With the winter season comes holiday parties, and no holiday get together is complete without a (preferably) constant flow of Christmas cocktails to keep your spirits bright.
Whether you're hosting, attending or even crashing, here are 8 classy liquors and recipes that are sure to keep the holiday soiree filled with joyful cheer. After all, 'tis the season to be jolly.
Jura 10
This Single Malt Scotch Whiskey is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and offers smoky notes paired with flavors of fruit, chocolate and coffee. This bittersweet concoction below brings out both the sweet and smoky sides of Jura 10. The port and maple syrup balance out the tartness of the fresh lemon, letting the full flavors of the whiskey shine through.
Craighouse Cheer
2 oz. Jura 10
.5 oz. port
.5 oz. lemon juice
.5 oz. maple syrup
Combine the Jura 10, port, lemon juice and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake well. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Patrón 2017 Limited Edition
A perfect gift for tequila lovers, this limited-edition Patrón Silver Tequila bottle is inspired by Mexico's rich heritage of art deco design. Featuring a black and silver handcrafted pewter label, the bottle is intricately adorned with geometric lines and the iconic Patrón bee.
Handcrafted in small batches from the Weber Blue Agave, it's distilled and bottled at the Hacienda Patrón distillery in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
Home for the Holidays
Created by Pete Canny, The Wayland and The Lost Lady
2 oz. Patrón Silver
.75 oz. lemon juice
.75 oz. allspice syrup
.5 oz. Cocchi America
1 egg white
Silver luster dust
Add Patrón, lemon juice, allspice syrup and Cocchi Americano to a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a glass mug over ice. In a separate shaker, dry shake the egg white. Add Silver Luster Dust to mug and stir. Top with egg white foam and garnish with a miniature gingerbread house.
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Jägermeister
Though Jägermeister is hit-or-miss with most people, this German liquor is made from a closely guarded recipe that includes 56 natural herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits-including star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger roots-making it ideal for holiday drinking. With its festive flavor profile, Jägermeister is a great addition to any cocktail.
Old World Toddy
Created by Willy Shine, Jägermeister Brand Meister
1 part Jägermeister
1/2 part lemon juice
1/2 part spiced pomegranate honey*
2 parts fresh apple cider
1 part Jamaican Aged Rum (Appleton Reserve)
1 part water
Combine and batch all the ingredients and heat. Garnish with whole cloves in an orange peel.
*Steep clove, fresh ginger pieces and cracked cinnamon sticks in pomegranate juice as if making a tea. Bring to boil and let sit to chill. Fine strain the liquid and add equal parts honey. Keep refrigerated.
The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old
This naturally colored fine whiskey is 100 percent sherry seasoned and matured for a minimum of 12 years. With flavors of vanilla, citrus and light oak, contrasted against bolder characteristics of dried fruit, spice and sherry, the Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old is guaranteed to be a hit with anyone who appreciates whiskey.
Macallan Maple Old Fashioned Cocktail
Created by James Frankhouse of Goodnight Sonny
2 oz. The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old
.25 oz. fig rosemary maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Combine Macallan, fig rosemary maple syrup and bitters. Serve in rocks glass with an ice ball. Garnish with rosemary sprig, lemon peel and orange peel.
Olmeca Altos Plata
Altos Tequila Plata is made from 100 percent blue agave grown in the Los Altos highlands of Mexico. With your first sip, you'll taste both herbal notes of cooked agave and hints of pepper. This plata is slightly citric and sweet with a fruity aroma.
Naughty or Nice
1½ parts Altos Plata
1 part Aperol
¾ part Carpano Antica
Barspoon Green Chartreuse
Stir, serve up and garnish with flamed orange peel.
The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve
Founder's Reserve is a super smooth, balanced whiskey known for its sweet, creamy vanilla and caramel apple notes, which blend seamlessly with zesty orange and hints of butter and toffee on the finish.
The Founder's Reserve Packhorse Cocktail
1 part The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve
1 part ginger beer
Splash of lemon juice
Add Founder's Reserve and lemon juice to a glass. Top with ice and then pour in ginger beer.
Redbreast 12 Year Old
Redbreast 12 Year Old is packed with flavor and complexity. Known for its full body, this whiskey features flavors of raisin, prunes, malt and ground coffee and a spicy, fruity aroma. Its trademark Christmas cake character comes from distillates which have matured in Oloroso sherry casks.
The Priest's Tipple
5 parts Redbreast
3 parts Bishop Syrup*
3 oranges
150 g castor sugar
16 cloves
*For Bishop Syrup, cut 3 oranges in half and place them in an ovenproof dish. Place them in a preheated oven at 320 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for about two hours. Then, pour 250 ml of tawny port and 150 grams of castor sugar over them and add 16 cloves to the dish. Put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Allow to cool before straining through a sieve. Add both Bishop Syrup and Redbreast in a mixing glass filled with rock ice and secure a strainer. To mix and chill, "throw" the drink to another mixing glass by holding the first glass aloft and pouring into the second glass held as low as possible.
Chivas Regal 12
Chivas Regal 12 is a blend of malt and grain Scotch whiskeys, matured for at least 12 years. It has a spicy sweet flavor profile featuring hints of crème Brulee, licorice and toffee, balanced by winter spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Old Fashioned
1 part Chivas Regal 12
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 brown sugar cube
1 orange slice
Place a brown sugar cube into an old-fashioned glass. Add bitters and muddle together. Then pour 1/4 of your Chivas Regal 12. Add one ice cube and stir until it has half melted. Repeat steps 3 and 4, three more times. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
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