No matter what you celebrate during the holidays, gift-giving and family gatherings are inevitable. So do it all the right way by making some of the best cocktails and spirits out there a part of your festivities. Cheers!
COCKTAILS
The Toasty Mitten
![2015 Lynnette Marrero Zacapa Room cocktails shannon sturgis zacapa 23 zacapa rum zacapa xo]()
Created by Mixologist Kate Bolton
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 oz Zacapa Rum 23
1/3 oz Almond Syrup
2 1/3 oz Freshly Brewed Coffee
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 1/4 oz Coconut Milk Crème*
Grated Nutmeg for Garnish
*Coconut Milk Crème Ingredients:
1 can Chilled Coconut Milk
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Coconut Milk Crème Preparation:
Chill can of coconut milk, allowing liquid to separate. Combine 1 1/2 ounces of the separated fats and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake well until consistency of whipped cream.
Preparation:
Combine Baileys Original Irish Cream, Zacapa Rum 23, freshly brewed coffee, almond syrup and bitters in a footed coffee mug and stir. Top with Coconut Milk Crème. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Caramel Cooler
![2015 Lynnette Marrero Zacapa Room cocktails shannon sturgis zacapa 23 zacapa rum zacapa xo]()
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Zacapa Rum 23
1 oz Baileys Salted Caramel
1 oz Iced Coffee
1/4 oz Allspice Dram
Cinnamon Stick for Garnish
Preparation:
Combine Zacapa Rum 23, Baileys Salted Caramel and iced coffee into a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir gently. Strain contents into a rocks glass. Top with allspice dram. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Bacardi Party Punch
![Bacardi party punch]()
This holiday season, make at-home entertaining simple and fun with a seasonal rum punch. Made with BACARDÍ Superior rum - a smooth, mellow white rum - and easy to source ingredients, like cranberry juice and fizzy ginger ale, the BACARDÍ Party Punch is a festive drink to enjoy all season long.
Ingredients:
750 mL bottle BACARDÍ Superior rum
1 L cranberry juice
2 L ginger ale, chilled
8 oz. orange juice
1 oz. lime juice
1 ½ oz. lemon juice
Preparation:
In a large container, combine rum and fruit juices. Chill. Just before serving, pour into large punch bowl. Add ice and gently stir in chilled ginger ale. Garnish by floating orange, lemon and lime slices on top. Makes 16 cups.
Cruzan Champagne Star
![cruzan rum cocktail]()
Ingredients:
1 1/2 parts Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum
1/2 parts Elderflower Liqueur
1/4 parts Fresh Lemon Juice
Sparkling Wine
Preparation:
Combine Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum, Elderflower Liqueur and fresh lemon juice over ice in a shaker and stir for 10 seconds. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a wide lemon twist.
Planet Hoth Toddy
![star wars cocktail, planet hoth toddy]()
On December 18, millions of fans around the world are going to rejoice at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and there's no better way to celebrate that momentous occasion that to drink the Planet Hoth Toddy!
Ingredients:
2 parts BACARDI Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
¾ part lime juice
½ part simple syrup
¼ part Maraschino liqueur
1 egg white
Preparation:
Shake all ingredients vigorously in a shaker with plenty ice. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with nutmeg.
Étoile de Picardie
![holiday cocktails, grey goose holiday drinks]()
This holiday season, make spirits bright with festive cocktail recipes from Grey Goose vodka. Perfect for a variety of holiday moments, each recipe calls for an occasion to raise a glass to the season.
For a delicious drink to savor by a warm fireplace, try the slightly spicy Etoile de Picardie -- a fresh take on the Hot Toddy served warm and garnished with star anise.
Ingredients:
35ml GREY GOOSE L'Orange
35ml cranberry juice
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
5ml gomme (gum) sugar syrup
5ml Cointreau or Dom Benedictine
Star anise
Preparation:
Build all the ingredients in a glass mug, add 50ml boiling water and stir. Garnish with the star anise.
Noël Rouge
![holiday cocktails, grey goose holiday drinks]()
Or, try the Noel Rouge, a simple yet sophisticated drink to serve to guests; it's ingredients give it a subtle taste while looking festive & cheerful with pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients:
50ml GREY GOOSE vodka
20ml ST. GERMAIN elderflower liqueur
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 pomegranate seeds
Preparation:
Muddle the pomegranate seeds and lemon juice in a highball, add crushed ice, followed by the GREY GOOSE, then ST. GERMAIN. Stir and serve.
SPIRITS
Johnnie Walker Blue Custom Engraved Bottle
![johnnie walker blue, johnnie walker blue custom engraved bottle]()
Johnnie Walker Blue Label sets the standard, a blend of the rarest malts from hand-selected casks across Scotland. Its flavors are influenced by the smoke of the west and the rich, sweet whiskies of the east. Engrave a bottle of this most precious blend with a personalized message. It's the perfect way to show gratitude this holiday season. (40% ABV, $229/750mL bottle)
Booker's Bourbon
![mandatory holiday gift guide 2015, gift guides, holiday gifts, christmas wishlist]()
Booker's Bourbon is proud to release the fifth batch in its 2015 limited-edition collection, "Maw Maw's Batch," named in honor of one of the most important people in Booker's life - his grandmother. After living at Maw Maw's house in Bardstown, KY during high school, Booker eventually moved next door when he returned from college. It was while living next door that Booker created the iconic recipe that his namesake bourbon is known for today. Maw Maw's batch is rich with hints of vanilla and toasted nuts, and the taste is well balanced with a warmth which moves to a clean, long finish. (64% ABV, $69.99/750mL bottle)
Tanqueray Bloomsbury Gin
![mandatory holiday gift guide 2015, gift guides, holiday gifts, christmas wishlist]()
If you enjoy gin, you have to try the latest release from venerable gin house, Tanqueray. Just released this year, Bloomsbury is assertively juniper-forward, with complementary botanicals like coriander, angelica and cassia also making their way into the mix. Diehard gin enthusiasts will love it simply poured over ice with a twist, but it's also sublime in a classic martini or G&T. (47.3% ABV, $32.99)
2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey
![mandatory holiday gift guide 2015, gift guides, holiday gifts, christmas wishlist]()
2 GINGERS is an incredibly smooth, flavorful Irish Whiskey when consumed neat or on the rocks, and also has the versatility to stand up in a cocktail, such as their signature drink -- the "Big Ginger." Just add ginger ale and wedge with both a lemon and a lime. 2 Gingers Whiskey is available nationwide for only $19.99/750mL bottle.
Jose Cuervo Limited Edition Rolling Stones Bottle
![jose cuervo limited edition rolling stones bottle]()
You can't always get what you want, but now's your chance to party like a Rolling Stone. Get your limited edition bottle and taste the glitz, glam and controversy that made the '72 tour the benchmark of an era and cemented the Stones as the world's greatest band. The Rollings Stones and Cuervo-two rock n' roll legends, one bold new bottle.
Basil Hayden's + Quoddy Limited Edition Gift Set
![mandatory holiday gift guide 2015, gift guides, holiday gifts, christmas wishlist]()
Each gift set features four Horween leather-wrapped rocks glasses - the same leather used to create the iconic Quoddy shoes - and are packaged in a handmade, co-branded leather gift box. A pair of custom, made-to-order co-branded Basil Hayden's + Quoddy shoes accompanies each gift set providing bourbon fans the opportunity to don their "drinking shoes."
Set includes one pair of drinking shoes, four rocks glasses wrapped in leather and one Basil Hayden's + Quoddy co-branded leather gift box. ($399)
Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century
![jack daniel's sinatra century]()
Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century is the newest stunning Sinatra selection crafted in celebration of the legendary crooners 100th birthday. Like all of Jack Daniel's expressions, Sinatra Century is crafted using the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel's Hollow, proprietary yeast and charcoal-mellowing process that's been used in the distillery's nearly 150-year-old Tennessee Whiskey recipe. From there, the liquid enters specially selected "Sinatra" barrels hand-picked out by master distiller Jeff Arnett. Additionally, the set will also offer a selection of previously unreleased Sinatra tracks, entitled "Sinatra Live at the Sands in 1966," to accompany the specially designed Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century bottle. Available nationwide and in duty-free retailers at top international airports around the world ($499.99).
COCKTAILS
The Toasty Mitten
Created by Mixologist Kate Bolton
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 oz Zacapa Rum 23
1/3 oz Almond Syrup
2 1/3 oz Freshly Brewed Coffee
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 1/4 oz Coconut Milk Crème*
Grated Nutmeg for Garnish
*Coconut Milk Crème Ingredients:
1 can Chilled Coconut Milk
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Coconut Milk Crème Preparation:
Chill can of coconut milk, allowing liquid to separate. Combine 1 1/2 ounces of the separated fats and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake well until consistency of whipped cream.
Preparation:
Combine Baileys Original Irish Cream, Zacapa Rum 23, freshly brewed coffee, almond syrup and bitters in a footed coffee mug and stir. Top with Coconut Milk Crème. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Caramel Cooler
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Zacapa Rum 23
1 oz Baileys Salted Caramel
1 oz Iced Coffee
1/4 oz Allspice Dram
Cinnamon Stick for Garnish
Preparation:
Combine Zacapa Rum 23, Baileys Salted Caramel and iced coffee into a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir gently. Strain contents into a rocks glass. Top with allspice dram. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Bacardi Party Punch
This holiday season, make at-home entertaining simple and fun with a seasonal rum punch. Made with BACARDÍ Superior rum - a smooth, mellow white rum - and easy to source ingredients, like cranberry juice and fizzy ginger ale, the BACARDÍ Party Punch is a festive drink to enjoy all season long.
Ingredients:
750 mL bottle BACARDÍ Superior rum
1 L cranberry juice
2 L ginger ale, chilled
8 oz. orange juice
1 oz. lime juice
1 ½ oz. lemon juice
Preparation:
In a large container, combine rum and fruit juices. Chill. Just before serving, pour into large punch bowl. Add ice and gently stir in chilled ginger ale. Garnish by floating orange, lemon and lime slices on top. Makes 16 cups.
Cruzan Champagne Star
Ingredients:
1 1/2 parts Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum
1/2 parts Elderflower Liqueur
1/4 parts Fresh Lemon Juice
Sparkling Wine
Preparation:
Combine Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum, Elderflower Liqueur and fresh lemon juice over ice in a shaker and stir for 10 seconds. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a wide lemon twist.
Planet Hoth Toddy
On December 18, millions of fans around the world are going to rejoice at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and there's no better way to celebrate that momentous occasion that to drink the Planet Hoth Toddy!
Ingredients:
2 parts BACARDI Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
¾ part lime juice
½ part simple syrup
¼ part Maraschino liqueur
1 egg white
Preparation:
Shake all ingredients vigorously in a shaker with plenty ice. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with nutmeg.
Étoile de Picardie
This holiday season, make spirits bright with festive cocktail recipes from Grey Goose vodka. Perfect for a variety of holiday moments, each recipe calls for an occasion to raise a glass to the season.
For a delicious drink to savor by a warm fireplace, try the slightly spicy Etoile de Picardie -- a fresh take on the Hot Toddy served warm and garnished with star anise.
Ingredients:
35ml GREY GOOSE L'Orange
35ml cranberry juice
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
5ml gomme (gum) sugar syrup
5ml Cointreau or Dom Benedictine
Star anise
Preparation:
Build all the ingredients in a glass mug, add 50ml boiling water and stir. Garnish with the star anise.
Noël Rouge
Or, try the Noel Rouge, a simple yet sophisticated drink to serve to guests; it's ingredients give it a subtle taste while looking festive & cheerful with pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients:
50ml GREY GOOSE vodka
20ml ST. GERMAIN elderflower liqueur
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 pomegranate seeds
Preparation:
Muddle the pomegranate seeds and lemon juice in a highball, add crushed ice, followed by the GREY GOOSE, then ST. GERMAIN. Stir and serve.
SPIRITS
Johnnie Walker Blue Custom Engraved Bottle
Johnnie Walker Blue Label sets the standard, a blend of the rarest malts from hand-selected casks across Scotland. Its flavors are influenced by the smoke of the west and the rich, sweet whiskies of the east. Engrave a bottle of this most precious blend with a personalized message. It's the perfect way to show gratitude this holiday season. (40% ABV, $229/750mL bottle)
Booker's Bourbon
Booker's Bourbon is proud to release the fifth batch in its 2015 limited-edition collection, "Maw Maw's Batch," named in honor of one of the most important people in Booker's life - his grandmother. After living at Maw Maw's house in Bardstown, KY during high school, Booker eventually moved next door when he returned from college. It was while living next door that Booker created the iconic recipe that his namesake bourbon is known for today. Maw Maw's batch is rich with hints of vanilla and toasted nuts, and the taste is well balanced with a warmth which moves to a clean, long finish. (64% ABV, $69.99/750mL bottle)
Tanqueray Bloomsbury Gin
If you enjoy gin, you have to try the latest release from venerable gin house, Tanqueray. Just released this year, Bloomsbury is assertively juniper-forward, with complementary botanicals like coriander, angelica and cassia also making their way into the mix. Diehard gin enthusiasts will love it simply poured over ice with a twist, but it's also sublime in a classic martini or G&T. (47.3% ABV, $32.99)
2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey
2 GINGERS is an incredibly smooth, flavorful Irish Whiskey when consumed neat or on the rocks, and also has the versatility to stand up in a cocktail, such as their signature drink -- the "Big Ginger." Just add ginger ale and wedge with both a lemon and a lime. 2 Gingers Whiskey is available nationwide for only $19.99/750mL bottle.
Jose Cuervo Limited Edition Rolling Stones Bottle
You can't always get what you want, but now's your chance to party like a Rolling Stone. Get your limited edition bottle and taste the glitz, glam and controversy that made the '72 tour the benchmark of an era and cemented the Stones as the world's greatest band. The Rollings Stones and Cuervo-two rock n' roll legends, one bold new bottle.
Basil Hayden's + Quoddy Limited Edition Gift Set
Each gift set features four Horween leather-wrapped rocks glasses - the same leather used to create the iconic Quoddy shoes - and are packaged in a handmade, co-branded leather gift box. A pair of custom, made-to-order co-branded Basil Hayden's + Quoddy shoes accompanies each gift set providing bourbon fans the opportunity to don their "drinking shoes."
Set includes one pair of drinking shoes, four rocks glasses wrapped in leather and one Basil Hayden's + Quoddy co-branded leather gift box. ($399)
Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century
Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century is the newest stunning Sinatra selection crafted in celebration of the legendary crooners 100th birthday. Like all of Jack Daniel's expressions, Sinatra Century is crafted using the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel's Hollow, proprietary yeast and charcoal-mellowing process that's been used in the distillery's nearly 150-year-old Tennessee Whiskey recipe. From there, the liquid enters specially selected "Sinatra" barrels hand-picked out by master distiller Jeff Arnett. Additionally, the set will also offer a selection of previously unreleased Sinatra tracks, entitled "Sinatra Live at the Sands in 1966," to accompany the specially designed Jack Daniel's Sinatra Century bottle. Available nationwide and in duty-free retailers at top international airports around the world ($499.99).