Holiday party cocktail suggestions?

December 11, 2013 12:50 PM

Hoping some of the boozier denizens of MeFi might have some good suggestions for a couple holiday cocktails.

In a fit of extravagance we are having a bartender at our holiday party this year. Since we have a bartender, these can be honest-to-goodness mixed drinks, not the usual holiday party punches. I'd like to include 2-3 fitting suggested drinks (drink names with horrible puns are also welcome, as I plan to print up the drink "menu").

I'm going to be making a punch as well (Allspice rum and orange juice based), but would like a couple of good cocktail options. I'm thinking one that is more of a drinker's drink (old fashioned or the like?) and one that is more a disguised fruity number (something with juice or ginger beer or something in it).

Would welcome any suggestions!

posted by malphigian to Food & Drink (22 answers total)

Do you want warm or cold? Because hot buttered rum may be a good option for the "classic drink" thing, but it's hot (as you may have assumed), and don't know if that's your thing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:56 PM on December 11, 2013

Response by poster: I do like the idea of hot drinks, but i feel like that might be too much to ask of my bartender.
posted by malphigian at 1:18 PM on December 11, 2013

As a lighter drinker, I'm a fan of something Champagne/sparkling wine based. Kir Royales are festive with the red color and delicious.
posted by cecic at 1:26 PM on December 11, 2013

This Sangria is really good, if you are looking for a fruity drink. We use frozen sweet cherries instead of maraschinos, and add a touch of cinnamon.

For a hot fruity drink, Hot spiced apple cider with/without rum might work, too. It can be kept warm in a crock pot
posted by annsunny at 1:31 PM on December 11, 2013

Best answer: Here is something really easy, festive, and tasty: make these sugared cranberries and reserve the liquid that the cranberries soaked in overnight. It's cranberry-infused simple syrup! Have the bartender add the cranberry simple syrup to a gin & tonic*. Use the sugared cranberries as a cocktail garnish or dessert garnish or just a nice little snack.

*or champagne or whiskey gingers or whatever. Works in lots of drinks.
posted by troika at 1:35 PM on December 11, 2013 [7 favorites]

You should do Frosty the SnowManhattans - Manhattans are my drink of the season right now.
posted by Think_Long at 1:36 PM on December 11, 2013

The Penicillin is a nice and gingery fall/winter cocktail. As someone who is not at all a Scotch whiskey drinker, I can tell you, it's quite good and not at all too Scotch-y.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 1:39 PM on December 11, 2013

Best answer: Poinsettias! Sparkling wine AND you could use troika's sugared cranberries.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:40 PM on December 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Seconding poinsettias. My sister considers any holiday party without that a failure.
posted by bibbit at 1:45 PM on December 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Today's New York Times Dining section had a multi-page spread on holiday cocktails. Scroll down for the section (multiple articles and videos are linked from the section page).
posted by brianogilvie at 1:49 PM on December 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

You really can't go wrong with a Sidecar, "the only good cocktail to come out of the long national nightmare that was Prohibition."
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:54 PM on December 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

the only dessert cocktail worth mentioning has many seasonal flavors Behold! The Alexander!
posted by The Whelk at 1:57 PM on December 11, 2013

Manhattans are a nice winter drink because they're a little heavier and the whiskey has a nice warm feeling to it. And Frosty the SnowManhattan is so perfect!

I also agree with doing a poinsetta as it's great for people who aren't heavy drinkers.

If you want to do something hot, coffee-based drinks might be a good idea, especially if you have a thermos to keep the coffee hot in. I used to love this drink called a KGB Coffee - coffee with khalua, grand marnier, and Bailey's (and whipped cream of course). Of course coffee with Bailey's will also do fine.
posted by radioamy at 2:17 PM on December 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I've been making a drink I call The Woodstove that sounds like it might go well:

1 measure Nocino (walnut liqueur)
1 measure Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur)
1 measure ruby port
1/4 measure allspice dram
Splash lime juice

Shake over ice and serve neat in a martini glass. Garnish with a long cinnamon stick.

Since you've already got allspice rum, you can substitute that for both the Nocino and the allspice dram, since at 40% alcohol, the Nocino is a base spirit in this drink. I've also made this with rye instead of Nocino, so that's an option as well, if you want to add in just a bit of the allspice rum for flavor.

The best thing about this drink is that it tastes good very cold and continues to taste good as it warms up a bit. It's also good if you make it and serve it hot. So you've got lots of options.
posted by yellowcandy at 2:18 PM on December 11, 2013 [5 favorites]

I finally made poinsettias at a holiday party this weekend after seeing them in other cocktail threads here, and they were a huge hit.

And they're so easy – stock your sparkles, pre-mix your Cointreau and cranberry juice in a pitcher, freeze some cranberries, prep your lemon rind, and you can make/refill one in seconds.

Easy, festive, pretty, and delicious. Poinsettias!
posted by suprenant at 2:57 PM on December 11, 2013

I love eggnog and coffee liqueur over crushed ice, but the Pointsettia sounds quite good.
posted by theora55 at 7:49 PM on December 11, 2013

Here's what I'm serving this holiday:

Hornet's Nest

1.5 Tequila
0.5 Rye
0.5 Punt e mas or sweet vermouth
0.5 Cointreau

Stir with ice.
Serve in a rocks glass with a large cube, garnish with an orange twist.

20th Century

1.5 oz Plymouth Gin
0.75 oz Marie Brizard Crème de Cacao White
0.75 oz Lillet Blanc
0.75 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Manhattan

2 oz Alberta Premium Rye
2 dashes Angostura
1 oz Antica Formula

Shake with ice, pour into a chilled coupe. Ganish with two dried cherries or one Luxardo Maraschino.
posted by dobbs at 8:11 PM on December 11, 2013

Bah, the Manhattan should say stir with ice, not shake.
posted by dobbs at 8:17 PM on December 11, 2013

A delicious drink made with gingerbeer:

Dark and Stormy

Other ginger drinks:

Ginger-Spice Margaritas (there are tons of variations)

Check out the HUGE list of ginger drinks on the site for Domaine De Canton (wonderful ginger liqueur -- I've tried about five of the drinks on the list, and haven't gone wrong yet).

Also:
White Russians taste delicious with warm desserts, especially when the dessert includes chocolate.

Grand Marnier is also a very good winter drink. I was going to give a specific suggestion, but too many of the recipes on their site look delicious, so maybe you'll want to look for yourself. Personally, I like it best in hot coffee.
posted by rue72 at 9:12 PM on December 11, 2013

Assuming you are in a cold climate i.e. not florida. Hot spiced wine or Brandy Alexander.
posted by vapidave at 11:48 PM on December 11, 2013

1 part Kahlua + 1 part dark rum + 2 parts ginger beer. A bit sweet, so you may want to add soda to your preference.
posted by Benjy at 4:45 AM on December 12, 2013

If you want something wintery and rare, go with the Aviation:

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz. crème de violette

Shaken, martini glass.

The creme de violette can be a little tough to find though.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:51 AM on December 12, 2013