Classic Cocktails with a Holiday Twist

It’s beginning to look a lot like cocktail hour!

’Tis the season of spiked apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and cranberries. Impress your guest with these cocktail classics revamped for the holiday season. Enjoy with family and friends by the fire or under the Christmas tree lights. Time to get blitzened!

Chai Old Fashioned

4 chai bags

⅓ cup of real maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces (1/4 cup) bourbon

1-ounce lemon juice

1 dash orange bitters

1–2 ounces (2–4 tablespoons) chai tea syrup

sparkling water, for topping

1. Prepare the Chai Simple Syrup by bringing one cup of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add 4 chai tea bags, cover, and steep for 10–15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add ⅓ cup of real maple syrup. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3–5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and let cool.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, orange bitters, and 2 tablespoons of the chai syrup. Shake to combine. Strain into a glass. If desired top with sparkling water. Garnish with cinnamon and star anise.

Cranberry Orange Whiskey

1/2 oz Lemon juice freshly squeezed

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

1 oz Cranberry Juice

2 oz Ginger Beer

3 oz Orange Juice

1/2 oz Cointreau

2 oz whiskey

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, cranberry juice, orange juice Cointreau and whiskey. Shake to mix. Strain into a glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and dried orange.

Warm Holiday Rum Punch

4 cups Apple Cider

2 cups Cranberry Juice

Fresh Cranberries

Pomegranate Seeds

1 Orange

3 Cinnamon Sticks

Dash of Ground Clove

Dash of Ground Nutmeg

Dash of Ground Cinnamon

Flavored Spiced Rum

1. In a pot warm up the apple cider, cranberry juice, a few good handfuls of cranberries and pomegranate seeds, and cinnamon sticks. Slice the orange and squeeze it a little bit before you put it in the pot. Sprinkle in spices. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Pour a couple of ounces of the liquor into a glass and top with the warm punch. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary, cranberries, and an orange spiral if you are feeling fancy.

Apple Spice Mule (Fan Favorite)

1 oz Apple Spice Vodka

Apple Cider

Ginger Beer

Lemon juice

1. Fill a copper mug with crushed ice. Add the apple cider, and spiced apple vodka, and a splash of lemon. Give the ingredients a quick stir. Top off with the ginger beer and give another quick stir. Garnish with a cinnamon stick to further enhance the flavor, a sliced apple and lemon, and a sprig of thyme.

Don’t forget to pair any of these drinks with the perfect, small Savorly bites to make your winter cocktail hour complete!