Hosting a holiday party but looking to spice up the bar? Here, we offer an array of wintertime cocktail recipes to ring in the holiday cheer.
Our neighbors to the north may be warming up with hot toddies and Irish coffee, but in Southwest Florida, a cool, refreshing sip never goes out of season. Bring some fizz to the party with this effervescent twist on sangria.
Fizzy Winter Sangria
- 1 bottle Champagne or Prosecco, chilled
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup Meyer lemon simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 2 pears, peeled, seeded and diced
- 2 kiwis, peeled, halved and sliced
Method:
Add pears, kiwis, vodka and Meyer lemon simple syrup to a large pitcher. Stir and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, carefully add Champagne; stir gently. Serve with a healthy portion of fruit per glass.
Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Lemon zest
Method:
Juice lemons (roughly a half-cup) and combine with water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add lemon zest and bring to a low boil, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and let cool; strain syrup through sieve into a jar. Store in the refrigerator.
The restaurant Benihana is probably best known for its theatrical dinners on the hibachi, but the drinks flying from the bar are worth a visit in their own right. Here, the home of the fast-flying knives and onion volcanoes offers up a fall sipper, the Fuji Apple Punch, that carries a hint of apple and some far East influence—perfect for those holiday soirees.
Benihana’s Fuji Apple Punch
- 6 oz. Absolut Orient Apple Vodka
- 2 oz. Licor 43
- 4 oz. Hana Fuji Apple Sake
- 8 oz. Apple cider
- 2 oz. Island Oasis sour mix
- 3 dashes of ground cinnamon
Fuji Apple Punch Pre-mix
- Combine all ingredients in a 32 oz. quart sized sealable container.
- Shake well, date and store in refrigerator until needed.
Method:
- Rim an English highball glass with cinnamon sugar; set aside.
- Shake pre-mix container. Pour 5 oz. into a mixing glass and add ice. Shake for 10 seconds.
- Pour into a cinnamon sugar rimmed English highball; garnish with a Fuji apple slice.
Recipe and image courtesy of Benihana.
Riddle me this: what kind of holiday season would it be without peppermint or eggnog? Not a very festive one if you ask me. Luckily, the tequila company Sauza feels the same. Here, the Mexican-born spirit company whipped up a Christmastime take on the margarita and a South of the Border-style eggnog that’s perfect for a South Florida winter wonderland. Feliz Navidad!
Chocolate Peppermint Margarita
- 2 parts Sauza Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
- 1 part Peppermint schnapps
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 4 tbsp. Hot chocolate powder
Method:
In a shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients and shake. Pour into a chilled martini glass rimmed with crushed candy canes.
. . .
Mexican Eggnog
- 1 part Sauza Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
- 3 parts Egg Nog (click here for an intriguing recipe)
- 1 part Maker’s Mark Bourbon
Method:
In a shaker filled with ice combine egg nog, tequila and bourbon. Shake to combine and serve chilled with a dash of cinnamon on top.
Recipes and images courtesy of Sauza.
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