Winter isn't officially here until December 22, but the cold temperatures have already taken over many parts of the country.
If you're looking to switch your bar and restaurant menus over to winter cocktail recipes, we've got you covered!
Casa Cider
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Casamigos Reposado or Casamigos Blanco or Casamigos Cristalino Tequila
1 oz. Apple Cider
.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Ginger Syrup (Suggest Liquid Alchemist)
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Optional: 1 Pinch Nutmeg
Garnish Apple Slice, Star Anise, Thyme Sprig and Cinnamon Dusting
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.
Oak Spice Eggnog
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Bacardi OakHeart Spice Rum
1 oz. Mexican Rompope
½ oz. The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Orange Zest, thawed
1 oz. almond milk
1 oz. coffee
Nutmeg powder to garnish
Directions:
In a mixing glass with ice, add all ingredients. Shake and serve up; garnish with more orange zest and nutmeg.
Tiramisu White Russian
Ingredients:
1 ¼ oz. Vodka
¾ oz. Monin® Tiramisu Syrup
1 shot Espresso
1 dash Orange Bitters
1 oz. Half & Half
Directions:
Fill serving glass full of ice. Pour ingredients into serving glass in order listed. Add garnish and serve.
Smoked Eggnog
Recipe: Lisa Leventhal, Brand Ambassador (Chicago, IL)
Ingredients:
3 cups of Eggnog
1 cup of KURVBALL Whiskey
Directions:
Combine Eggnog and KURVBALL Whiskey in a pitcher and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with a dash of ground nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Crystal Kringle Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz. Crystal Head Onyx
¾ oz. Agave Syrup
¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
Muddled Cranberries and Jalapeno
Directions:
Build ingredients in a shaker and muddle. Add ice, shake and double strain into a rocks glass with salted rim and ice. Garnish with jalapeno ring, cranberries and lime zest.
Grand Brulot Winter Wonderland
Recipe:
1 oz Grand Brulot
1 oz vodka
1 oz mint schnapps
3 oz heavy cream
2 teaspoons of sugar
Mint (for garnish)
Crushed candy cane (for garnish)
Directions:
In a shaker, combine the heavy cream with the sugar and shake for ten seconds. In a rock glass add the Grand Brulot, vodka, mint schnapps and ice. Top with the cream from the shaker. Garnish with fresh mint and crushed candy cane.
Sesame State of Mind
Ingredients:
1.25 oz sesame oil-washed Deviation Spice Trade gin (or your favorite gin) – recipe below
.5 oz ginger liqueur
.75 lemongrass syrup
1 oz. coconut milk
6 dashes Thai chili or a spicy bitters
1-inch chunk of cucumber
Lime (garnish)
Directions:
For the fat-washed sesame oil gin:
Combine 750-ml of gin and 1.5 oz of sesame oil in a container. Leave the mixture out on the counter for four years, stirring the container a few times. After infusing it for four hours, place in freezer for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove from the freezer and place into a larger container (such as a seven-quarter square Cambro). Pour the mixture through a strainer (ideally a Chinois strainer) with a filter in it (ideally an oil filter). Let drain thoroughly while in the freezer. Once the entire liquid goes through the Chinois strainer, the process is done
Recipe for lemongrass syrup:
Chop 250g of lemongrass. Add lemongrass and 2.5 liters to a pot. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat. Strain. Measure weight, then add equal parts of sugar to a container.
For the cocktail:
Muddle cucumber. Dry shake and strain. Add to rocks glass. Add all remaining ingredients (except bitters and garnish) to rocks glass. Stir. Garnish with lime.
Merry Cranberry Ghost Paloma
Ingredients:
2 oz Ghost Tequila
2 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
2 tbsp Cranberry Sauce
1 tbsp Lime Juice
Directions:
- Add the tequila, grapefruit juice, cranberry sauce and lime juice to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake vigorously.
- Strain the mixture into an ice-filled glass with a citrus sugar rim.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with cranberries & lime.
Photo: Giada Paoloni
Gingerbread Negroni
Ingredients:
1.75 oz Spiced Butter Bacardi 8
1 oz Cardamero
1/2 oz Cocchi Torino
1/2 oz Antica
1/2 oz Campari
4 Dashes Buck Spice Ginger Bitters
Directions:
Pour all over branded block ice, garnish with an orange twist, grated nutmeg, block ice with stamp.
Twisted Sister
Ingredients:
2 oz Savage & Cooke American Whiskey
1 oz Pomegranate Juice
1 oz Pineapple Puree
1/2 oz Lime Juice
Garnish: Pomegranate Seeds & Shaved Nutmeg
Directions:
Combine Savage & Cooke American Whiskey, pomegranate juice, pineapple puree and fresh lime juice in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 8 to 12 seconds. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and freshly shaved nutmeg.
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