Winter & Holidays Cocktail Ideas

Signature Drink

Offering a pre-mixed signature drink is a great way to free-up time during your event, control costs, and ensure consistent quality and a delicious cocktail for each guest. 

When planning a pre-mixed cocktail, look for a drink that:

• You can mix in large batches the day before the party
• Has broad appeal
• Does not require carbonated mixers

When adding alcohol, rum makes an excellent choice because it mixes well with juices and is relatively low in cost.

The following is absolutely delicious and can be made the day before:

Down Under Snowball

Mix in batches using the parts measurements. Serve in a double old-fashioned glass over ice.  Add a small scoop of fresh snow to the top; alternatively, use crushed ice. Garnish with Snowman Poop (mini-marshmallows).

Note:  If you have a guest of honor, rename this drink for them.  Use a variation of frosty, snow, snowball, snowman, holiday, ice, chilly, cold, brrr, or another relevant term along with their first or last name.

Modified from:DrinksMixer.com

Eggnog

In addition to a pre-mixed signature drink, you may also wish to offer eggnog and/or cider during the holiday season.

Snowman Nog

Cook Time: 20 minutes (refrigerate overnight)
Servings: 12, 6-oz
Refrigerate up to 1 week (before adding rum)

Utensils

• Punch or Fish bowl - decorated like a snowman
• Ladle
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Stirring spoon
• Rice strainer

  Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups light rum
• 4 cups light cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Preparation

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan.
2. Heat over lowest setting until small bubbles form around the edge of the pot, just before boiling.
3. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar and whisk until fluffy.
4. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. DO NOT add the eggs to the milk mixture as this will cause the egg yolk to cook on contact creating boiled yolk lumps. Yuck.
5. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly (about 3 minutes). Again, do not allow the mixture to boil.
6. Strain to remove cloves and let cool for about an hour.
7. Stir in cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight, and add rum just before serving.
8. Serve in a glass bowl that has been decorated like a snowman.

Photo: Make a snowman by painting the inside of a glass bowl with orange & black chocolate coating from Better Homes & Garden

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Cider

Crisp and refreshing apple cider can be served hot or cold and goes well with or without alcohol.

• If serving hot: heat and garnish with a cinnamon stick
• If serving cold: freeze a portion of the cider in ice cube trays, then add to glasses of cool cider
• If serving spiked, cold: Rim 6 Collins glasses with cinnamon sugar, mix 1/4 gallon of cider with 1 cup of spiced or dark rum, fill glasses halfway with ice cubes, and garnish with a skewer of fresh red, yellow, and/or green apples soaked in the juice of 1/2 lemon

Emeril Lagasse’s Hot Apple Cider with Rum

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 2 teaspoons whole cloves
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• Pinch grated or ground nutmeg
• 1 cup dark or spiced rum

Preparation

1. Stud the apple with the cloves.
2. In a medium pot, combine the studded apple and remaining ingredients except the rum.
3. Slowly bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Discard the apple.
5. Remove from the heat and add the rum if desired.
6. Ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.
7. Serve immediately.

Cocktails

Snow Gin Fizz

Mix gin, lemon juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a highball glass with ice.  Fill with club soda, add a small scoop of fresh snow or crushed ice, and garnish with Snowman Poop or a maraschino cherry. Serve with a straw.

Snowman in Hell

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a martini glass.

For the garnish, put several peppercorns into a glass of water and remove 2 that sink to the bottom, then add them to the martini.  Cut a piece of carrot to resemble a miniature carrot, approximately one-inch long, 1/4 inch wide on one end, and tapered to a point on the other. Drop the mini-carrot into the martini.

Snowmantini

Use premium quality gin and good imported vermouth.  Pour the vermouth into an ice-filled martini pitcher, then pour it out, leaving only the vermouth that coats the ice and side of the pitcher.  Add gin and stir for 30 seconds.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a Cocktail Onion Snowman.

Garnishes

Cocktail Onion Snowman

Ingredients

• 1 large black olive
• 1 small black olive
• 2 cocktail onions
• 1 pimento

Preparation

1. Cut a 1/8 inch slice from the widest part of the large black olive to create the brim of his top hat.
2. Cut the small black olive in half to two-thirds to create the top part of his top hat. Use the half with the closed end of the olive, so that it will stay on the toothpick better.
3. With a toothpick, skewer a cocktail onion, a pimento, and the 2nd cocktail onion.
4. Put the olive slice over the end of the toothpick, and skewer the closed end half of the black olive with the end side down.

Snowman Poop

Frozen mini-marshmallows