Holiday Cocktails

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Holiday Cocktails

Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:54 pm

This is the time of year that office parties often have some type of alcoholic beverage. For us at the the Filson it was some eggnog spiked with some Weller 12yo. Eggnog is a common holiday drink here, but there are also bourbon fruit punch and simple cocktails such as the Old Fashioned Cocktail and Manhattan Cocktails served at Christmas parties. What are some the local holiday cocktails served at your social gatherings?
Mike Veach
"Our people live almost exclusively on whiskey" - E H Taylor, Jr. 25 April 1873
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Unread postby cowdery » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:43 pm

I have mixed feelings about egg nog. It tastes pretty good, but I can feel my arteries clogging as I drink it. Here are two other holiday "punch" type beverages that I like better and find a little easier to take. They are from my days working on Southern Comfort so that's what they call for, but you probably could substitute bourbon, rum or brandy and get a similar result.

Wassail Bowl

1 gallon apple cider
3 cups tea
1 liter Southern Comfort
5 cups ginger ale
4 cinnamon sticks
4 whole oranges studded with cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and heat until steaming but don't boil. Serve warm.

Open House Punch

1 750ml bottle Southern Comfort
6 oz. lemon juice
1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade
1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice
3 liters 7UP or Sprite
one orange and one lemon, sliced thin
red food coloring
block of ice

Put the SC and soda in the fridge overnight. Also freeze up a large block of ice. Mix everything together in a punch bowl and add a few drops of red food coloring.
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Unread postby dgonano » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:19 am

I remember 30 or so years ago the SC drink recipe books. They would give the ingredients for many common cocktails of the period, most included a certain amount of sugar or simple syrup. They would then tell you how to make a better cocktail by substituting SC and omitting the sugar.

Years ago my family would make a very simple batch of whiskey sours which is curiously similar to Chuck's punch recipe.

1 can frozen lemonade. Keep the can and fill with bourbon or other whiskey. Use the same can and fill with 7up or Sprite. Mix together and serve in a whiskey sour glass with an orange slice and/ or a cherry.

Nothing fancy but nobody ever complained.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:56 am

Dave,
That sounds very similar to the whiskey sour recipe in the Old Fitzgerald recipe book. I think that it would make a nice holiday drink.
Mike Veach
"Our people live almost exclusively on whiskey" - E H Taylor, Jr. 25 April 1873
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Unread postby scratchline » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:19 pm

Hey, Mike. Jenny and I are preparing an egg nog spike that we got off of the epicurious site. It's equal parts rum, bourbon and brandy combined with a cinnamon stick, smashed whole nutmeg, whole cloves, and a scraped vanilla bean. We're letting it sit for about a week and then we're going to whip up a batch of egg nog and toss it in. I'll report later on the result.

-Mike
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nog update

Unread postby scratchline » Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:08 pm

Just wanted to report that the egg nog turned out magnificently. I think this was due in part to the excellent spike and to the quality of the eggs which were from Polyface Farm in Virginia.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

-Mike
"There exist mighty dogs, the dangerous kind who take hold of your heart and do not let go."

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