Drink Me: 13 Cocktails to Mix Up at All Your Holiday Parties

Don't know how to start off your speech? How about Happy Holidays? 'Tis the season for a cheery custom cocktail!

Cruzan Cinnamon Sugar Punch

Ingredients:

2 Parts Cruzan Velvet Cinn

1/2 Part Cruzan Aged Dark Rum

1/4 part Lemon Juice

1/4 part Ruby Port

1/4 part Sugar

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. Serve the cocktail in cups without ice. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg.

Midori Peppermint Kiss

Ingredients:

1 oz. Midori Melon Liqueur

1 oz. SKYY Vodka

3 oz. Pineapple juice

¼ oz. fresh lemon juice

¼ oz. Peppermint Schnapps

6 Basil Leaves, gently torn in half

Directions: In a chilled shaker glass, add all the above ingredients. Add ice, shake for 15 seconds, and then strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and one raspberry sitting in front of basil in glass.

Exotic Berry Mojito

Ingredients:

ACTIVATE Beauty Exotic Berry

1.5 oz. Light Rum

8-12 Fresh Mint Sprigs

3-4 Blackberries

2 Limes

Soda Water

Directions: Muddle mint, blackberries and limes in a tall glass. Fill with crushed ice. Add rum, shake it up. Add ACTIVATE Beauty, and a splash of Soda Water, garnish with Lime and Mint.

Winter Star Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz. SKYY Vodka


1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice


¼ oz. Agave Syrup (or Simple Syrup)

½ oz. Raspberry Compote (or Jam)

½ Ripe Green Pear

3 Raspberries for Garnish

Directions: Chop the pear into small pieces. Muddle all ingredients together in a shaker and shake vigorously. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with three raspberries on a cocktail stick.

Raspberry Zing

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. ZING Vodka

4 Raspberries

0.5 oz. Lemon Juice

0.5 oz. Simple Syrup

0.5 oz. Club Soda

Directions: Add 4 raspberries and all of the ingredients except soda. Shake.

Pour the mixture over fresh ice and top with club soda.

Yuletide Spruce

Ingredients:

2 oz. Dill Infused Vikingfjord Vodka

.75 oz Lillet Blanc

3 Dashes Elixir de Chartreuse

Lemon

Directions: Stirred and strained into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. For the dill infusion, use 10 g. of fresh dill per 700ml Vodka. Leave overnight at room temperature. Strain and refrigerate.

Kilbeggan Gingerbread Crunch

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 parts Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

1 and 3/4 parts Freshly Pressed Apple Juice

2/3 part Cinnamon Syrup

1/3 part Lemon Juice

1/4 part Brown Sugar Syrup

Directions: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake and double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish rim with crushed gingerbread biscuit and brown sugar.

SMIRNOFF Wish You Were Here

Ingredients:

1 oz. SMIRNOFF Wild Honey Flavored Vodka

2 oz. Once Upon a Vine Sauvignon Blanc

3 oz. Lemon-lime Soda

Directions: Add ingredients to an ice-filled stemmed glass.

Mulberry Project's Eggnog Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 oz. White Port Wine

2 oz. Brugal White Rum

1 Whole Egg

2 Tablespoons of Superfine Sugar

3/4-cup Milk

Dash of Vanilla Extract

Directions: Dry shake for over 2 minutes then shake it with ice for one minute. Lastly, sprinkle the edges of the glass with cinnamon and enjoy!

EFFEN Salted Caramel Holiday Pie, Recipe by Niccole Trzaska

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 parts EFFEN Salted Caramel Vodka

3/4 part Pumpkin and Apple Puree (Half Pumpkin Pie Filling and Half Apple Sauce)

1/4 part Cinnamon Simple Syrup

1/4 Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 Egg White

Garnish: Cinnamon Stick

Garnish: Ground Cinnamon

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and cinnamon over the frothy top.

Bourbon Cider Sipper, Recipe by Ali Ward and Georgia Hardstark

Ingredients:

Clove Simple Syrup:

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Cocktail:

1 ½ oz. bourbon

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. clove simple syrup

1 ½ oz. hard apple cider

Directions for Clove Syrup: Combine the brown sugar, cloves, and one cup water in a pan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and sit for two to three hours. Strain off the cloves before using. Store any remaining syrup in a sealed jar, refrigerated, for up to one week.

Cocktail Directions: Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and clove simple syrup to a shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a highball glass. Top with hard cider.

Owl Toddy

Ingredients:

3 oz. Owl’s Brew Darjeeling Lemongrass tea

1 oz. Captain Morgan Original Spice Rum

1 tbsp. agave

Directions: Garnish with apple slice and cinnamon stick. Serve hot

Holidays on Ice, from Hinoki & the Bird, Los Angeles

Ingredients:

1 oz. Buffalo Trace

1 oz. Eagle Rare

0.75 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Cinnamon-Sugared Butternut Squash Juice

1/2 oz. Curacao

Directions: Combine 400ml of Butternut Squash Juice, 250ml of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon until solids are dissolved. For curacao, combine equal parts Grand Marnier and Simple Syrup. Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin, dry shake without ice to "whip" ingredients together. Next, strain over crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.