Top 10 Holiday Cocktails

Blackberry Thyme Sparkler

(Makes 4 Cocktails)

• 1 c. blackberries + 8 more for garnish
• 1 c. Water
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 bottle of champagne
• 4 ounces or 1/2 c. gin
• 4 long sprigs of thyme
• 1 c. ice
• gold baking sugar for the rim
• In a small saucepan, bring blackberries, water, and sugar to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the blackberries are soft and the simple syrup has turned to a bright pink/redish color. Remove from heat, drain blackberries, and allow to cool.
• Prepare your champagne glasses. Begin by adding 1 ounce of gin to each champagne glass.  Next drop two blackberries in each glass, followed by 2 ounces of homemade blackberry simple syrup. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne and top with a sprig of thyme in each glass.

http://theeffortlesschic.com/2013/the-table/cocktail-hour-blackberry-thyme-sparkler/

The (Mixed Citrus) Whisky Sour

• 2 oz whiskey
• 1 oz sour mix (3 parts lemon juice, 1 part orange juice, 1 part lime juice, and 1 part grapefruit juice)
• .5 oz simple syrup

Thai-Basil Sangria

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Thai basil sprigs
• Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in 3-inch strips
• Zest of 1 orange, peeled in 3-inch strips
• 2 bottles chilled Pinot Grigio
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, strained
• Ice
• Chilled club soda
• 12 thin orange slices, for garnish
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the basil sprigs and lemon and orange zests. Let the syrup stand, stirring often, until cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Discard the basil sprigs and zest strips.
• In a large pitcher, combine the basil syrup with the wine, brandy and orange juice. Pour the sangria into ice-filled glasses, top with club soda and garnish each drink with an orange slice.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-basil-sangria?crlt.pid=camp.W92Tt2oK0Xok

Pink Grapefruit, Ginger, and Lemongrass Sake Cocktail

• 2 tablespoons packed chopped lemongrass (tips reserved for optional garnish)
• 1 tablespoon packed chopped ginger root
• 1 tablespoon organic, blonde cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) strained meyer lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon regular lemon juice plus 1 additional tablespoon grapefruit juice)
• 6 tablespoons strained pink grapefruit juice
• 1 cup (8 ounces) dry sake ice
• In a measuring pitcher or jar, vigorously muddle together the lemongrass, ginger, and sugar until the mixture is broken down fairly well, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, muddle a bit longer, then stir in the grapefruit juice and sake. (Optionally let the mixture steep for 5 minutes or up to several hours in the refrigerator for a stronger flavor.) Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and into a jar or cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, pressing on the solids to extract all the good stuff. Stir or shake the mixture for 10 seconds to chill, then strain into two wine glasses filled partway with ice. Garnish with a lemongrass tip, if you like, and serve.

http://www.bojongourmet.com/2014/03/grapefruit-ginger-and-lemongrass-sake.html

Thyme Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail

• ½ cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
• ½ cup bourbon
• 4 tablespoons thyme Truvia simple syrup (1 cup water, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, 1/3 cup +1 tablespoon Truvia spoonable Natural sweetener)
• Seltzer water

http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2014/02/13/thyme-blood-orange-bourbon-cocktail/

Blueberry Lemonade

• 1 (12 ounce) bag unsweetened, frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 cup vanilla simple syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean, seeded
• 3 – 4 cups water/ice
• optional garnishes
• lemon curls
• mint leaves
• fresh blueberries

http://menumusings.blogspot.com/2013/08/blueberry-lemonade.html

Blood Orange Margarita…Pitcher!

• 750 ml bottle of reposado tequila
• 1 cup orange liqueur
• 1 1/2 cups lime juice
• 1 cup simple syrup (combine equal parts sugar and water)
• 3 cups blood orange juice
• 2 cups sparkling water
• limes wedges and blood orange salt for garnish

Blood Orange Margarita . . . Pitchers!

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

• 2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 2 cups apple cider
• 750ml bottle cava (or other dry sparkling wine), chilled
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• Add the apples to a large pitcher reserving about 1/2 cup for garnishing. Add the cognac, apple cider, and chilled cava. Stir.
• Fill the pitcher with ice. Pour the sangria into glasses filled with ice and top with sliced apple and pomegranate seeds.

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sparkling-apple-cider-sangria-the-10-minute-happy-hour-197417

Holiday Mule

• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka
• 2 oz chilled ginger beer
• 1 rosemary sprig
• orange slice, for garnish
• sugared cranberries, for garnish

Instructions

Combine simple syrup, cranberry juice, and gin. Pour over ice and top with ginger beer. Serve garnished with rosemary, orange wedge and sugared cranberries, if desired.

http://www.homesweetjones.com/holiday-mule/

Hot Cider

• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1 6-inch cinnamon stick, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons packedImperial Sugar Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch salt

• In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 3 hours. To serve, pour in mugs and garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick.

http://www.imperialsugar.com/recipes/category/beverages-cocktails/Slow-Cooker-Apple-Pie-Cider