Holiday cocktails

Cocktail Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Holiday Guides

The Candy Cane Lane holiday cocktail by Van Gogh BLUE Vodka

Planning to throw a holiday party or an unforgettable New Years' Eve bash? We collected favorite cocktail recipes from some of the best mixologists around, all of which perfect for holiday entertaining.

Richard Leach, the head of the cocktail department at New York's Polynesian supper club, The Hurricane Club told us how to make his delicious banana, rum and fresh mint cocktail while Matthew Silverstein, the bar manager at Mario Batali's Del Posto gave us the recipe for his famous XO Champagne Cocktail. Olivier Flosse of New York's A Voce, shared his "Whisky del Frante" recipe while Chef Jon Ashton, in-house chef for Relish magazine, gave us his "Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shot". Finally, Kara Newman, author of Spice & Ice, a zesty book brimming with cocktail recipes, gave us the secret for making her "Spiced Caramel Apple" cocktail (check out our related story that features Kara's best tips for throwing a cocktail party).

From Van Gogh Vodka's "Candy Cane Lane" to the "Sugar Cookie", your guests will love these festive cocktails. Try out a few recipes and let us know us which ones you like the best in the comment field below.

Candy Cane Lane (seen above)
2 1/2 oz Van Gogh BLUE Vodka
1 oz White crème de menthe
1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps
Cream
Splash of Grenadine
Peppermint candy for garnish

Add a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a chilled martini glass and set aside. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass with grenadine to create a "swirl" effect. Garnish with peppermint candy.

For more holiday cocktail recipes, click on any of the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Holiday Party Cocktail Recipes

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shots

Tags: A Voce, awards-main, Del Posto, food-pedia, Holiday cocktails, Hurricane Club, Kara Newman, luxist-awards, main-pedia, Mario Batali, New Years Eve, The Hurricane Club, Van Gogh BLUE, van gogh vodka

A Touch of Dickens: Tanqueray Finest Gin Punch

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Charles Dickens wrote in 'David Copperfield' in 1850, "Punch, my dear Copperfield, like time and tide, waits for no man ... His recent despondency, not to say despair, was gone in a moment. I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon-peel and sugar, the odour of burning spirit, and the steam of boiling water, as Mr Micawber did that afternoon. It was wonderful to see his face shining at us out of a thin cloud of these delicate fumes, as he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of a punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity."

And, in Dickens' "Scrooge," the miser's assistant, Bob Cratchit, is heard to compliment his dear wife's gin punch as the finest in London.

For a Christmas party, a proper Dickensian Gin Punch sets a festive mood.

So, how does one make a gin punch, and should you use just any gin? The answer to the second, for me, is, No. Don't just use any gin unless pressed by budget or circumstances (i.e. you are snowed in, and can't get out of the driveway).

Tags: Bob Cratchit, Charles Dickens, cocktail recipes, gin, gin punch, holiday cocktail, holiday cocktails, Scrooge, Tanqueray

Continue reading “A Touch of Dickens: Tanqueray Finest Gin Punch”

Thanksgiving Dinner, Beverly Hills Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Prefer to lay by the pool rather than slave over a hot stove? In Los Angeles, you can have your Thanksgiving catered by The Beverly Hill Hotel's Polo Lounge. This Thanksgiving, the iconic pink retreat is offering their traditional "Holiday-To-Go," a complete elegant meal prepared by the master chefs in the Polo Lounge for enjoyment at home. The dinner serves from 6-8 people and includes a 20-pound roasted free range organic turkey with all the trimmings which include giblet sage gravy; poached pear, red endive and watercress salad with Poire William vinaigrette; chestnut, pine nut and brioche bread stuffing; candied yams; whipped Yukon Gold potato puree; buttered baby carrots and fine green beans; glazed Brussels sprouts with toasted almonds; wild flower honey and ginger infused cranberry sauce; classic pumpkin pie with Chantilly cream and rolls and butter. The whole package costs $440 and needs to be ordered no less than 24 hours in advance. It can be picked up or get it delivered within five miles of the hotel for $75.

While you are stopping by the hotel to pick up dinner you might want to sample some of The Polo Lounge's season cocktails including the Fig Sidecar, made with fresh fig-infused Remi Martin Cognac or the seasonal eggnogs at Bar Nineteen12 which include pumpkin, raspberry, hazelnut, cappuccino, banana and mint chocolate flavors.

Tags: beverly hills, beverly hills hotel, holiday cocktails, los angeles, polo lounge, seasonal cocktails, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner, thanksgiving food, thanksgiving recipes, the polo lounge