Courtesy of some of the best festive bars across the country, celebrate the holidays with spirited cocktails. These cocktails have it all—seasonal flavors, festive glassware, holiday-inspired garnishes, and of course spirits!
Happy Holidays to you and yours from us and ours at Chilled!
Merry Berries
Courtesy of Almost Friday Sporting Club
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Happenstance Whiskey
- 3/4 oz Cranberry Juice
- 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz Peach Syrup*
- 3/4 oz Pimento Dram or Allspice Dram
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, with ice, and shake until cold and diluted. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a mint sprig.
*Peach Syrup
(Monin, produce high quality peach syrups. To make your own, follow this recipe)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 can peaches
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain out peaches and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Mistletoe Kiss
Courtesy of The Hampton Social
Cocktail photographer, restaurant photographer, food photographer, Chicago restaurant and food photography, beverage photographer, NYC food photographer, Chicago Hospitality photographer, lifestyle photographer, Morgan Ione Photography
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Spiced Strawberry
- 1/2 oz Avissi
- Whipped Cream
- Mint Leaves
- 2 Strawberry Crème Savers
Preparation: Add spiced strawberry to a glass flute and top with Avissi, leaving half an inch of head. Top with whipped cream, mint leaves and unwrapped strawberry crème savers.
My Best Elf
Courtesy of The Hampton Social
Cocktail photographer, restaurant photographer, food photographer, Chicago restaurant and food photography, beverage photographer, NYC food photographer, Chicago Hospitality photographer, lifestyle photographer, Morgan Ione Photography
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Plantation Dark Rum
- 1/2 oz Hot Chocolate Mix
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 3 scoops Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- 32 oz Hot Water
- Whipped Cream
- Red and Green Sprinkles
Preparation: Add Plantation Dark Rum and Hot Chocolate Mix to a heat-safe glass or mug and stir. Top with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles.
Winter Noggin’
Courtesy of The Hampton Social
Cocktail photographer, restaurant photographer, food photographer, Chicago restaurant and food photography, beverage photographer, NYC food photographer, Chicago Hospitality photographer, lifestyle photographer, Morgan Ione Photography
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Superior
- 5 oz Eggnog
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 scoops White Chocolate
- 32 oz Oat Milk
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Nutmeg
- Whipped Cream
- Blue Sprinkles
Preparation: Add Bacardi Superior and Eggnog to a heat-safe glass or mug and stir. Top with whipped cream, blue sprinkles, and garnish with a mint leaf.
Espresso Martini
Courtesy of The Electric Jane
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Tito’s
- 1 1/2 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
- 1/2 oz Cold Brew
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Preparation: Add ingredients to a shaker and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cannoli.
Hot Buttered Rum
Courtesy of Sama Street
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Spiced Rum (preferably Sama Street House Spiced Rum)
- 1/2 oz Black Rum
- 1 1/2 oz Miso Maple Batter*
- 2 1/2 oz Hot Water (ideally 195F)
- Cinnamon
Preparation: First, make vanilla syrup. Second, make cinnamon syrup. Third, make the miso maple batter. Finally, pour all ingredients into a warmed tea cup, stir and garnish with grated cinnamon.
*Miso Maple Batter
Ingredients:
- 16 oz Grade A Maple Syrup
- 16 oz Unsalted Butter
- 1 oz Vanilla Syrup**
- 2 oz Cinnamon Syrup***
- 1 oz Allspice Dram
- 1tbsp White Miso Paste
- 3.5 cups Sweetened Condensed Milk
Preparation: Melt butter and then add to maple syrup, vanilla syrup, cinnamon syrup, allspice dram and miso paste to a blender and blend until combined. Add sweetened condensed milk to the blender and blend again until fully combined.
**Vanilla Syrup
Ingredients:
- 4 cups White Sugar
- 2 cups Water
- 2 Vanilla Beans, scraped
Preparation: Boil the water, add sugar and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add vanilla beans, stir and let cool.
***Cinnamon Syrup
Ingredients:
- 800g White Sugar
- 400g Water
- 3 pc 6-inch Vietnamese Cinnamon Sticks
Method: Boil the water, sugar and cinnamon and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cinnamon steep for 24 hours. Strain and store.
The Winter Wonderland
Courtesy of Cinder House at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis; created by Bar Supervisor India Stevens
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
- 3/4 oz Real Raspberry Puree
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 3 oz Ginger Beer (Fever-Tree)
Preparation: Combine all ingredients except ginger beer into a mixing tine filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a rocks glass, top with ginger beer & stir. Garnish with two sprigs of rosemary and dust with powdered sugar.
Amore d’Amaro
Courtesy of Bourbon Steak Orange County at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach
Ingredients:
- 1 shot espresso
- 1 oz. Montenegro
- 1 oz. Amaretto
- 1/4 oz. Fernet Branca
- 1 oz. House-made Valrhona chocolate syrup
- Whipped cream, to garnish
- Valrhona chocolate, to garnish
Preparation: Shake espresso, liqueurs and chocolate syrup with ice to combine, and strain into a glass mug. Top with house-made whipped cream and garnish with shaved Valrhona chocolate.
White Christmas Cosmo
Courtesy of Casa Marina Key West
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Grey Goose White Peach & Rosemary Vodka
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz White Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker. Ice and shake vigorously for 2 minutes. Strain in Martini glass. Garnish*
*Frosted Cranberry Garnish:
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups Water
- 6 Cups Sugar split
- 1 Bag Fresh Cranberries
Preparation: Create simple syrup by dissolving 3 cups sugar in simmering water. Allow simple syrup to cool completely. Place cranberries in airtight container. Slowly pour cooled simple syrup over cranberries and seal lid (do this in the sink; it will get messy when the cranberries start to float). Leave in refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain simple syrup (do not rinse cranberries). Roll cranberries in remaining sugar and place in single layer on a cookie sheet. Leave in refrigerator uncovered for 2 hours or until sugar has dried.
Magye Christmas
Courtesy of Hilton Cartagena Hotel
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Dictador Rum 20 years old
- 1 Egg White
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
- 1/2 oz Grenadine
Preparation: In a shaker, pour all the ingredients, always starting with the egg white, in order to verify that the egg is in good condition or that a drop of yolk does not escape. Add a little ice to the whole mixture and shake strongly for 10 seconds. With a juleep strainer, pour all the liquid in a glass and then shake it again for 5 seconds, this time without ice. Pour the mixture into a Martini glass and proceed with the decoration
Garnish: Use a twist made with orange peel placed horizontally in the center of the glass and add a dash of cooking frost to give a bright touch to the foam of the cocktail.
