Three Holiday Cocktails to Make at Home

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On your behalf as well as mine, I asked three creative cocktail cognoscenti which drinks we should be tippling this holiday season. They didn’t disappoint us. 

The three cocktails they’ve given us speak to the moods and spirit of the holiday season. One cocktail for hours in the kitchen, another for days of celebrating, and one more for whiling away cold and snowy winter nights. And they’re all as easy to make as they are to enjoy.

Chris Wolf

General Manager and Certified Sommelier–CMS, Bacchus–A Bartolotta Restaurant

“Above the Clouds is a wonderful libation for cooler weather and the holiday season, created by two of our outstanding bartenders, Victoria Krueger and Ethan Lillard. It is a spirit forward, sipping cocktail that is well-balanced, allowing the drinker to savor each flavor note and be warmed from the inside out. The name is inspired by the storied aging process that Ron Zacapa Rum undergoes. Following distillation, the rum is transferred to the aptly named House Above the Clouds to complete the aging process, allowing the fresh mountain air to impart flavor, body, and aroma into the spirit. This is an unexpected process, which I love, and helps to make a unique rum cocktail.” 

Above the Clouds

by Victoria Krueger and Ethan Lillard, Bartenders, Bacchus–A Bartolotta Restaurant

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Ron Zacapa No. 23 Solera Rum
  • 1 oz. Fot-Li Vermut Rojo
  • 1 oz. Disaronno
  • 2 dashes Bittercube Trinity Bitters
  • Sage leaf

Method

Mix all ingredients in a glass with ice and stir. Strain over a square ice cube. Garnish with a sage leaf.

Anthony Valenti

Bar Manager, Bittercube

“While there are many theories as to who invented the Brandy Alexander and where, all we know is that it has become a drink synonymous with the rich history of supper clubs and Midwest tradition―especially around the holidays. This drink is warming, rich and creamy. It can be enjoyed as an after dinner treat or sipped during a cozy winter evening by the fireplace. We like to tweak the traditional version by changing the original proportion of ingredients and also adding Heirloom Alchermes liqueur to further serve up those delicious warming spices associated with the holidays. This adds flavors of cinnamon and clove that are softened with rose water and vanilla bean―a perfect complement to the existing flavors of the Brandy Alexander. We’d also like to note that a vegan variation can be made with heavy coconut cream.

Spiced Alexander 

by Kelsie Walling, Bartender, Mosler’s Vault, and Anthony Valenti

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Cognac
  • 3/4 oz. dark Creme de Cacao
  • 1/4 oz. Heirloom Alchermes
  • 1 oz. heavy cream
  • Nutmeg
  • Star anise

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, adding the heavy cream last. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake with a fluid, strong motion and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and a star anise.

Valerie Peterson

Co-author of Cookie Craft and author of Peterson’s Holiday Helper, from where this drink recipe was adapted

“Every year for Christmas, my Aunt Libby made a dozen types of cookies―like Italian wedding cookies, biscotti, pignoli cookies―in abbondanza quantities. She arranged them by variety in orderly rows on large platters, which she brought to every household she visited during the season―as well as to the priests in her church, her local police station, and her fire department. 

“This cocktail honors the holiday baking that’s a tradition in so many households and adds a substantial kick. The flavors echo the aromas in Libby’s kitchen when she was making orange spice cookies; the honey smooths them out as it adds sweetness.”

Spice Cookie

by Valerie Peterson 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. cinnamon liqueur, such as Goldschlager
  • 1 1/2 oz. spiced rum, such as Captain Morgan
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • Strip of orange peel

Method

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker full of ice. Shake very well to thoroughly incorporate honey. Strain mixture into a chilled martini glass. Twist the orange peel over the drink to release the scent and float it in the glass.