Figured I’d kick-off with this one. It’s an easy drink to mix and you can make up a batch ahead of time if you’re having guests over. This was the first purely Christmastime cocktail I ever tried, and I still love it during the holidays. The peppermint flavor makes it a strictly seasonal drink but one most will really enjoy.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Gin or Vodka (I prefer gin)
• ½ oz Dry Vermouth
• 2 capfuls Peppermint Schnapps

Shake with ice ‘til North Pole cold, strain into one of those Christmas Martini glasses you picked up on sale last year and garnish with a peppermint stick or candy cane.

I normally don’t lean towards the sweet in drinks. I like the taste of whiskey, gin, and brandy. That being said, during the holidays, I back down a little. We entertain at home a lot, and let’s face it, more guests than not prefer the yummy factor. A lot of folks who normally don’t drink hard spirits during the year, make exceptions in December, and I want to welcome them at the bar, too. This drink is perfect for boozehounds and soccer moms. It calls for Cinnamon Vodka which you can buy or infuse a bottle at home by adding 5 or 6 cinnamon sticks to a bottle of vodka and letting it sit on a shelf for 3-4 days. I know I won’t drink a whole bottle of cinnamon vodka ever, so what I do is infuse a half bottle only.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Cinnamon Vodka
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
• ½ oz Curacao

Shake with ice ‘til cold, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a cinnamon stick.

I picked up this and the recipe below (Swafford) in the Nov. ‘08 issue of Imbibe. I loved both so much I had to spread the word. It usually stays mild enough around here that mint can still be harvested from my garden, but if it’s too cold in your parts, you’ll need to buy fresh mint at the market. A holiday hi-ball or old fashioned glass only adds to the fun. It’s minty and tangy at the same time with the maple syrup addition. You’re mixing a real festive cocktail here.

Here we go –

• 8-10 mint leaves
• 6-8 cranberries
• 2 oz Aged Rum (Appleton worked great for me)
• ¾ oz Falernum
• ¾ oz limejuice
• ¼ oz simple or maple syrup
• Splash of club soda

In a mixing glass, muddle mint & cranberries, add rest of ingredients. Shake and strain over ice in a glass and garnish with fresh mint.

Also read about this first in the Imbibe Nov. ‘08 issue. I love this drink ‘cause it appeals to the pallet in that flavorful way lost in so many of our modern cocktails. Strong, spicy, herbal flavors served ice cold yet seasonally appropriate nonetheless. This is a great drink to mix at the bar when the real drinkers are present. No need for disguising or hiding flavors with this one — just Applejack, Rye and a few friends working together in a positively gangbusters drink.

Here we go –

• 1 oz Applejack
• 1 oz Rye
• ½ Maraschino Liqueur
• ½ oz Green Chartreuse
• Couple dashes of Orange Bitters

Mix with ice ‘til frosty cold, strain up in a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Here we go –

• 8 oz Applejack
• 1-Quart Cider
• 4 tsp. Fine sugar
• Nutmeg
• 4 twists lemon peel
• 4 Cinnamon sticks
• 4 small pats of sweet butter

Heat cider to a near boil. In each of four mugs put teaspoon of sugar, cinnamon stick, twist, 2 oz Applejack and a pinch of nutmeg. Fill mugs with hot cider and top each with a pat of butter. Put feet up.

I love vanilla throughout the year but really only enjoy it in a cocktail around the holidays. I’m from the “if I want dessert, I’ll have a piece of cake” school when it comes to drinking, but like I mentioned in my intro, sweet sided drinks have their place in December. Vanilla beans are expensive so please feel free to chop one up to smaller sized pieces for the garnish. For a sweet drink, this one’s surprisingly complex and satisfying on that boozy level.

Here we go -

• 3 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1 oz Cointreau

Shake gently or stir with ice ‘til c-c-c-cold, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a vanilla bean.

This is just a cozy drink, plain and simple. Perfect for a party, fireside chat or to pour before a festive dinner. The bitter sweet combination of the Campari, even as the smaller pour of the three ingredients used, really and pleasantly permeates this cocktail. This is complex holiday pick and one that drinks quite well with a soft, jazzy Christmas album. It’s another one of those old school drinks where the ingredients, while blended, really stand apart on the tongue.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cherry Brandy
• ½ oz Campari

Shake with ice ‘til cold, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

This is the fun one of the batch, the drink that will fetch all the “oooohs” and “ahhhhs” when you set a few up on the bar. The serious drinkers can have their Bourbon, rocks, their Martinis and Manhattans, but your guests hoping for a little holiday magic with their cheer will love this one. It calls for a flavored rum so try and pick one up during the holiday sales at your liquor store. This is a great one for a party, a cookie exchange, or any festive and fun occasion. This is a perfect drink to make a batch of ahead of time.

Here we go –

• 2 oz Lemon Flavored Rum (citrus works fine too)
• 1 oz Vodka
• ½ oz Southern Comfort (you’ll just need a pint)
• ½ oz Lemon Juice
• ½ tsp. Dry Vermouth

Rub the rim of a martini glass with a lemon wedge and then rim the glass with granulated sugar. Shake ingredients with ice in shaker ‘til cold then strain into sugared martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with gumdrops on a toothpick.

I pour the hell out of these on Thanksgiving. While the men loosen their belts and snore away in the den, the gals and I pump these down in the living room while granny does the dishes. Not too sweet, nor too sour, this is an either perfect pre- or after dinner drink for a family get-together. I make a glass pitcher of them and leave it down on the bar. When someone needs a third, I’m able to simply pour another. This one has been my “go to” Thanksgiving cocktail for a few years now.

Here we go –

• ½ oz Cointreau
• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• ¾ oz White Cranberry Juice
• Squeeze of a lime wedge.

Mix first three ingredients with ice in a shaker or glass pitcher ‘til cold. Strain into cocktail glass and squeeze fresh limejuice over top. Garnish with four or five fresh cranberries.

Bartender Josey Pack at the Alembio Bar in San Francisco created this great cocktail. Here’s another one that’s absolutely perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner party right up through Christmas Eve. It simply has to be tasted over the holidays. I mixed one up minutes after reading the recipe, and it was love at first sip.

Here we go –

• 2 oz Applejack
• 1 oz Apple Cider
• ½ oz Lemon Juice
• ½ oz Apricot Brandy

Rim a cocktail glass with lemon juice then cinnamon sugar. Mix ingredients together with ice in shaker ‘til cocktail cold and pour into glass, garnish with a few fresh cranberries.