Drinks for the Holiday Season

By Bob Lipinski

As summer fades and activities like beach outings, pool parties, sailing, and open-air events wind down, I eagerly anticipate the delights of autumn—especially when it comes to food and drinks. This season invites you to savor cocktails, both hot and cold, that highlight flavors such as peppermint, apple, cranberry, cinnamon, and ginger. Holiday gatherings often feature an array of well-loved beverages, including timeless cocktails, wine-based specialties, and festive non-alcoholic mocktails.

Get ready to mix, shake, and enjoy some of my holiday drink recipes that will get you right into the festive spirit!

Scarlett O’Hara

The cocktail was named after the heroine from “Gone With The Wind” and, though it became popular following the 1939 film, it was actually created around 1936 after the novel’s publication.

• 2 ounces Southern Comfort liqueur
• 6 ounces cranberry juice
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Shake the ingredients with ice

Stone Fence

A cocktail that originally consisted of dark rum and apple cider, but nowadays whiskey and even apple brandy are substituted for the rum. This was popular in the late 1700s and was reputedly the favorite drink of Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys. Also known as stonewall (United States).

• 2 ounces whiskey, apple brandy or rum
• 5 ounces apple cider
• Stir the ingredients with ice

Negroni Sbagliato

A “broken” or “mistaken” Negroni where Prosecco is used in place of gin.

• 1 part Campari
• 1 part sweet vermouth
• 2 parts Prosecco or other sparkling wine
• Stir Campari and vermouth with ice, top with Prosecco, and garnish with an orange slice

Some Nonalcoholic Drinks:

Shirley Temple

A nonalcoholic cocktail consisting of ginger ale, grenadine, and garnished with a maraschino cherry. The Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood, California created it and named it after the 1930s child actress Shirley Temple.

• 1 ounce grenadine syrup
• 4 to 8 ounces ginger ale
• Maraschino cherry for garnish
• Stir grenadine with ice, then top with ginger ale and garnish with cherry

Eggnog

A rich, creamy, nonalcoholic dairy beverage made with egg yolks, cream, and sugar and generally served during cold weather. The alcoholic version includes brandy, whiskey, rum, or other alcoholic beverages. The word eggnog, first used around 1775 is probably a corruption of “Egg-and-Grog.”

• 1 quart container of eggnog mix
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Dusting of cinnamon
• Mix or shake all ingredients with ice and dust with cinnamon.

Turkey Cocktail

“To one large turkey add one gallon of vermouth and a demijohn of Angostura bitters. Shake.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940, American novelist)

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com