252525 Uniqu UniquUniqu HOLIDAY COCKTAILS & RECIPES foror yourRestaurant BarBar or Restaurant A Guide for Restaurant Owners & Managers Looking for some seasonal drinks and appetizers for your bar or restaurant this Holiday season? Try out a few of these recipes and mix up your menu! Cocktails 1. CANDY CANE COCKTAIL This festive drink makes use of all those extra candy canes you’re sure to have lying around! 1 candy cane, crushed, for garnish 2 ounces strawberry vodka 4 dashes white creme de menthe 2 1/2 ounces cranberry juice Ice cubes Place crushed candy canes on a small plate or saucer. Wet the outside rim of a chilled martini glass with water. Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, creme de menthe, cranberry juice, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into prepared glass; serve immediately. (Recipe and image from Martha Stewart) 2 few maraschino cherries and raspberries into the DEAD BY CHRISTMAS 2. glass. Drink. A name like this lets your customers know exactly what to expect. Fill a highball glass with (Recipe and image from Food Network) ice. Then add: MAPLE BUTTER KISS 1 ounce of strawberry liqueur 5. The addition of real maple syrup makes this 1 ounce of absinthe holiday cocktail extra special. 1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice Ice A splash of soda water 1 1/2 ounce vodka Just stir and enjoy. 1/2 ounce DeKuyper Buttershots (Recipe from Hubpages) liqueur or butterscotch schnapps 1/4 ounce real maple syrup SWEET TEA HOT TODDY 3. 1 ounce half-and-half Hot toddies are the quintessential cold-weather Fresh-ground nutmeg drink for anyone feeling under the weather during the holidays. Pour liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a 1 tea bag (suggested: chamomile) martini glass and top with fresh-ground nutmeg. Juice of ½ a lemon (Recipe from Food Network) 1 tablespoon honey 1 ounce whiskey of your choice 6. THE GRINCH Hot water If you have a customer who’s a bit more Scrooge Steep the tea in the hot water until it’s ready. than Santa, try serving this drink. Add lemon juice, honey, and whiskey. Stir to 2 ounces Midori combine. Add more honey to taste. 1/2 ounce lemon juice 1 teaspoon simple syrup 4. CHERRY GIN-GRIA Combine the ingredients in a Cherry syrup and red wine give this sangria a shaker with ice. Shake well and bold holiday hue. strain into a chilled martini Ice cubes glass. Garnish with a 2 ounces cherry syrup maraschino cherry. (recommended: Giammona) (Recipe and image from Mix that Drink) 2 ounces gin 5 to 6 ounces club soda 1 ounce red wine Maraschino cherries Fresh or frozen raspberries Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Pour in the cherry syrup and the gin; stir to mix together. Lighten the drink with a generous splash of soda. Float a layer of red wine on top by pouring it over the back of a wide, flat spoon. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t float; it tastes great either way.) Drop a 3 7. CITRUS CIDER Citrus fruits are abundant in winter, so why not take advantage of them with this seasonal cider? 2 quarts apple cider or apple juice 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup honey 8 inches stick cinnamon, broken 9. BOURBON AND 8 whole cloves GINGER COCKTAIL 3 slices fresh ginger Bourbon and ginger will heat anyone up on a cold winter night. In a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, combine cider, orange juice, lemon juice, and honey. Stir to dissolve 4 ounces bourbon honey. For a spice bag, cut a 6-inch square from a 4 glasses filled with ice double thickness of 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Place 1 can (12 ounces) ginger cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in the center of the ale cloth. Bring the corners together and tie closed with 100%-cotton kitchen string. Add spice bag to slow 4 lime wedges cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 Divide bourbon among 4 glasses filled with ice. hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Divide ginger ale among glasses and squeeze 1 Remove the spice bag and discard. lime wedge into each. Serve immediately. (Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens) (Recipe and image from Everyday Food) 8. THE RED HOT SANTA TINI Spice up this Christmas cocktail by using chili- 10. FROZEN CRANBERRY infused vodka and a Thai chili pepper. MARGARITOS 2 ounces chili-infused vodka This cross between a margarita and a mojito 2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur uses cranberry sauce for a holiday twist. Cocoa powder 1 (10-ounce) can frozen mojito mix Cayenne pepper 3/4 cup tequila Sweetened whipping cream 1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce One small Thai chili pepper 2 tablespoons orange liqueur Mix some cocoa powder together with a pinch of cayenne pepper, and rim a chilled martini glass with 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice it. Shake the vodka up with the chocolate liqueur Ice and pour the mixture into the glass. Top it off with Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender. Fill the whipping cream and garnish by floating the chili blender with ice to 5-cup level, and process pepper on top of the cream. until smooth. Serve immediately. (Recipe from Mix that Drink) (Recipe from Southern Living) 4 2 tablespoons butter CHERRY BOMBS 11. 1/4 cup brown sugar For your customers who don’t drink alcohol, try serving this holiday spin on the Shirley Temple. 1 cup chocolate ice cream 1 cup grenadine 1 square unsweetened baking chocolate 1 liter clear citrus soda, or seltzer 2 1/2 cups water 18 maraschino cherries 1/2 teaspoon orange extract Place 2 cups water in a medium saucepan, and bring In a saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar, ice to a boil over medium-high heat. Add grenadine; stir cream, and baking chocolate until smooth. Whisk in to combine. Pour mixture into two ice-cube trays. the water and orange flavoring. Heat over medium- Freeze until solid, 2 hours or overnight. high heat, just until steaming. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of orange zest and grated Fill six glasses with grenadine ice cubes. Top with chocolate in chocolate-dipped shot glasses. soda. Garnish with cherries, and serve. (Recipe from Babble) (Recipe from Martha Stewart) CHRISTMAS COFFEE COCKTAIL 12. BLOOD ORANGE CHAMPAGNE 15. COCKTAILS Need to stay awake while celebrating? Try out this caffeinated cocktail. If you’re looking for a simple cocktail, it couldn’t get any easier than this classy champagne and blood 1 ounce creme de cacao orange juice mixture. 2 ounces coffee 2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed or frozen 1 teaspoon superfine sugar blood-orange juice Stir well with cracked ice, then strain into a 2 750-ml bottles champagne, chilled chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist Pour 3 tablespoons juice in each champagne flute. of lemon peel. Fill flutes with champagne, and serve. (Recipe from Esquire) (Recipe from Martha Stewart) 16. MOCHA MISTLETOE MARTINI EGGNOG 13. PUNCH This martini combines cranberry tea with citrus flavors. If you’re tired of basic eggnog, try 2 ounces vodka out this mocha 2 ounces orange juice twist that 3 ounces cranberry tea, makes enough chilled for a crowd of customers. 3/4 ounces lemon juice 10 parts Kahlúa 3 teaspoons sugar Mocha Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. 5 parts vanilla vodka Shake well. Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses. 20 parts eggnog (Recipe and image from Cocktials) Combine ingredients and serve. 14. HOT CHOCOLATE SHOTS These (nonalcoholic) shots are a unique way to enjoy hot chocolate. 5 Appetizers 17. SPICY PECANS Don’t just put another bowl of peanuts on the bar…try these spicy pecans. 1 tablespoon coarse salt 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika 1/2 cup sugar 2 large egg whites 5 cups (20 ounces) pecans Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and sugar. Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Whisk in spice mixture. Stir in pecans. Spread coated pecans in a single layer onto the baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Rotate the sheets in oven, and cook for 10 minutes more. Step 3: Immediately spread pecans in a single layer on clean parchment paper; let cool before serving or storing. (Pecans will keep, in an airtight container, up to 1 week at room temperature.) (Recipe and image from Martha Stewart) 6 baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add CARAMELIZED ONION TARTS 18. sausage, onion, and butter. With your hands, mix until WITH APPLES well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place This savory appetizer looks super-fancy but uses just balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. a few ingredients.: Bake until balls are golden and cooked through, 25 2 tablespoons olive oil minutes. Serve warm. 2 medium onions, sliced (Recipe and image fromMartha Stewart) 2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into small pieces 20. CANDIED BACON Kosher salt and black pepper This sweet and spicy bacon goes great alongside any 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a holiday appetizer. 17.3-ounce package), thawed 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder Heat oven to 400º F.