottom mixing tin. Add ice, tequila, and lemon juice to the mixing tin and shake vigorously until frost forms. Double strain into a double rocks glass with ice. Garnish with blackberries and sage sprig.
Green Garland
1.5oz Hendricks Gin
1oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
.25oz Fresh Lime Juice
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with Fever Tree Light Cucumber Tonic Water and garnish with a cucumber ribbon. Easiest to cut these with a shape peeler or mandolin.
Grapefruit Spritz
1.5oz Vodka or Gin of choice
.5oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
.5oz Fresh-Squeezed Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
.5oz Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
.5oz Acacia Honey Syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a wine glass with ice. Top with ice-cold club soda and garnish with grapefruit slices, mint, and thyme. For Acacia Honey Syrup, combine 2 parts acacia honey and 1 part warm water in a small jar and shake until combined. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
Cucumber Mint Refresher
3 Cucumber Slices
4 Mint Leaves
1.5oz Hendricks Gin
.75oz Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
Muddle mint, cucumber leaves, and simple syrup in a heavy bottom mixing tin. Add ice, gin, and lime juice to the mixing tin and shake vigorously until frost forms. Double strain into a double rocks glass with ice and top with cold club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and cucumber slices.
Persimmon Basil Marg
3 Chunks of Fresh Persimmon {ping pong ball size}
1 Fresh Basil Leaf
1.5oz Herradura Tequila Blanco
.5oz Cointreau Orange Liqueur
.5oz Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice
¼ oz Agave Nectar, or to taste
Muddle persimmon, basil, and agave nectar in a heavy bottom mixing tin. Add ice, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice to the mixing tin and shake vigorously until frost forms. Double strain into a double rocks glass with ice. Garnish with persimmon chunks and basil leaves.
Honey Bee
2oz Woodford Reserve
1oz Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
.75oz Acacia Honey Syrup
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes of Fee Brothers Lemon Bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a double rocks glass with ice. Garnish with honeycomb square and fresh fig halved. For Acacia Honey Syrup, combine 2 parts acacia honey and 1 part warm water in a small jar and shake until combined. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
Blood Orange Bourbon Sour
1oz Blood Orange Juice
2.75oz Bourbon
1oz Simple Syrup
1oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Lime Juice
1 Kumquat, for garnish
Roll a blood orange back and forth on a cutting board a few times to break up the flesh and release the juices. Cut the orange in half, then juice using a reamer or the tines of a fork. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour 1 oz blood orange juice, bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice, and lime juice into the shaker. Stir until the shaker frosts. Place 1 large ice cube into a cocktail glass. Pour the blood orange cocktail into the glass and garnish with a kumquat.
Lavender Gin Haze
1.5oz Empress Gin
.75oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 Garden Syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously until frost forms. Strain into a fancy coupe glass and top with Luna Nuda Prosecco. Garnish with a dried orange slice. To make the Garden Syrup, combine 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add two rosemary sprigs, two thyme sprigs, two lavender sprigs, and two sage sprigs. Allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes before straining out the thyme leaves with a superfine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.