Punch up your at-home TGIF game with these 12 craft cocktail recipes, including new-release liquors and wines, and artisan mixers, that’ll have you and your guests giving your favorite bar some stay-at-home competition, until you can venture out and support them again.
1. The Wall Street
Created by BLISS/ReBAR
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
1/4 ounce Sweet Vermouth
4 shakes of walnut bitters
Muddled blackberry
1 drop smoked tobacco elixir
Garnish with orange peel (zest), a small rosemary stem and a maraschino cherry (optional). Pour over ice and served in a tumbler.
2. Winter in Pear-is
Created by 5Church Atlanta
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce allspice simple syrup
3/4 ounce St. George Spiced Pear liqueur
3/4 ounce lemon juice
4 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake, strain, and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a pear slice.
3. Hot Rocket
4 ounces Rocket vodka
8 ounces apple cider or unfiltered juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Add vodka to hot cider or unfiltered juice. Stir in teaspoon of maple syrup. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.
4. Frozen Persimmon Margarita
From The Wildcrafted Cocktail by Ellen Zachos
2 ounces smooth persimmon purée
1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 cup ice cubes
1 lime wedge, for garnish
Combine the persimmon purée, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until the texture is thick and smooth. Pour and enjoy.
5. Ode to Whisky [Sour]
Created by NYC mixologist Andrey Kalinin
2 ounces Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce heather honey syrup
3 dashes cardamom bitters
1 egg white
Fresh cardamom
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (if using egg white). Add ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a coupe or martini glass, served up. Garnish with cardamom flakes.
6. Holiday Road Punch
15 ounce pomegranate green tea liqueur with Everclear (recipe at makeityourown.com)
5 ounces vodka
5 ounces white rum
10 ounces lime juice
10 ounces champagne
Combine all ingredients except champagne in a pitcher or punch bowl. Mix and chill in refrigerator eight hours or more (overnight works best). Just before serving, add chilled champagne and stir carefully. Add ice, along with 10 lime wheels. Serve in punch glasses, ice optional. Garnish with lime wheel.
7. Chocolate Martini
Created by Mastro’s Steakhouse NYC
1 1/2 ounces Three Olives Cake vodka
1 1/2 ounces Godiva White Chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 ounces Chopin Dorda Double Chocolate liqueur
Splash of whipped cream
Chocolate-covered strawberry for garnish
Build ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into martini glass. Garnish with chocolate-covered strawberry.
8. Autumnal Rum
Created by The Honeywell in West Harlem NYC
3 slices Fuji apples
2 ounces Plantation 3 Stars rum
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce Suze Gentian liqueur
Cinnamon sugar:
Muddle three slices of apples in a shaker. Put remaining ingredients into shaker in this order: Lime juice, simple syrup, Suze Gentian liqueur, Plantation 3 Stars rum. Shake and strain into martini glass. Dip apple slices into agave then dip into cinnamon sugar. Garnish with cinnamon sugar apples.
9. Matcha Hot Chocolate
1 1/2 ounces Baileys Original
1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder
1/2 cup hot soy milk
1 ounce white chocolate chips
In a saucepan, combine Baileys Original, match powder, hot soy milk, and white chocolate chips. Pour into a copper mug. Top with whipped cream and a tall skewer of pink mochi balls painted with glittery luster dust.
10. Jingle Juice
1 1/2 ounces Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky
1 ounce cranberry sage simple syrup*
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau
Fresh red cranberries
Orange bitters
Combine first five ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until shaker is completely frosted. Pour into a sugar-rimmed glass and top with two dashes of orange bitters. Stir and garnish with red cranberries.
*Recipe for cranberry sage simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh whole red cranberries
4 cinnamon sticks
10 fresh sage leaves.
Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Reduce over medium heat. Add cranberries, cinnamon sticks and sage leaves. Bring ingredients to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Muddle then strain syrup. Store refrigerated for up to two weeks. Yields 1 1/4 cups.
11. Frísco Hot Toddy
2 ounces Frísco
1 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoons lemon juice
4 ounces hot water
Combine ingredients in your favorite mug. Stir until honey is dissolved. Get cozy.
12. Countdown to Cuvée
4 ounces Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée
1/2 ounce honey-flavored whisky liqueur
Lemon peel
Sugar
Cut a long and wide strip of lemon peel. Dip both sides of the lemon peel into sugar. Place sugared lemon peel inside champagne flute, circling the inside rim.
Pour chilled honey whisky liqueur and Bubbly Brut Cuvée into the flute through the center of the sugared lemon peel.