Ice-berg

Credit: Brad Thomas Parsons, Amaro, citing Garret Richard

Ingredients

1 oz Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila
20 ml bottle Underberg herbal liqueur
1 oz orgeat
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 cup ice


Directions

Blend all ingredients and garnish with the empty Underberg bottle upside-down.


Notes

This is like a Christmas margarita. Clove-forward. Also note to self, have orgeat at the ready before cocktail hour, since I was out and had to make it from scratch and woke up my 7-year-old running the blender for 45 seconds making almond milk!

 
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Cosmopolitan

Credit: Difford’s Guide

Ingredients

1 oz Ketel One Vodka
1 oz Cointreau
1 1/2 oz Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz lime juice
dash orange bitters
Luxardo cherry garnish


Directions

Shake and strain into a chilled glass.


Notes

Made this for a guest. Orange zest is the original recipe but I liked the cherry. It’s a beautiful pink, but a bit too ethanol-forward for me.

 
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Banana Milk

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp sugar
1/16 tsp Penzey’s Vietnamese Cinnamon
a few drops saline solution
1-2 ice cubes


Directions

Blend and serve.


Notes

This tastes like a lighter banana milkshake. Easy to drink and great for the kiddo’s breakfast.

 
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The Main Course

Credit: Napa Rose Lounge, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Resort Area

Ingredients

3/4 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
2-3 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
orange peel garnish


Directions

Shake and strain over ice. Garnish with orange peel after expressing the oils.


Notes

I made this at the request of a guest at our New Year’s Eve party. I thought it would be bitter and strong as heck with the Campari and Fernet, but it was magical!

 
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St. George Pear Brandy

Ingredients

St. George Pear Brandy


Directions

Serve in a small snifter.


Notes

A great nightcap. Strong. Pure pear. Looking forward to using it more as a cocktail ingredient, too!

 
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Fistful of Pears

Credit: St. George Spirits

Ingredients

1 oz St. George Pear Brandy
1 oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur
1 oz Amaro Nonino
Meyer lemon peel


Directions

Build over ice. Squeeze Meyer lemon peel over drink to release oils, then use as a garnish.


Notes

Fantastic enough to get me out of a blogging dry spell after 2 sips! I opened up the bottle of St. George Pear Brandy to enjoy on its own, and went to the website to check spelling, and happened to see this drink listed, so made it for my husband. It called for Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro and grapefruit zest, but worked with what I had and thought the Nonino and Meyer lemon would sub in well. An ode to pear. It’s late so I’m sticking with brandy, but there’s tomorrow and New Year’s Eve…

 
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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.

 
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Piña Colada (Puerto Rican Style)

Ingredients

2 oz Siesta Key Spiced Rum
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz Coco López
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
4 ice cubes
Luxardo cherry garnish


Directions

Blend everything in a blender. Garnish with a cherry.


Notes

The first time I made a piña colada, it was way to watery. Then I got the great idea from Serious Eats to freeze the ingredients! Frozen pineapple to the rescue! I’ve since also frozen heavy cream in 1/2 oz cubes. Use Coco López without question. Also, I switched from coconut to spiced rum as it’s more balanced and interesting. I didn’t have much of my homemade spiced rum left, so I bought Siesta Key—a worthy choice.

 
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Cereal Milk

Credit: Momofuku

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups (100 g) Corn Flakes
3 3/4 (825 g) cups cold whole milk
2 tbsp (30 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt


Directions

Toast the Corn Flakes on parchment paper at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then put them in a pitcher with the milk. Let everything steep for 20 minutes at room temperature. Strain out the cereal, gently pressing on it to release any extra liquid, without pushing the cereal through the strainer. Add the brown sugar and salt to the strained milk.


Notes

So, this is so amazing. You make this hoping it meets your expectations, and it surpasses them. The toasted Corn Flakes come through strong, with just enough added sweetness from the brown sugar. I could sip this plain, but look forward to trying it in a milk punch. Turning this into ice cream would be pretty freaking awesome, or using it in eggnog.

 
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Tasting: Jungle Bird 2 Ways

Credit: Brad Thomas Parsons, Amaro

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz blackstrap rum
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz 2:1 demerara syrup


Directions

Shake and strain over ice.


Notes

Fun to have Campari in a tiki drink! I tried this drink with 2 different rums: Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and Cruzan Black Strap Rum. The Gosling’s Rum led to a more pineapple-forward drink. The Cruzan was much more assertively molasses.


Verdict

My husband preferred the Cruzan version. As much as I love pineapple, I tend to agree!

 
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Hot Chocolate (European Style)

Credit: Alice Medrich, Fine Cooking

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
pinch of salt
whipped cream


Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate, salt, and boiling water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. When it begins to simmer at the edges, whisk in the milk and continue to cook until steaming hot, ideally no more than 180°F. Just before serving, whisk to a froth. Serve in small cups with whipped cream.


Notes

Ok, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the hot chocolate from Les Deux Magots in Paris. I’ve tried 1 oz chocolate to 1 cup milk and it wasn’t as rich. I’ve also tried adding cornstarch, which certainly thickened it but not in the right way. David Lebovitz’s recipe uses the same ratio of liquid to chocolate, but replaces the water with all milk. I might need to try that next time!

 
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Montenegro on the Rocks

Ingredients

Amaro Montenegro
orange peel


Directions

Build over ice. Spritz with orange and garnish with the peel.


Notes

Couldn’t be easier—just fantastic. The orange peel is critical, however.

 
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Spiced Rum Old Fashioned

Ingredients

2 oz spiced rum
1/4 oz cinnamon syrup
2-3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
orange peel


Directions

Build in a glass and add an ice sphere. Squeeze orange peel over drink to release oils, then use as a garnish.


Notes

This might be my drink. It’s so smooth for being on the boozy side, and the cinnamon, orange, and spices from the rum play so well together. Perfect.

 
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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.

 
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Cream of Coconut

Credit: Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove

Ingredients

13 1/2 oz Thai Kitchen coconut milk
13 1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
1/4 tsp salt


Directions

Blend contents of the can together to combine the coconut cream and liquid. Add the rich syrup, salt, and blend again.

Or…..

Open a can of Coco López cream of coconut. Blend contents together. Enjoy an exceptional Piña Colada.


Notes

So what I’ve learned from many experiments with cream of coconut, including trying different recipes, coconut milk brands, and techniques, is that to me, nothing compares to Coco López. The Smuggler’s Cove version—the best homemade cream of coconut—tastes like fragrant coconut syrup. However, the Coco López has the thicker consistency and richer taste of sweetened condensed coconut milk that’s just irreplaceable in mixed drinks.

Tip: to warm up Coco López from the fridge, place the container in a bowl of hot water for a 5-10 minutes.

 
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Ramos Gin Fizz

Credit: Cocktail Chemistry

Ingredients

2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz 2:1 clear syrup
3 dashes Theodule Noirot Orange Flower Water
1 oz heavy cream
1 large egg white
2 oz orange La Croix


Directions

Add gin, citrus, cream, and syrup to a shaker. Shake with 4 ice cubes for 20 seconds. Double strain out ice and add egg white. Dry shake without ice for 40 seconds. Pour into chilled collins glass and let sit for one minute. Slowly pour soda water into the center of the foam until it rises above the rim. Dash orange flower water on top.


Notes

It reminds me of spiked citrus sherbet and it’s worth the shaking. I might try it with 1 1/2 oz gin next time as it was a bit strong, but I still loved it.

 
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Cinnamon Syrup

Credit: Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
3 3-inch Penzeys cassia cinnamon sticks


Directions

Put the water in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon sticks to the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar and stir with a whisk until the sugar’s dissolved. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Strain out the cinnamon.


Notes

The cinnamon flavor comes through—looking forward to finding many uses for this.

 
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