New holiday beverages help color Christmas

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 365 Location: Italy

New holiday beverages help color Christmas

December 22, 2004

BY CELESTE BUSK Staff Reporter

With a Ho! Ho! Ho! and a sprig of mistletoe, Yuletide revelers can raise spirits with a selection of new holiday cocktails. This season's offering of libations ranges from variations of martinis to creative adaptations of margaritas.

To keep the cocktails festive, garnishes run the gamut from candy canes and cherries -- as red as Rudolph's nose -- to red bows tied to fancy cocktail glasses.

Here's a look at some of the most creative cocktail recipes recently released from a variety mixologists representing liquor manufacturers and at least one local restaurant.

RED-NOSED REINDEER

1 part UV Red Cherry Vodka
1 part Triple Sec
1 part cranberry juice

Pour all ingredients and a splash of lime juice into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

RASPBERRY HOT SPICED RUM

1 ounce spiced or dark rum
1/2 shot Chambord
1/2 shot lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
4 shots pressed apple juice
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Boiling water

Add ingredients to toddy glass, stir in hot water and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

POINSETTIA FLIRTINI

1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce cranberry juice
Piper Heidsieck Champagne

Pour ingredients into glass and lightly stir. Top up with champagne. Garnish with a candy cane.

TRACY MILLER'S MISTLETOE KISS

1 ounce green creme de menthe

1 ounce White Godiva vodka

1 ounce Stoli Vanil vodka

Splash of cream

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish on rim with marshmallow fluff covered in red sugar sprinkles.

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CANDY CANE MARTINI

2 parts Malibu Coconut rum
Hot chocolate

Fill mug with hot chocolate, add Malibu Coconut rum, top with whipped cream. Garnish with small candy cane hooked over the side.

MIDNIGHT KISS

three-quarters ounce Smirnoff Vodka
Splash of Blue Curacao

Rim a Champagne glass in white or gold sugar. Fill glass with Champagne. Top with Blue Curacao.

GRINCH MARGARITA

1 part Sauza Gold Tequila
1 part Midori
1-1/2 parts sweet n' sour mix
Wedge of lime

Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into margarita glass. Garnish with lime wedge. For a festive flare, adorn the margarita glass with a red bow.
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In vino veritas!