The best way to keep warm — or to warm up your holiday party — this winter is with a festive twist on the nog and toddy.
Rich, frothy homemade eggnog can be so decadent, you'll likely forget about dessert.
And hot toddies are so easy — they're nothing more than booze plus hot water plus sweetener — it's no wonder they're just what the mixologist ordered to keep your insides toasty.
Southpaw's Tugboat Egg Nog
Makes 1 drink.
1 oz simple syrup
1½ oz bourbon, whiskey or scotch
½ oz spiced rum, such as Sailor Jerry
¾ oz amaretto (or any nut, coffee or chocolate liquor)
1 egg
1 oz whole milk
1 coffee bean
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, adjusting the amount of simple syrup to the sweetness of the spirits used.
This recipe is built for a 100 proof whiskey and a drier spiced rum. If your spirits are sweeter, decrease the simple syrup to ¾ ounce.
Dry shake (without ice) vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Take care to secure the shaker with both hands, as the mixture will want to escape as pressure builds.
Add ice and shake vigorously for another 10-15 seconds.
Double strain using a Hawthorne and a mesh strainer into a glass with a 9- to 10-ounce capacity.
Grate the coffee bean on top.
— Edward Calhoun, bartender at Southpaw BBQ in San Francisco
Eleven Pipers Piping Hot
Makes 1 drink,
Note: For clove water, steep 10 cloves in 4 TBS hot water for 1 hour.
2 oz apple juice
11⁄2 oz Gosling's black seal rum
11⁄2 oz clove water
1⁄2 tsp brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp spiced simple syrup
1 oz cream
Stir ingredients, then heat with the cappuccino wand of espresso machine until hot and frothy. Pour into mug or heatproof glass. Garnish with cinnamon.
Shades Of Grey
Makes 1 drink.
1½ oz bourbon
½ oz Aperol
¼ oz cherry syrup
½ oz lemon juice
2½ oz hot water
Combine all ingredients except water in a shaker; shake without ice. Add hot water and pour into preheated glass. Garnish with a pinch of Earl Grey tea and a lemon twist.