{"id":234,"date":"2019-11-18T09:17:13","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T09:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationwideliquor.com\/blog\/?p=234"},"modified":"2022-06-10T11:14:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T11:14:46","slug":"christmas-cocktails-to-make-spirits-bright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationwideliquor.com\/blog\/christmas-cocktails-to-make-spirits-bright\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Cocktails to Make Spirits Bright"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you believe it\u2019s already time for Christmas to roll around again? The holidays are here, and it\u2019s time to figure out which snacks and drinks to serve at your Christmas party! If you\u2019re looking for some great suggestions to help you get started, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Below, we\u2019ve put together a list of some of our favorite creative and Christmasy cocktails to jump-start your holiday<\/a> meal planning. There are several different types of drinks and alcohol represented here, so find the one that speaks to your tastes the most.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget to sample a few of these on your own time, too! After all, the holidays are a great time to treat yourself. Just because you\u2019ll be making one cocktail for a lot of guests, that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t settle down and relax with another one after the party is done. There are a lot of excellent flavors among these drinks, and you may be surprised to see all the unique cocktails available for this time of year. Whatever you\u2019re looking for in your boozy drinks, we\u2019ve got you covered. So let\u2019s get started!
\n<\/p>\n

Chai Tea Latte with a Twist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong>
\n\u2022 4 spiced chai tea bags
\n\u2022 2 cups water
\n\u2022 10 cloves, kept whole
\n\u2022 2 strips orange peel
\n\u2022 10 black peppercorns, kept whole
\n\u2022 2 cinnamon sticks
\n\u2022 1 tsp ground ginger
\n\u2022 \u00bd tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
\n\u2022 \u00bd tsp smashed cardamom pods or ground cardamom
\n\u2022 2 cups milk of choice
\n\u2022 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
\n\u2022 1-1\/2 oz orange liqueur
\n\u2022 4oz dark spiced rum<\/a><\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\n\u2022 In a small saucepan, add water, orange peel, tea bags, brown sugar, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir to combine.
\n\u2022 Bring ingredients to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling well, turn off the heat.
\n\u2022 Let steep for 15 minutes.
\n\u2022 Strain through fine mesh to remove the solids. Reserve the liquid.
\n\u2022 Add the liquid mixture back into the saucepan and place over low heat.
\n\u2022 Add milk of your choice and bring to a simmer over low.
\n\u2022 Add orange liqueur and rum.
\n\u2022 Either blend with a stick blender or add to a traditional blender until frothy and foamy.
\n\u2022 Serve warm in mugs. Optionally, garnish with additional cinnamon sticks.<\/p>\n

White Christmas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong>
\n\u2022 2 oz white chocolate liqueur
\n\u2022 2 oz vanilla flavored vodka<\/a>
\n\u2022 1 oz half and half
\n\u2022 1 oz white cr\u00e8me de cacao
\n\u2022 Honey
\n\u2022 Coarse sugar<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Place honey on a shallow plate or dish. Do the same with the sugar on a separate shallow plate.
\n\u2022 Dip a martini glass in the honey, and then in the sugar to coat the rim thoroughly.
\n\u2022 Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
\n\u2022 Add white chocolate liqueur, vodka, half and half, and cr\u00e8me de cacao.
\n\u2022 Seal the shaker and shake well to combine all ingredients. Shake for about 30 seconds or until completely chilled and cold throughout.
\n\u2022 Strain the drink into the coated martini glass.
\n\u2022 Serve immediately before the drink has a chance to get too warm.<\/p>\n

Jack Frost<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong>
\n\u2022 1 cup champagne or sparkling white wine<\/a>
\n\u2022 1 cup vodka, any variety
\n\u2022 \u00bd cup lemonade
\n\u2022 \u00bd cup blue Curacao
\n\u2022 Lemon wedge
\n\u2022 White coarse sugar
\n\u2022 6 cups ice<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Add 6 cups ice to a blender.
\n\u2022 Pour over champagne, vodka<\/a>, lemonade, and Curacao.
\n\u2022 Blend well until everything is combined and smooth, or to the desired consistency for serving.
\n\u2022 Rim each of four cocktail glasses with the lemon wedge, and then dip into the coarse sugar to coat.
\n\u2022 Pour drink into the prepared glasses and serve cold.<\/p>\n

Mulled Wine<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong>
\n\u2022 4 cups very high-quality apple cider
\n\u2022 \u00bc cup packed light brown sugar
\n\u2022 1 bottle red wine of your preference<\/a>; dry is best, but anything will work
\n\u2022 6 cinnamon sticks
\n\u2022 1 tbsp cloves, kept whole
\n\u2022 10 star anise, and more for garnish if desired
\n\u2022 Juice and zest of 1 orange
\n\u2022 1 additional peeled orange<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\n\u2022 In a small saucepan over low heat, combine cider, brown sugar, wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, 10 star anise, orange juice, and orange zest. Optionally, add half of the peel from the peeled orange to the mulling mixture as well.
\n\u2022 Bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Be very careful to never let the liquid boil, as this will burn the spices and ruin the flavor of the drink.
\n\u2022 When finished simmering, pour evenly between four mugs.
\n\u2022 Garnish each mug with a little orange peel and one star anise per mug.
\n\u2022 Serve warm.<\/p>\n

Cranberry Mimosa<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong>
\n\u2022 1 lime, cut in half
\n\u2022 1 cup cranberry juice (sweetened is best, but if you like a very sour drink, go for unsweetened)
\n\u2022 2 tbsp sugar
\n\u2022 1 bottle champagne or sparkling white wine of your choice
\n\u2022 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
\n\u2022 12 fresh cranberries (if you can\u2019t find fresh, frozen cranberries will do, as long as they are kept whole)
\n\u2022 Toothpick<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Use the lime to run around the rims of four champagne flutes.
\n\u2022 Spread the sugar onto a shallow plate and dip the champagne flutes into the sugar to coat the rims.
\n\u2022 Divide the cranberry juice into equal \u00bc-cup servings. Add \u00bc cup cranberry juice to each of four prepared champagne flutes.
\n\u2022 Top the glasses with champagne<\/a> or sparkling white wine to finish off the drink. Be sure to leave about a half-inch or so of space between the drink and the rim of the glass for garnishing.
\n\u2022 Using the toothpick, poke holes through all of the cranberries.
\n\u2022 Thread three cranberries onto each of the fresh rosemary sprigs to create garnishes.
\n\u2022 Serve the drinks immediately, topped with these wintery garnishes.<\/p>\n

Christmas is the perfect holiday to kick back and celebrate with a few unique and delicious cocktails. We hope we\u2019ve inspired your menu planning a little bit with some of our favorite choices listed above. Don\u2019t be afraid to get creative and try some substitutions if you want to make these recipes a little more customized to your tastes, too. And be sure to give yourself a chance to practice making them ahead of time for best results! Try a sample or two a few days before your guests arrive to ensure you\u2019ve mastered the drink you choose for your next big holiday party. The results are sure to please!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can you believe it\u2019s already time for Christmas to roll around again? The holidays are here, and it\u2019s time to figure out which snacks and drinks to serve at your Christmas party! If you\u2019re looking for some great suggestions to help you get started, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Below, we\u2019ve put together a … Continue reading “Christmas Cocktails to Make Spirits Bright”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t