Seven festive cocktails, coming right up! Celebrate the holidays in style with these delicious and innovative recipes from Four Seasons.
1. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CHICAGO: Jack Frost Martini
Crisp and sweet, this peppermint cocktail from Steve Minor, mixologist and manager at Allium, offers one of the classic flavours of the seasons.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Stoli Vanil
½ oz peppermint schnapps
1 ½ oz Godiva White liqueur
1 piece of white chocolate peppermint bark
Method:
Pour all liquid ingredients into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a large black martini glass and garnish with a shard of homemade white chocolate peppermint bark. Serves 2.
2. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL HAMPSHIRE: Old Spice Cocktail
Combining the mellowness of fruit juice and the kick of vodka, this warm drink by the bartenders at Bar 1086 is perfect for sipping on a chilly day.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ oz (50 ml) vodka
2/3 oz (20 ml) lemon juice
2/3 oz (20 ml) spiced berry cordial
1 ¾ oz (50 ml) apple juice
cinnamon stick and orange rind for garnish
Method:
Mix all liquid ingredients together. Steam ingredients until warm, using a coffee steamer. Pour into a heatproof glass and serve with a stick of cinnamon and swirl of orange rind.
3. FOUR SEASONS TENTED CAMP GOLDEN TRIANGLE, THAILAND: Tom Kah Martini
From the mixologists at Burma Bar comes a tropical pick-me-up infused with local ingredients like galangal (a form of ginger) that aids in blood circulation.
Ingredients for martini:
2 oz tom yam infusion (see below)
1 oz triple sec
1/2 oz Malibu rum
1 oz coconut milk
1 oz lime juice
3 oz pineapple juice
chili oil for garnish
Method for tom yam infusion:
Place galangal (ginger), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chilies in a bottle of vodka and infuse for at least 12 hours. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Method:
Shake tom yam infusion, triple sec, rum, coconut milk, lime juice and pineapple juice with ice. Serve in martini glass and top with chili oil.
4. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL AUSTIN: ‘Buie Toddy’
Designed to warm you from top to toe, this spin on the classic toddy comes from Travis Tober, bartender at the Lobby Lounge.
Ingredients:
¾ oz Drambuie
¾ oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
½ oz honey water
½ oz lemon juice
¼ oz cinnamon syrup
hot water
Method:
Add ingredients in order listed to a footed mug. Top with hot water and stir before serving.
5. FOUR SEASONS THE BILTMORE SANTA BARBARA: The Navana
Cold or hot? It’s a tough decision! Martin Montera, bartender at Ty Lounge, created this creamy butterscotch-vanilla cocktail that works equally well in sunny climates or winter wonderlands.
Ingredients:
1 oz Navan liqueur (note: Navan can be difficult to find, so an alternative is Grand Marnier infused with a whole vanilla bean)
1 oz butterscotch schnapps
3 oz whole milk steamed (hot recipe) or 2 oz of half and half (cold recipe)
touch of Blue Curacao liqueur
butterscotch whipped cream
candied vanilla seed ribbon
Method (cold option): Combine ingredients (using half and half rather than steamed milk) in shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Serve in rocks glass. Garnish with candied vanilla seed ribbon.
Method (hot option): Combine ingredients in mug. Add steamed whole milk (rather than half and half).
Top with butterscotch whipped cream. Garnish with candied vanilla seed ribbon.
6. FOUR SEASONS RESORT CHIANG MAI: Siam Sunray
Tart and refreshing, the Siam Sunray by the mixologists at the Elephant Bar offer a taste of the tropics complete with authentic Thai ingredients
Ingredients:
2-3 slices of fresh ginger
6 Kaffir lime leaves
1 oz lime juice
1 piece lemongrass
1 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 oz coconut liqueur
soda water
red chile for garnish
Method:
Muddle ginger, Kaffir lime leaves, lime and lemongrass with simple syrup. Add the vodka and coconut liqueur and a few ice cubes. Shake well and pour. Top with club soda, a few ice cubes and a slice of red chile.
7. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ATLANTA: Feliz Navidad Cocktail
Matt Buckley, mixologist at Park 75 Lounge and Terrace created this rich, spiced cocktail to warm your spirits.
Ingredients:
½ oz whole milk
½ oz heavy cream
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg
grated fresh nutmeg and cinnamon, to taste
2 oz bourbon
Method: Bring milk and heavy cream to a simmer on the stove. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Beat egg yolk and sugar together in a mixing bowl until a smooth paste forms. Pour hot milk and cream slowly into the egg mixture and combine. Bring to a boil and add a dash of cinnamon. Chill. Stir milk mixture together with ice and strain. Top with a dash of nutmeg.
Wait, there’s more! Visit one of Taste’s most popular posts from 2012 to discover 11 more holiday cocktails. Plus, learn about cocktail bitters in Four Seasons Magazine.
The post Making Spirits Bright: Our Top Holiday Cocktails appeared first on Taste by Four Seasons.