It's Decemeber and even though the Capital Weather Gang have tragically predicted zero snow fall this month, Christmas is round the corner and I am fully embracing the festive season. Hoping that if I wish hard enough, there will be some sort of winter miracle and a few flakes will start to fall...
Even though I can't control the weather, I can control the TV! And nothing makes me happier than curling up to watch Christmas movies and shows with a festive drink. Mulled wine, hot chocolate, spiked apple cider--all delicious--but, right now, my favorite festive drink is chilled and sparkling.
The drink is named after my favorite episode of my favorite snow-filled show. It's perfect for Hanukkah parties, Christmas parties, New Years parties, basically ALL PARTIES. You can make the bourbon apple cider part in advance and then just pop the prosecco when guests arrive.
Stuff
2 parts apple cider
1 part bourbon
couple cinnamon sticks
couple sprigs lemon thyme
prosecco
cranberries (to decorate)
Steps
Mix the apple cider, bourbon, cinnamon sticks, and lemon thyme in a jug. Chill or add ice to chill.
Pour about an inch of the mixture in a champagne glass and top off with prosecco (it'll be fizzy, so go slow). Garnish with cranberries.
I have a new favorite cocktail and it's old, like real old. Named after the longest running Broadway show of its era, the Adonis has been around since the mid-1880s. It's so old that no one knows the original recipe (we know the break down: dry sherry, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters) but no one knows which dry sherry they originally used. So everyone just uses their favorite.
I've spotted the cocktail (or something similar) at a few different spots in DC. It seems to be a regular feature at Barmini and Mockingbird Hill (where I also learned about the drink's history). Every time I order it, I love it (then bore everyone around me with a rambling speech about how great sherry is). Sherry is really great, guys.
Stuff
1 part dry Sherry
1 part sweet vermouth
few drops orange bitters
orange peel
Steps
Mix sherry, vermouth, and bitters over ice. Serve straight up. Garnish with orange peel.
Guys, my mother is coming to visit and I am ridiculously excited. My mum (cause we're British) is my favorite person. She has taught me many life skills, because of her I always keep a packet of smoked salmon in the fridge--it lasts forever and is perfect for snacking! My mum and I look the same, we talk the same, and we have the same real true unshakable love for gin. So in preparation for her arrival, I restocked.
If you give a girl some gin, chances are, she'll want a mixer to go with it. And I had grapefruits in the fridge (my CSA has been really into "winter pick me ups," which aren't exactly local but, hey, they're still from small farms and it's a nice alternative to seven weeks of turnips). So it was time to make some greyhounds.
Greyhounds use a 3:1 grapefruit to gin/vodka ratio but I'm making this drink in honor of my mother, so I use a 2:1 ratio (plus club soda and some other extra bits to cut it). This is a lovely between season drink with the wintery citrus and fresh spring mint. It's incredibly refreshing, so it's perfect for sipping in the backyard as I wait for my mother and summertime to arrive.
Stuff
juice from 1 grapefruit (2 parts)
gin (1 part)
few drops aromatic bitters
few sprigs of mint
club soda (to top off)
ice
Steps
Juice the grapefruit. Add juice, gin, bitters, and one sprig of mint to a cocktail shaker (or mason jar...) Add ice and shake. Strain mixture into glasses. Top off with club soda and garnish with mint.
