Making Spirits Bright
Photography by Danny Daniels Photography
‘Tis the season for holiday parties. If you’re hosting a Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s Eve event in the coming weeks, keep the spirits bright with festive holiday cocktails. To help you serve up some good cheer, here are some favorite recipes from local restaurants – all perfect to share with family and friends. For added flair, dress up your drinks with seasonal garnishes, fun stirrers, spices or candy. Cheers!
Peppermint Candy Ice Cream Martini
Recipe courtesy of Spenard Roadhouse, www.spenardroadhouse.com
1 chilled martini glass
2 oz. Peppermint Candy Infused Vodka (recipe below)
½ oz. milk or cream (milk keeps it a lighter drink, but cream will make it creamier and richer)
1 Starlight Mint
Smash the Starlight Mint into small sugar grain size pieces (almost a dust). When the glass is completely chilled, rim half of the glass with this sugar.
Combine the vodka and milk in a shaker over ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour into glass and enjoy immediately.
Peppermint Candy Infused Vodka
24 Starlight Mints
1 liter of vodka
Unwrap all mints and place in a glass container. Add the vodka over the top. Let sit for 2 days until mints are completely dissolved. Stir well before serving over ice or in cocktails.
Hot Buttered Rum
Recipe courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse, www.glacierbrewhouse.com
Spice Infused Rum
1 bottle Cruzan Light Rum
1 orange peel
1 T Five Spice
1 cinnamon stick
Wrap ingredients in a cheesecloth and allow to infuse for three days.
Hot Buttered Rum Mix
1 lb butter, salted
1 lb light brown sugar
1 lb powdered sugar
1 qt vanilla ice cream
2 T vanilla extract
1 ½ T cinnamon
1 ½ T nutmeg
Very slowly melt butter, making sure not to burn or break the butter. Add sugar, then mix and add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate.
In a coffee mug, mix 1 ¼ fl. oz. Spice Infused Rum and 2 T Hot Buttered Rum Mix. Fill with hot water and stir. Garnish with lemon twist and cinnamon stick.
Winter Wonderland
Recipe courtesy of The Anchor, www.anchorak.com
6 oz. hot cocoa
1 oz. Bailey’s
1 oz. Crème de Menthe
Whipped cream
Andes Mints
In a mug, mix Bailey’s with the Crème de Menthe. Stir in the hot cocoa.
Garnish with whipped cream and chopped Andes Mints.
Hot Mulled Wine
Recipe courtesy of Orso, www.orsoalaska.com
1 bottle hearty red wine (zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon)
½ orange (cut into wedges)
½ t ground cloves
¾ T ground cinnamon
½ lemon (cut into wedges)
¾ cup brandy (Korbel, E&J, etc.)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in coffee mugs. Garnish with an orange twist. This mixture can be chilled and refrigerated for future use. To reuse, bring to a simmer again and serve or reheat in a microwave.
Alternate Use: Fill a tall glass with ice; fill glass ½ full with Hot Mulled Wine mix, top with soda water or 7Up and garnish with orange twist.
The Nerlander
Recipe courtesy of The Anchor, www.anchorak.com
Ice
1 oz. Ruby Red Absolute Vodka
1 oz. champagne
1 oz. pomegranate liqueur
Splash of lime juice
Splash of cranberry juice
Splash of club soda
1 lime twist, for garnish
Moisten rim of martini glass with a lime and rim with pomegranate sugar. Fill shaker with ice. Add vodka, champagne, pomegranate liqueur, lime juice, cranberry juice, club soda and shake. Strain into the chilled martini glass and garnish with a lime twist.
