Cheers To Chic And Stylish Craft Cocktails Made To Sip and Serve This Season

It’s the holidays and that means we’re all in need of some heart-warming cheer, yummy bites and… a stiff drink! (Are we right or what?!) Worry not! We’ve got a compendium of delicious craft cocktails that will not only impress all those guests this season, but also take off the holiday edge in style. BOTTOMS UP!

NEW YORK SOUR

INGREDIENTS
1.5 oz Bourbon
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Simple syrup
1 drop Orange Blossom Water
1-2 oz Red Wine

DIRECTIONS
Shake all ingredients except the red wine. Strain into a rocks glass and layer on the wine using the back of a Barspoon.

Recipe via Cheers to Happy Hour

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BLOOD ORANGE WHISKEY NEGRONI

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce whiskey
1/2 ounce campari
1/2 ounce fruit juice (*I used blood orange juice)
2 tablespoons blood orange juice
Ice
Blood orange twist

DIRECTIONS:

Place ice in a glass. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and pour mixture into the glass. Garnish with blood orange twist.

Recipe via The Curious Plate

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BOURBON ELDERFLOWER COCKTAILS

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 ounces bourbon

• ½ ounce elderflower liqueur

• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

• ¾ ounce simple syrup

• lemon peels optional garnish

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Place bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake to combine.

• Pour cocktail into a low ball glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon peel, if desired.

NOTES

You can easily make this recipe as a batch cocktail. Simply multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you need, combine in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe via Garnish with Lemon

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SPICED POMEGRANATE

INGREDIENTS
For the cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz vodka

• 1 oz pomegranate juice

• 1/2 oz lime juice

• 1/2 oz vanilla cardamom syrup

• 1 dash Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters

• 1 sprig mint (for garnish)

• 1 spoonful pomegranate seeds (for garnish, optional)

For the vanilla cardamom syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 6 cardamom pods

INSTRUCTIONS
For the vanilla cardamom syrup

1. Crack open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

2. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla extract and ground cardamom and let simmer for 2 minutes before removing from heat.

3. Let cool to room temperature, then strain through a fine mesh strainer.

For the cocktail

1. Fill your glass with ice and add the vodka, pomegranate juice, lime juice, vanilla cardamom syrup, and bitters.

2. Give the drink a quick 10 second stir and garnish with pomegranate seeds and a sprig of fresh mint.

Recipe via Honestly Yum

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Empress Elderflower Spanish Gin & Tonic

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz Empress Gin

• 4–5 oz Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic

• 2 pink grapefruit slices

• 10 juniper berries

• 1 rosemary sprig

DIRECTIONS

Chill the drinking glass for 15 minutes. Add ice to the glass. Squeeze one slice of grapefruit into the glass and discard. Add the other grapefruit slice, the juniper berries, and rosemary sprig to the glass. Pour gin into the glass. Add the tonic and stir before drinking.

Recipe via Craft & Cocktails

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PINK FLAG

INGREDIENTS
▪️Gin Citadelle Old Tom No Mistake - 50ml
▪️Lemon Jucie - 20ml
▪️Homemade Orgeat Syrup (recipe in @alan_home_bartender_ 's story and step by step below) - 10ml
▪️Pineapple Juice - 15ml
▪️Crème de Violette - 10ml
▪️Sage - 2 Leaves
▪️Gypsophila Garnish

METHOD
Shaken

NOTE
This is a cocktail with Crème de Violette. Often seen as a grandma liqueur, but I find its floral taste really interesting

Recipe via Alan Home Bartender