Great Cocktails for the Holidays

Here are some of our favorite holiday Cocktail recipes that we have Chosen for you to enjoy. 

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Cranberry Snowdrift (from Ocean Spray)
For each cocktail you will need:
1 ounce Ocean Spray White Cranberry Cocktail
1 ounce white crème de cacao
1/2 ounce white chocolate liqueur
Combine ingredients with ice in a cocktail mixer. Shake and strain into a martini glass rimmed with granulated sugar. To garnish, thread whole cranberries onto a cocktail pick; dip in water and roll in decorator's sugar to coat evenly. Perch the pick in the glass, and top the cocktail with shaved dark chocolate.

Christmas Pudding
1 ounce Drambuie
5 ounces Guiness beer
1 ounce Southern Comfort
Combine ingredients and serve in a red wine glass.

Ginger Snap
2 ounces Advocaat liqueur
3 ounces good quality ginger ale
Mix Advocaat and ginger ale in a highball glass filed with ice. Garnish with a stemmed maraschino cherry.

Christmas Sour (makes two servings)
1 ounce sweet vermouth
3 ounces scotch
2 ounces cherry brandy
1 egg white
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
Mix ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain over ice in highball glasses. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon on the rim of the glass, or threaded onto a cocktail pick.

Candy Cane Martini
1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka
1/2 ounce peppermint schnapps
1 ounce club soda
crushed candy canes for garnish
Rim a martini glass with crushed candy canes. Mix vodka, schnapps, and club soda with ice in a cocktail shaker; strain into prepared glass.

Hot Cappuccino Eggnog
This one takes a bit of work, but it's well worth the effort. The recipe is based on "Holiday Eggnog", printed in Betty Crocker's Best Christmas cookbook, and makes about 6 servings.

3 eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups milk (1% or 2% milk works best)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 cup hot, strong espresso coffee
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
ground cinnamon
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat, combine eggs and sugar. Add milk in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly. Cook and continue stirring for about 20 minutes, until mixture is think enough to coat a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, liqueur, and espresso. Cover the pan to keep eggnog warm.

Beat whipping cream and brown sugar on high speed until stiff. Gently fold 1 cup of the sweetened whipped cream into the eggnog.

To serve, ladle eggnog into warmed mugs and top with remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.

Gin and Cherry Sling
My grandmother and great aunt used to love gin slings, and this one is really yummy!

2 ounces gin
1 ounce cherry brandy
4 ounces club soda
Pour gin and brandy in serving glass over crushed ice. Top up with club soda and garnish with maraschino cherries.

White Christmas
1 1/2 ounces white chocolate liqueur
1 ounce Southern Comfort
4 ounces eggnog (homemade or prepared)
Mix all ingredients gently and serve in a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or cinnamon for garnish, if desired.

Christmas Cranberry
1 ounce cranberry vodka (or plain vodka)
1 ounce hazelnut liqueur or Amaretto
3 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces orange juice (without pulp)
Combine in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into glasses filled with crushed ice and garnish with orange slices or frozen cranberries.

Mulled Wine
lemon peel
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy
12 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cups water
750 ml red wine

Simmer water with, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and peel of one lemon in a stainless steel pot for 10 minutes. Pour in the wine, heat to a "coffee temperature" (do not boil) and add brandy.

Kir Royale
1/2 ounce Creme de Cassis
4 ounces chilled champagne
Mix gently and serve in a champagne flute.

Cointreau Royale
1/2 teaspoon Creme de Cassis
1/2 ounce Cointreau
4 ounces chilled champagne
Mix gently and serve in a champagne flute.

Champagne Screw (makes 2 servings)
1 ounce vodka
4 ounces orange juice
4 ounces champagne
Mix in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice; strain into champagne flutes.

Pink Mimosa (makes 2 servings)
4 ounces pink grapefruit juice
4 ounces champagne
Mix in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice; strain into champagne flutes.

French Revolution
1 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce Framboise
4 ounces champagne
Mix gently and serve in a champagne flute.
Cranberry juice, tangerine rounds, and sugar, covered, 5 minutes and stir in rum. 
Serve toddies with clove-studded tangerine rounds in heatproof glasses.
Servings: Four cocktails. 

Here are some Festive Drink Recipes for the kids:

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

A wonderful non-alcoholic punch with just the right amount of tartness. Makes a great toast for a New Years or holiday party.
by PaulaG 

8-10 servings 5 min prep 

8-10 sugar cubes 
1 1/4 cups cranberry juice 
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling white grape juice, nonalcoholic 
cranberries 

Place a sugar cube in the bottom of each 8 to 10 chilled champagne flutes. 
Pour 2 tablespoons cranberry juice into each glass. 
Fill each glass with white grape juice. 
Thread several cranberries onto skewer or toothpick and garnish each glass. 

Champagne Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

Posted in response for a great non-staining, not red, non-alcoholic punch. Prep time does not include freezing the ice ring.
by * Pamela * 

5 Litres 5 min prep 

2 liters white grape juice (for a more intense flavour use 2 cans white grape juice frozen concentrate) 
1 liter apple juice 
2 liters ginger ale 
ice, ring 
1 liter apple juice or white grape juice (or less) 
water 

The night before, or sooner, place the apple juice in the ice ring mold and fill with water. 
If you want your ice ring to last longer 1/2 the apple juice and the rest water as juice tends to take less time to thaw. 
To serve, mix rest of ingredients in punch bowl and add ice ring. 

SCHWEPPES FESTIVE PUNCH - non alcoholic 

ingredients: 
• 4 oz. grenadine 
• 2 Liter Schweppes ® Club Soda 
• 2 Liter Schweppes ® Ginger Ale 
• 1- 355 ml. frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed) 
• 1- 355 ml. frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed) 
• 1- 1.89L cranberry/raspberry cocktail 
• 1- 1.89L pineapple juice 
• 1 - 1.89L cranberry cocktail 
mint leaves optional 
Orange and lemon slices optional 

Mixing instructions: 
Makes approx 35 servings.
Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Keep a bottle of vodka or rum nearby to allow your guests to make their serving alcoholic. Use a large block of ice to keep the punch cold longer and undiluted. 
Enjoy ! 

Cherry-Berry Spider

INGREDIENTS:
4 cherries 
4 blueberries 
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup 
2 cups prepared lemonade 
2 scoops vanilla ice cream 


DIRECTIONS:
Place 2 cherries and 2 blueberries in each tall glass. Measure 1 tablespoon of raspberry syrup into each glass. Gently pour in the lemonade. top each glass with a scoop of ice cream.