10 Holiday Cocktails from Fine Living 

Cocktails for your Holiday dinner party

The crisp Winter breeze may mean no more pool parties, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate the change in season. Invite the gang over for a cocktail party or sip a mug of Hot Spiked Cider on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Taking advantage of the season's harvest, these drink recipes are perfect for any occasion. Some recipes are more intense than others – homemade ginger syrup, anyone? - but substitutes can often be used. We won't tell. 

Cranberry Margaritas 

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, host of Food Network's 30 Minute Meals 

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cranberry juice 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 1/2 cup fresh frozen cranberries, rinsed 
3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice 
3/4 cup tequila 
1/2 cup Grand Marnier 
ice
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients, except for the ice. 
Pour half of the mixture in the blender and fill the rest of the blender with ice. 
Blend. 
Repeat with second half of mixture.
Servings: Approximately 2 medium pitchers 


Smashing Pumpkin Martini 

If you can, try to track down some pumpkin-infused vodka. If not, try a blend of 2 1/2 ounces cinnamon vodka and 1/2 ounce HW Pumpkin Spice Liqueur.

Recipe created by Felix Albano, The bar at Fifty Seven Fifty Seven, New York, New York 

Ingredients:
3 ounces Infused Spiced Pumpkin Vodka 
1 ounce Amaretto 
Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. 
Stir gently and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 
Servings: One cocktail. 


Ginger Martini 
Make these martinis extra special with homemade ginger syrup.
Recipe courtesy Food Network Kitchens, copyright 2004 

You can store homemade ginger syrup (recipe below) for about two months for future use. If you aren't quite up to it, see if you can find ginger syrup at specialty food stores (try the coffee aisle or an Asian food shop). 

Ingredients:
Ice 
3 ounces vodka 
1/2 to 1 ounce ginger syrup 
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice 
Twist of lemon or lime
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker or small pitcher with ice. 
Add the vodka, ginger syrup, and lime juice. 
Cover and shake vigorously, or stir, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready). 
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add twist and serve. 
Servings: One cocktail 

Pomegranate Cocktails
Pomegranates are the quintessential Thanksgiving treat -  Try these Pama Cocktails

PAMA MARTINI - Pama , Skyy Citrus, Cranberry Juice and Sour Mix
PAMA-COSMO - Pama, Triple Sec, lime juice and a splash of cranberry juice
PAMA-RITA - Pama, Cointreau and lime juice
CHAMPAGNE DREAM - Pama, Cointreau, orange juice and champagne or spumante
PAMA & SODA - Pama and Club Soda
PAMA MOJITO - Pama, fresh lime, simple syrup, mint leaves and soda
PAMA MANHATTAN - Pama and Bourbon
PAMA METROPOLITAN - Pama, simple syrup, cranberry juice and lime juice
PAMA SEABREEZE - Pama, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice
PAMA MIMOSA - Pama and champagne

Roasted Pear Bellini
Try a new take on the classic Bellini with seasonal pear puree instead of peaches. Roasting the fruit will concentrate the natural sugars and complement a dry champagne quite nicely.
Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, hosts of Food Network's party line with the hearty boys series 

Ingredients:
1 bottle pear nectar 
1 (750-ml) bottle champagne
Directions:
Put 1 tablespoon of the roasted pear purée into a Champagne flute and add pear nectar 1/4 way up the glass. 
Top off with champagne. 
Repeat with remaining drinks. Serve immediately. 
Servings: 4-6, depending on size of champagne flutes. 
Roasted Pear Purée: 

Ingredients:
2 pears 
1 tablespoon honey 
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F 
Put 2 pieces of foil on a flat surface and place 1 pear in the center of each. 
Drizzle both with the honey and loosely wrap them in the foil, leaving the top open. 
Place the pears in the top half of the oven and roast until they are buttery soft, about 50 to 60 minutes. 
Remove from the oven and let cool. 
Peel the skin off and pull the flesh away from the core. 
Place in a blender with any accumulated juices and purée until smooth. 
Pour into a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hot Spiked Cider 
Nothing says fall quite like hot apple cider. This adults-only version will warm up even the dampest days — and make your home smell cinnamony-sweet.
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray on Food Network's 30 Minute Meals 

Try using a locally-produced apple cider, if possible. Local ingredients make it to the market faster and therefore are fresher. To make things extra festive, serve this cider in mugs rimmed with sugar, or topped with orange twists, whipped cream or nutmeg. 

Ingredients:
2 quarts apple cider 
2 cloves 
2 cinnamon sticks 
4 shots apple brandy
Directions:
Heat cider with cloves and cinnamon. 
Pour a shot of apple brandy into a mug and fill with cider. 
Servings: Approximately eight drinks, depending on mug size. 

Apple Pie Punch 
Punch is a great party drink for larger groups. This super-simple punch is best served chilled and can be made in just minutes.
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee, host of Food Network's Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee 

Ingredients:
2 cups apple juice or cider 
4 ounces spiced rum 
2 ounces cinnamon Schnapps 
1 red apple, sliced 
Directions:
Combine apple juice, rum, and Schnapps in a punch bowl or pitcher. 
Serve punch over ice and garnish with red apple slices.
Servings: Approximately 6 cocktails, depending on glass size. 

Hot Buttered Rum 
It's a little labor-intensive as far as cocktails go (cooking required) but the flavor is well worth it. 
Recipe courtesy Duchin Lounge, featured on Food Network's $40 a Day 

Ingredients:
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1/4 cup honey 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 
Pinch salt 
3/4 cup spiced rum 
2 cups boiling water 
4 sticks cinnamon, for garnish
Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl until blended and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a 4-cup (or larger) measuring cup. 
Add the rum and then 2 cups of boiling water. 
Stir until the butter mixture dissolves. 
Divide the buttered rum among 4 mugs. 
Garnish with the cinnamon sticks and serve. 
Servings: Four cocktails 

Pear Brandy Champagne Cocktail 
This sophisticated cocktail is especially easy to prepare if you cook the brandy-sugar syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine (FoodNetwork.com) 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar 
1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons French pear brandy* 
2 2/3 cups chilled champagne 
1 Seckle or small Bosc pear 
*The most well-known brand of French pear brandy available in the U.S. is Poire William (recommended for this recipe).

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat sugar and 1/4 cup pear brandy over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and cool syrup.
Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup into each of 4 champagne glasses and add 1 teaspoon pear brandy to each glass. 
Add 2/3 cup champagne to each glass and stir well. 
Cut pear lengthwise into thin slices and add 1 slice to each cocktail. 
Servings: Four cocktails 

Cranberry Hot Toddies
If your grocer only carries sweetened cranberry juice, be sure to omit the sugar from the recipe. Steer clear of cranberry juice cocktail drinks; they're mostly sugar and water and don't pack that true cranberry taste.
Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine featured on Food Network's Cooking Live 

Ingredients:
4 tangerines 
1/2 cup whole cloves 
3 quarts pure, unsweetened cranberry juice 
2 cups sugar, or to taste 
3 cups amber rum :
Directions:
Cut tangerines crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and remove seeds. 
Stud rind of each tangerine round with 4 or 5 cloves. 
In a large saucepan simmer 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.