holiday

Coquito

Credit: Alejandra Ramos, Always Order Dessert

Ingredients

12 oz evaporated milk
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
15 oz Coco López Cream of Coconut
14 oz coconut milk
24 oz Puerto Rican rum
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise


Directions

Combine everything in a blender except for the cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean—blend in batches if needed. Add the cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean. Pour into bottles or pitchers and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to get cold and for the flavors to settle. Serve in small glasses.


Notes

Ok, so, my father-in-law is 1/2 Puerto Rican and I hope his mother would have been happy—or amused at least—that I brought this to our first Christmas gathering together in a while! It’s so tasty, and not at all overly sweet despite the comical amount of sweet things that go into it. A fun change from eggnog!

 
 

Averna Toddy

Credit: Elena Lepkowski, Serious Eats

Ingredients

1 oz Amaro Averna
1/2 oz brown sugar syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
4 oz boiling water
lemon peel garnish


Directions

Combine everything in a mug and garnish with lemon peel.


Notes

Note: I didn’t make the spiced syrup that Elena Lepkowski includes in her article, because I wanted to make this with ingredients I already had on hand. This was fantastic, and the bizarre thing—it tasted exactly like hot apple cider! Like, exactly. It was the funniest thing!

 
 

Clyde Common Egg Nog

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Ingredients

2 large eggs
4 tbsp superfine or baker's sugar
2.5 oz Osborne Amontillado sherry
2 oz Lunazul añejo tequila
6 oz whole milk
4 oz heavy cream
grated nutmeg


Directions

Beat eggs in blender for one minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for one additional minute. Add and blend remaining ingredients. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled glasses, grating nutmeg on top immediately before serving.


Notes

So, the sherry and tequila just make this. It’s different and interesting, with the same great texture and balance of Morgenthaler’s base recipe. A real bright spot this season.

 
unsplash-image-VDXtVYJVj7A.jpg
 

Egg Nog

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Ingredients

2 large eggs
4 tbsp superfine or baker's sugar
2 oz Argonaut Speculator Brandy
2 oz Siesta Key Spiced Rum
6 oz whole milk
4 oz heavy cream
grated nutmeg


Directions

Beat eggs in blender for one minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for one additional minute. With blender still running, add brandy, rum, milk and cream until combined. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled glasses, grating nutmeg on top immediately before serving.


Notes

Quite unlike most egg nogs I’ve had, which have been too thick, sweet, or boozy. This is elegant, smooth, drinkable, and can be made in advance! I didn’t have enough of my homemade spiced rum so took a chance on Siesta Key—a worthy alternative for eggnog use. I cut the sugar down to 4 tbsp and it was plenty sweet.

 
unsplash-image-QKo-op_gR9I.jpg
 

Cranberry Ginger Highball

Ingredients

3/4 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon
2 oz Ocean Spray cranberry juice
2 oz Fever Tree Ginger Beer
lemon wedge and mint garnish


Directions

Build in a collins glass and add ice. Garnish with lemon wedge and mint.


Notes

Festive, refreshing, and pretty. I’ve become a big fan of Elijah Craig. Since I prefer lighter drinks, I cut the bourbon down to 3/4. My husband suggested the mint, which is fabulous. Credit to Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Drinking Distilled for recommending the bourbon and cranberry juice pairing.

 
unsplash-image-wIVK756L0VU.jpg