For us, it’s a toss up as to which things we look forward to whipping up a batch up during the holidays – cookies or cocktails. Both require a recipe. Both are mighty tasty. And both should be consumed in moderation. There are plenty of holiday cookie recipes out there on the interwebs for you so we’ll leave you to those on your own. But we partnered with a batch of Denver area restaurants to bring you their recipes for festive holiday cocktails. Many thanks to each of them for sharing with InGoodTasteDenver.com readers.
The Source: Union Station Holiday Market by Denver Flea
The Drink: Holiday Who-Be, What-Ee?
The Recipe: Enjoy these cocktails which can be had at this year’s Holiday Market.
1.5 oz Tito’s Vodka
.75 oz Pomegranate Juice
.25 oz Orange Juice
.25 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Vanilla Syrup
Barspoon Bhakti Chai Concentrate
The Drink: Wet Bandits
The Recipe:
1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon
.75 oz Apple Juice
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Cinnamon Syrup
.25 oz New Deal Ginger Liqueur
The Source: Esters
The Drink: Esters Spiced Cider Sangria
The Recipe: Alexx J., Esters Brand Manage, says they make a Seasonal Sangria which they rotate weekly and change based on the ingredients of the seasons.
2 bottles assorted Red Wine
2 cups Spiced Rum
2 cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice
1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cups apples, sliced or 1/2″ diced
1 cup oranges, sliced in thin wheels
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and allow for the fruit to soak in the alcohol, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Let it sit for at least 2 hours, sweeten to taste. Serve Sangria over ice & Top with soda water. Garnish with Sangria soaked fruits and a cinnamon stick or a clove.
The Source: Steuben’s
The Drink: Steuben’s Rock & Rye
The Recipe: Traditionally rock & rye cocktails were known to be a cure-all for sore throats which are frequent this time of year. Steuben’s adds a soothing boozy kick.
1 Bottle Rittenhouse Rye
Zest of one orange
1 large cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1/8 oz. Horehound Tincture (horehound* soaked in grain alcohol for 2 days and then strained) *can be found at Natural Grocers
1/4 cup Demerara Sugar
Combine all ingredients in a sealed container and let infuse for 5 days. Pour through a fine strainer. Serve over ice.
The Source: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
The Drink: Del’s Double Eagle Margarita
The Recipe: Made with Casa Dragones Blanco, Grand Marnier, Fresh Lime Juice and Monin Agave Nectar – it’s a great cocktail to cheers to the season.
2 oz Casa Dragones Blanco
1 oz Grand Marnier
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz Monin Agave Nectar
Measure all ingredients into a Boston shaker tin- fill with ice and shake 15 times.
The Source: Rhein Haus
The Drink: Glühwein
The Recipe: Glühwein, a traditional mulled wine in Germany and served annually at Denver’s Rhein Haus through the holiday season.
For 24-26 servings (party!)
1 spice bag *
4 bottles of red wine
20 oz. of boiling water
12 oz. simple syrup
6 oz. Asbach Uralt German Brandy
5 oz. lemon juice
3 oz. dry curacao
Steep the spice bag in the remaining ingredients.
*The spice bag contains: a whole lemon peel, a quarter of an orange peel, 1.5 tsp. cloves, 3/4 tsp. grated nutmeg, two and a half cinnamon sticks (broken), three bay leaves and 1/2 tsp. of Rhein Haus Holiday Spice Mix (see below).
To make a smaller quantity, cut the recipe in half or more. And, though the secret Rhein Haus Holiday Spice Mix makes the Bavarian-inspired restaurant’s glühwein special, it can be made without the spice mix for an equally delicious and festive beverage.
The Source: Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar
The Drink: Parry’s Colorado Apricot Mule
The Recipe:
Muddle one to two slices of fresh orange in the bottom of copper cup
1.5oz of Apricot Brandy from Peach Street Distillers
Fill cup with ice
Fill to the brim with Oskar Blues Ginger Beer
Garnish with fresh orange or dried apricot and enjoy!
The Source: Flagstaff House Restaurant
The Drink: Tiger’s Milk
The Recipe: General Manager, Adam Monette, created an alternative to mere eggnog in this boozy, spicy, and deliciously creamy version of horchata.
1.5 oz Plantation Dark Rum
½ oz. Coole Swan Irish Cream
Dash of egg white
Topped with house made Horchata (any kind will do)
Combine ingredients and serve in a Collins glass on the rocks. Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon for aromatic experience with every sip.
The Source: Peel Handcrafted Pizza
The Drink: Egg Nog
The Recipe: It serves 16 so divide or multiply the recipe as the crowd commands!
8 Eggs
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup Amaretto
1 cup Bourbon
The Source: Dead Battery Club
The Drink: Season’s Greeting
The Recipe: Lead Bartender Noah Engbrecht developed this specialty cocktail just for December with warming flavors of winter and holiday. He says he wanted to make a cocktail that combines the unexpected blending of cinnamon and orange citrus that reminds him of family, home, and the holidays.
1 orange slice
3/4 oz cinnamon simple syrup
1 1/4 oz Candy Cane Infused vodka
1 oz Baileys Irish Cream
Muddle together orange and cinnamon simple syrup in shaker. Add the vodka and Irish cream, shake with ice and pour into any pretty rocks glass over ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick and cinnamon sprinkles.
The Source: Carbon Beverage Cafe
The Drink: The Farolito
The Recipe: Carbon Café lead bartender Daniel Martinez created this cocktail, inspired by his childhood growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. On Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, the streets are lined with farolitos, paper bags filled with sand and candles that are lit and provide a glowing path along Canyon Road in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Daniel created this cocktail to evoke the aromas and tastes of the holidays he grew up with.
1 1/2 oz Dark Rum
1/2 oz The Decc Citrus Clove Liqueur from 291
1oz. Egg Nog
Dash of Citric Acid
1/4 oz. Red Hot Simple Syrup*
Combine all ingredients and pour into coupe glass. At Carbon, they finish it with a pretty intricate triple flame garnish, a torched s’more topped with a Cinnamon Fire and Secret Carbon Fire Bitters. At home you can toast a marshmallow with a bit of chocolate and graham cracker and add it to the rim to garnish.
* Make a simple syrup using equal parts water and sugar and Red Hot candies. Adjust the amount of candies to your taste but start with a small package. Keep it on hand to add to other cocktails or even try adding it to coffee or hot chocolate (our humble suggestion).
The Source: Max’s Wine Dive
The Drink: Santa’s Naughty Helper
The Recipe: General Manager Chris David put together this cocktail with the flavors of allspice, an aromatic aperitif wine, fresh lime and sparkling Prosecco to top it all off.
½ oz Allspice Dram
½ oz Cocchi Americano Rosso
¼ oz fresh lime
4 oz Prosecco
Combine first three ingredients in a shaker and strain into a coupe. Top with the prosecco, and garnish with lime zest.
The Source: Punch Bowl Social
The Drink: Naughty or Spice
The Recipe: Making a big ole bowl of punch is all the rage. They are a fun, retro thing and very social. Here are two recipes.
For an 8-person bowl
16 oz. (2 cups) good bourbon like Old Forester
6 oz. (3/4 cup) Orgeat, an almond syrup
4 oz. (1/2 cup) Spiced orange syrup
2 oz. (1/4 cup) St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
6 oz. (3/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
To make at home, pour all ingredients into a large pitcher (at least 44 ounce). Stir pitcher and fill shaker tins halfway with punch, rest with ice and shake. If you don’t have shaker tins, pour into punch bowl and add about half as much ice as you’d need to fill. Stir the punch with a ladle for a minute to properly mix. Add ice to properly fill the bowl. Garnish with orange wheel with cloves picked inside.
The Drink: L’Anee Rose, a New Year’s Punch
The Recipe:
For an 8-person bowl
12 oz. (1.5 cups) Giffard Pamplemouse Rose – grapefruit liqueur
6 oz. (3/4 cup) Lychee juice
4 oz. (1/2 cup) Heering Cherry Liqueur
2 oz. (1/4 cup) nutmeg honey syrup
4 oz. (1/2 cup) sparkling wine
To make at home, pour all ingredients into a large pitcher (at least 44 ounce). Stir pitcher and fill shaker tins halfway with punch, rest with ice and shake. If you don’t have shaker tins, pour into punch bowl and add about half as much ice as you’d need to fill. Stir the punch with a ladle for a minute to properly mix. Add sparkling wine and ice to properly fill the bowl. Garnish with quartered grapefruit.
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