Here we go –

• 1½ oz vodka
• ½ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
• ¼ oz Roses lime juice
• Dash of cranberry juice
• Slice of lime for garnish

Shake till chilly-willy with cracked ice in a shaker. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

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 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 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.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• ¼ to ½ oz Blackberry Brandy (I go ½ ‘cause I like the taste a lot)
• 2-3 tsp. Lime Juice (or more to taste)

Shake with ice and strain cold into a brandy snifter or serve on the rocks in a rocks glass.

Here we go –
(This is a 6oz pour, so use your big martini or cocktail glasses)

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz lime juice (fresh, cold and pulpy)

Shake ingredients in a shaker with plenty of cracked ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime slice or wheel.

After the Apple Ginger Sangaree cocktail, here’s another excellent use for that bottle of Stones Ginger Wine I had you go out and buy. The Ginger flavor makes this an excellent fall or summer sipper. This is one of those “oh, I want one” cocktails. You’ll be mixing a few more as soon as you’ve let your friends take a sip. This is a fun drink.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Stones Ginger Wine (you’ll have to look for this bottle)
• Club Soda

Put some ice in an old-fashioned glass, pour vodka and ginger wine and stir gently, add club soda to fill. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground ginger.

Who doesn’t love James Bond. The character’s creator Ian Fleming came up with a damn good version of the Martini in his first Bond Novel, Casino Royal. One of the latest film versions of the story even used this drink as a small character development plot device.

I love this drink for a number of reasons. 

First and foremost, it tastes wonderful. It is a complicated drink when completed and you’ll find that the three poured ingredients combine in a flavor that will remind you of a Martini yet by your second sip will tell your tongue that this is something different, much more special. Instead on a Martini’s Dry Vermouth, The Vesper uses a white wine aperitif called Lillet. Lillet has a sweeter flavor than vermouth. You’ll taste the grape. This addition provides the drink with more body. There’s a yum factor that you won’t find in a Martini or Vodka Martini. Lillet is priced a little higher than a good dry vermouth but after trying this one, you’ll be glad you have an opened bottle tucked away in the fridge. It’s a drink you’ll want to come back to.

Another reason why I’m a big fan of The Vesper is because this is a special drink. It uses vodka and gin. Both combine to form a pretty unique flavor, yet you’ll be able to taste each. I’m a martini fan and will on occasion, enjoy a vodka martini too (or two), but with a Vesper, the decision is made for you. Why not use both?  Vodka and Gin get married in this drink and turn out to form a great couple.

Another reason I’ll enjoy a Vesper? The drink does carry an earned wow factor. While behind the bar or hosting in your home, witty banter can only add fuel to the fire of the evening. You don’t have to bore the uninitiated with a James Bond ramble, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to mention to your guest that they’re enjoying a drink created especially for a man who carries a License to Kill. Throw on some Shirley Bassey records and pour the Vespers.

When it comes to Martinis and variations, the booze is only what you’ll be tasting. I use Bombay Gin and Stolichnaya Vodka in this drink: both very good, affordable bottles.

The more expensive, premium gins like Sapphire work against this drink. They fight with the Vodka. You want the two to work together.

Here We Go – 

• 3 Ounces of Dry Gin
• 1 Ounce Vodka
• ½ Ounce Lillet Wine Aperitif

Softly shake combined ingredients with cracked-ice in cocktail shaker (be careful, you don’t want this one clouding up) ‘till your fingers freeze.

Serve up in a martini glass with a strip of lemon peel as a garnish.