Sorbet Champagne

Whether you’re a novice bartender or looking to spruce up your typical hot toddy or old fashioned, make a lasting impression at Thanksgiving or your next dinner party with these far-from-basic cocktails. Discover how you can add a twist to pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, cranberry, and all of your favorite holiday season indulgences.

PUMPKIN PIE COCKTAIL

Image Courtesy of Kitchen Meets Girl

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 parts Kahlúa Pumpkin Spice
  • 1 part hazelnut liqueur
  • 2 1/2 parts heavy cream
  • 1 part pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • Ice

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a martini shaker combine all ingredients
  2. Shake to combine, and then pour into martini glass.

 

SPICED WINE

Image Courtesy of Saveur

INGREDIENTS

  • 750-ml bottle medium-bodied red wine
  • 1⁄2 cup sugar
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • 4 (4″-sticks) cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. With a 4-qt. saucepan, bring ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and discard cloves.
  2. Ladle wine into 4 glasses and garnish each with 1 of the cinnamon sticks and 1 lemon wedge.

 

RED VELVET CAKE MARTINI

Image Courtesy of Pillsbury
  • Whipped cream cheese frosting
  • Red Sugar
  • 2 tsp. chocolate syrup
  • Crushed ice
  • 1/4 cupcake flavored vodka
  • 1/4 cup creme de cacao
  • 6 tbsp. buttermilk
  • Red food coloring
  1. Dip rims of 2 martini glasses in frosting, then dip in red sugar. Drizzle a teaspoon chocolate syrup in the bottom of each glass. Refrigerate.
  2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Then add vodka, crème de cacao, buttermilk and a drop of food color.
  3. Cover and shake until well mixed.
  4. Pour mixture into chilled martini glass.

 

PUMPKIN SPICE WHITE RUSSIAN

Image Courtesy of Nutmeg Nanny

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie sauce
  • 1 oz. heavy cream
  • 2 oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. coffee liqueur
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS

  1. Shake together pumpkin pie spice and heavy cream.
  2. Fill a rocks glass with ice and pour in the mixture of vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream.
  3. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup if desired.

CHAMPAGNE SORBET

IMG Fave

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1 1/2 cup of champagne
  • Sorbet
  • Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add a scoop of your favorite flavor of sorbet to a glass
  2. Top it with champagne
  3. Serve with whipped cream if desired

 

CARAMEL APPLE MIMOSA

Image Courtesy of Delish

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tbsp. Caramel
  • 2 tbsp. cinnamon sugar
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 8 oz. caramel vodka
  • 1 bottle champagne
  • Apple slices

DIRECTIONS

  1. In one dish, pour caramel, and in another dish, pour cinnamon sugar.
  2. Rim the champagne flutes with caramel, then dip in cinnamon sugar.
  3. Pour 1/4 cup of apple cider and 2 ounces of caramel vodka into each flute.
  4. Top it with champagne.
  5. Garnish with an apple slice.

PECAN OLD-FASHIONED

The Speckled Palate

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans
  • 1 1/2 cups whiskey or bourbon
  • 1 sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar)
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters

DIRECTIONS

Pecan Whiskey

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet, and transfer to the oven.
  2. Toast the pecans for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
  3. Remove from the oven, and let cool to room temperature.
  4. Transfer the cooled pecans to a mason jar, and pour the whiskey on top of them.
  5. Let the pecans and whiskey infuse for 3-4 days.

Pecan Old Fashioned

  1. Measure the sugar cube or loose sugar, and dash in Angostura bitters in an Old Fashioned glass.
  2. If using a sugar cube, break it down with a muddler, and combine it with the bitters.
  3. Coat the sides of the glass with the mixture.
  4. Place whiskey stones or a large ice cube. Then pour the Pecan Whiskey over the cubes, swirling it to mix with the bitters and sugar mixture.

Source: The Speckled Palate 

 

CRANBERRY SAUCE FROZEN COSMOPOLITAN 

Image Courtesy of Tasting Table

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka
  • 1/2 ounce Cointreau
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • Ice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth in a blender.
  2. Transfer to a martini glass.

CALVADOS HOT TODDY

Image Courtesy of Saveur

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon, plus more for garnish
  • 6 oz. apple cider, plus more for rimming glass
  • 1 1/2 oz. fine calvados
  • 4 oz. heavy cream
  • 1 stick cinnamon, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl the size of a double-walled glass.
  2. Pour apple cider into another similar-sized bowl.
  3. Dip the rim of the glass in apple cider and then cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  4. Whip cream and 1⁄2 oz. calvados.
  5. Refrigerate.
  6. Heat 6 oz. apple cider in a 2-qt. saucepan.
  7. Add remaining calvados and pour into glass
  8. Top with whipped cream, and garnish with ground cinnamon and cinnamon stick.

-GG