Any time I am tasked with preparing an elaborate holiday feast, there’s always a moment somewhere in between my third grocery run and trashing my final attempt at a pie crust when I remember I’ve forgotten to sort out the beverage situation. Sure, I’ve told everyone who asked what they can bring that wine is never unwelcome. But there’s just something about a festive cocktail (or mocktail) that makes me feel less like I’m playing house, and more like I’m a real adult who owns coupe glasses and won’t shut up about it.
Rosemary Ginger Bubbly
Ginger is both a crucial ingredient in the holiday spice palate and a natural digestive aid, so using a shot of ginger liqueur in this recipe (or a fresh ginger shot in a pinch) provides a kick of flavor, and pairs well with a heavy holiday meal.
Ingredients:
1 oz Joseph Cartron Gingembre liqueur (or fresh ginger juice)
1 oz Lemon juice
4 oz Champagne, crémant, or sparkling wine
Rosemary
Add the ginger liqueur and lemon juice to a coupe or flute and top with sparkling wine. A crémant works very well here, such as a Crémant de Loire (I like the Langlois Crémant de Loire Brut Reserve NV) or a Crémant d’Alsace (like the Christophe Mittnacht Crémant d’Alsace Extra Brut).
Take a sprig of rosemary and smack it against the palm of your hand a few times to release its aromas before adding it to the cocktail. (This is best done when your aunt is asking why you don’t have a boyfriend.) Replace the bubbly with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine and the ginger liqueur with fresh ginger juice to make this a mocktail.
Cranberry Mimosa
This beverage is really halfway between a Cosmopolitan and a Mimosa, so it is obviously best served alongside hot goss and a cheese plate. (Bonus points for a gooey, dippable baked brie.)
Ingredients:
1 oz Cranberry juice
0.5 oz Orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
4 oz Champagne, crémant, or sparkling wine
Add cranberry juice and orange liqueur to a champagne flute or coupe, then top with chilled champagne or crémant. You can make a mocktail version of this drink using a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, like Veuve du Vernay Alcohol Free. Instead of orange liqueur, fill a container with sliced oranges (or clementines or mandarins) and soak overnight in cranberry juice. Add 1.5 oz of the orange-infused cranberry juice to 4 oz of NA sparkling wine. (You can even use the soaked oranges as a garnish.)
Chambord Bramble
If you’re looking for the perfect balance of rich fruit flavor, crisp acidity, and supportive botanicals, then a Chambord Bramble might be just right for your holiday party. Though crème de mûre blackberry liqueur is traditionally used, I prefer to use the classic French black raspberry liqueur Chambord. A reliable London Dry gin such as Fords works well here, tempered with a touch of citrus.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Fords Gin
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
0.5 oz Simple syrup
Add everything but the Chambord to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a glass over ice. (Crushed ice is traditional.) Top with Chambord, and garnish with some raspberries, blackberries, or a sprig of mint. This is a great cocktail to batch—simply combine all ingredients (to your preferred scale) in a large carafe and store in your freezer until ready to serve.
Dry White Negroni
I love a White Negroni, the lighter (but no less powerful) sister of the classic Negroni. She’s usually made with gin, Lillet Blanc, and Suze, though Lillet can be swapped out for a blanc vermouth, or Suze for Salers. However, this particular version offers a very different profile with the addition of dry vermouth. It is definitely punchy, but the flavors will mellow with some time over ice, so definitely nurse this one. This drink is ideal if you’re looking for a way to use up the rest of that bottle of Dolin left over from when you decided you were going to get really into martinis. I prefer to use a French gin, which usually means I’m reaching for The Gardener.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz The Gardener Gin
1.5 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1.5 oz Suze
Lemon peel
Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until chilled, and then strain in a rocks glass full of ice. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Vieux Carré
I’m a sucker for any cocktail that blends smooth Cognac with spicy rye, and the Vieux Carré is a classic for a reason. The fresh floral, apple, cherry, and caramel notes of a young Cognac like the VS Carte Blanche from Cognac Park helps to balance out some of the heavier botanicals in the vermouth and Benedictine. You’ll want a small batch rye to go with your small batch Cognac—in these cases, I turn to one of my favorite local NY distilleries, Fort Hamilton.
Ingredients:
1 oz Cognac Park VS Carte Blanche
1 oz Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
0.75 oz Dolin Red Vermouth
0.25 oz Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with lemon peel or Luxardo cherries.
Vin Chaud
Mulled wine, glühwein, grog… this drink goes by many names. But the French version, vin chaud, tastes like wandering the Christmas market on the Champs-Élysées in years of yore. It’s best served with a canelé and a long walk to admire the neighbors’ Christmas decorations, and can be turbocharged with a shot of Cognac, Armagnac, or brandy. This recipe makes 5 glasses.
Ingredients:
1 Bottle of fruity red wine (Such as Merlot, Gamay, Grenache, or Pinot noir)
2 Cardamom pods
4 Cinnamon sticks
4 Cloves
2 Star anise pods
½ Inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
¼ Cup brown sugar
1 Orange
Peel orange and add the peels to a saucepan with the other ingredients. Heat the mixture on low (make sure that it doesn’t boil!), stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to steep for an additional five minutes before straining out the solid ingredients. Serve warm.
Grand Brulot Eggnog
Now, I am not personally a big eggnog fan. However… I am always willing to have my mind changed. Turns out, spiking a bit of nog with some Grand Brulot—a delicious blend of Cognac and espresso—was just the thing it took. This one isn’t so much a recipe as it is a vibe—pick up a carton of your preferred brand of eggnog, add a splash of Grand Brulot, and top with cinnamon. Remember to measure with your heart.
—
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
