Holiday Cocktails - What Do You Like?

[ecowper]

I'll start us off with two of my favorites!

The Calvados Old Fashioned
Make honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and water in a saucepan over medium heat
When honey is completely dissolved, remove from heat, cool, then chill in fridge

2 oz Calvados
1/2 oz honey syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
5-6 very thin apple slices

Add all the liquid ingredients to a mixing glass/shaker half filled with ice
Stir well so ingredients are combined and cold
Strain into an old fashioned glass over single large ice cube
Garnish with a fan of apple slices



Eggnog Cocktail
1 egg
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz maple syrup
1 oz Luxardo
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice
Add ice to a cocktail shaker
Add egg, bourbon, maple syrup, luxardo, and cinnamon to cocktail shaker
Shake well and vigorously until the ingredients are incorporated and the drink is frothy
Toss the ice cubes in the old fashioned glass then strain the cocktail into it
Dust with a dash of nutmeg



Okay peeps .... your turn

[captainlee]

Don't really drink cocktails but the old eggnog,rum and nutmeg do me just fine.

[mrteddyprincess]

I don't drink a lot of whisky, but at the holidays I am a sucker for Crown Royal on the rocks. Or Crown Royal with diet Sprite.

My birthday is in November and for several years I'd buy myself a nice bottle of single barrel bourbon or single malt Scotch and enjoy it through New Year's Eve.

Thanksgiving is coming! Now you've got me thinking.

Happy Holidays!

[barelfly]

Lots of good single barrels to choose from for your birthday!

[ssandy_561]

It’s more of a summer cocktail but we always make it for any holiday party we go to.

Apricot Brandy Slushes

6 cups water
4 Lipton tea bags
2 cups sugar
1 750 ml bottle of Apricot Brandy
12 oz can frozen concentrated OJ
12 oz can frozen concentrates lemonade

7-up for serving
Orange slices and maraschino cherries for garnish

Steep the 4 tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water. The stronger the better for me.

Dissolve the sugar in the other 4 cups of water. I’ll usually bring this water to a boil at the same time I’m bringing the tea water to a boil.

Combine tea water, sugar water, OJ and lemonade into a container that will fit into your freezer. (Make sure it’s large enough to add in the Apricot Brandy into also)

Add the Apricot Brandy to the liquid mixture once it’s cool enough where the alcohol won’t evaporate out.

Freeze for 6+ hours to solidify.

When ready scoop out the slush into a glass, top with 7-up and garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

I stole this picture from the inter-web

[ecowper]

That looks very fun!

[texastweeter]

Eggnog
Wassell
Mulled Wine

[ecowper]

Love decent mulled wine …. Drank a lot of it when I lived in Germany :-)

[STEbbq]

I am here for the eggnog cocktails.

I am boring with mine. Eggnog and rum or bourbon. The eggnog has to be the good stuff though. The best one is in a black container and super thick. The crap ones are like water.

[ecowper]

Try my eggnog cocktail above

[STEbbq]

I think I have everything so why not. Looks easier than the rest of the recipes!

[barelfly]

For those eggnog lovers, every make your own? I remember Alton Brown doing a show on eggnog. I’ve never done this, but wonder if anyone has!

otherwise, I’m not much of a holiday cocktail guy. I just stick with my regular rotation of cocktails that I’ve posted in the what are you drinking thread.

STEbbq texastweeter ecowper

[texastweeter]

Every year.

[Grillin Dad]

barelfly The recipe calls for enough booze as is, so there's no need to spike it any further. It's delicious. I actually make a triple batch (which makes about 13 qt ... and uses a bottle each of rum, whiskey, and brandy) and give it out as gifts.

I've learned to let it age about 2 months. You can drink it fresh, but it's pretty strong. Aging it really mellows out the flavors.

[Santamarina]

I’m a HUGE fan of eggnog, and I’ve looked at the AB recipe for years but have yet to pull the trigger.

Not sure why, honestly. My motto is “Eggnog makes the world go ‘round” and I love to cook and make drinks…so one of life’s great mysteries is why I haven’t made my own eggnog yet.

Maybe this is the year!

[STEbbq]

This is the good stuff.

[Purc]

I love this stuff, until I saw how much cholesterol it has in it.

[texastweeter]

Pour out 1/2 fill back up with soco, shake, then pour in your mouth...

[Santamarina]

Years ago friends owned a restaurant in Los Angeles. They used to get cartons of this stuff called “Smog Nog.” It was only available to restaurants, but they’d always set aside a few for me to enjoy. It’s been probably 15 years since they sold the restaurant, so it’s been equally as long since I’ve had it.

[STEbbq]

How long do you think this eggnog lasts in the fridge?

The aged seems like forever. I wonder on the classic.

https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/

https://altonbrown.com/recipes/eggnog/

If it lasts for ages, then definitely worth making.

[barelfly]

His aged eggnog, he says you could let it age for a year or drink it immediately. So….

[Grillin Dad]

I make the aged every year. It's awesome. I generally let it age 2 months. But I intentionally held onto a little bit of it from last year, so I'm going to do a taste test this Xmas Eve between the 2 month old and the 1 year.

[barelfly]

Grillin Dad - definitely gotta let us know how this taste test goes! Heck yeah!!!!

[radiodome21]

Growing up I never liked egg nog. My mom bought the stuff in a milk carton. I might have to give this a try.

[ecowper]

I’m not a fan of that store bought eggnog stuff. Then a bartender made this for me and I was “hello, this is what eggnog should be!”

[Old Glory]

Love eggnog with spiced rum. Around here Hood Golden Eggnog is the go to version. I also make Coquitos - Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog. They are very rich but delicious.

https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/coquito

[Richard Chrz]

Cup of good coffee some heavy cream, a bit of peppermint schnoeps, topped with homemade whipped topping,

the presentation with the apples in the top drink. Just awesome!

[ecowper]

I do love my holiday coffee!

[acorgihouse]

Anybody had coquito? Rum/coconut drink from Puerto Rico? Addictive. I had a neighbor for the past 7-8 years who made it at Christmas, and always brought me a jug of it. Unbelievably good, and I could drink the whole thing right then if I didn't need to do anything the rest of the day. Their last kid (who walked my dog when I was working, how we met) went away to college last summer, and they have now sold their house and moved away. I need to find a good coquito recipe, I have run across several and plan to do some experimenting here today during football, and maybe tomorrow. Couple of recipes I've tagged, and thinking I'll sub coconut evaporated/condensed milk to bang the coconut up even more.
These are currently on deck:https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/coquito

https://salimaskitchen.com/coquito/

[Old Glory]

Love them posted above as well

[JustKyle]

My bunch likes mulled wine, I make it out of a red blend with some mulling spices I found at Marshall’s asking with a little orange and cinnamon sticks and put in the crock pot on low for a couple of hours. I personally stick to beer, never found a bad time for a cold beer.

[ecowper]

A quality beer is a great thing on Thanksgiving morning as I’m getting the cooker ready for the turkey

[UFLawdog]

Balmoral Stirrup Cups are great for cold days

• 1 1/2 oz scotch
• 1 oz. Cointreau
• several dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in an Old Fashioned glass with ice and stir.

[ecowper]

Nice and perfect for fall and winter