These easy Christmas-inspired cocktail recipes are perfect for your holiday party
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It’s beginning to look a lot like … well, you know the words. One way to get into the spirit is by, eh, getting into spirits. We can create holiday magic and cheer through reimagined seasonal cocktails created by talented bartenders and mixologists from the Miami area. Coquito in a coupe glass? Spiked apple pie? Oh yeah. We’re feeling it.
Each of these cocktails draws on seasonal flavors or pays tribute to international favorites. They’re all great additions to your beverage arsenal this holiday season.
Equipment to make holiday cocktails
Two of these cocktails are served shaken, so a good cocktail shaker is a must. Spiked Apple Pie is stirred in its glass, although a cocktail mixing glass and bartender’s spoon may come in handy for larger batches.
While proper glassware at home isn’t the most necessary thing to have on-hand, it’s a fun addition for special cocktails. A coupe or snifter is recommended for the coquito. A similar stemmed cocktail glass is preferred with traditional Manhattan cocktails. The Spiked Apple Pie is served in rocks glasses.
Holiday Coquito from Casa Sensei
The Fort Lauderdale-based Pan Asian and Latin American restaurant pays tribute to its Hispanic roots with this famed Puerto Rican holiday cocktail. Crafted with coconut milk and white rum, and topped with a cinnamon stick for all things spice, this cocktail is the perfect holiday treat.
Serve it in a coupe or snifter to get an intense whiff of the flavorful aromas as you enjoy it.
Maple Manhattan, Shelborne South Beach
Sweeten up even the most dull virtual holiday get-together with the Maple Manhattan cocktail, a combination of Old Forester Bourbon, dry Vermouth, maple syrup, angostura bitters and cherries, made by the bartenders at the Shelborne South Beach in Miami.
Since there are so few ingredients in the recipe, find a good quality maple syrup to use. That small change will make a world of difference.
Spiked Apple Pie, The Lounge at the SLS Brickell
Prepared by a double-straining technique by bartenders at Miami’s SLS Brickell Hotel, this Spiked Apple Pie has a smoky taste reminiscent of a freshly baked pie. Crafted with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, apple cider, ginger beer and orange liqueur, complementary notes of apple and orange zest round out the experience.
This cocktail is a bit more labor-intensive than the others, and calls for making your own spiced apple mixture on the stove. Have a small saucepan at the ready and a cutting board nearby to chop a small apple.
