Top 5 Holiday Cocktails

You may have seen a new face around the aisles at Joe Canal's in Woodbridge. That's David Rudd, our new Wine Supervisor. He's got a diverse background including many years as a mixologist, so we thought he'd be a great resource to provide this years Top 5 Holiday Cocktails!

This is the time of year that we all gather together to celebrate many things, recount the days gone by and share our hopes for the future. Now we toast our friends and family and bless our loved ones with generosity and hospitality. Inevitably you’ll host an event, or at the very least you’ll be asked for your two cents when someone close to you is organizing their own soiree. You want to be able to blend cherished traditions with chic fashion to give the holidays a glow that is all your own. And so – to help you out – I present to you my Top 5 Holiday Cocktails.

The Dirty Martini
I give this recipe to people more than any other – it is super popular. Somehow the notion of a perfect martini is a little intimidating, but this one couldn’t be simpler.
-2½ oz premium vodka
-½ oz olive brine
-¼ oz dry vermouth
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously until the ice is bruised. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with skewered blue-cheese stuffed olives (my favorite – but any pitted green olive will do).

Naughty and Nice Buttered Rum
This is perfect for one of those nights that beg for a snuggle. A little too chilled to go out and a little too early for bed – pull out your favorite mug and make some memories.
-1 tablespoon butter, softened
-1 tablespoon brown sugar
-Dash ground cinnamon
-Dash ground nutmeg
-2 ounces dark rum
-Boiling water
Put the butter, sugar, and spices in the bottom of a mug. Muddle together with the back of a spoon. Add the rum and fill the mug with boiling water. Stir and serve, regardless if you've been naughty or nice!

The South Side Fizz
This tart and refreshing cocktail, adapted from Kate Simon's Tiny Bubbles: Fizzy Cocktails for Every Occasion is quite a bit more complex and tasty than the bottle of subpar Prosecco you're likely to find in the New Year's Eve party fridge. It's a variation on the South Side cocktail, with the bitter oils of the citrus contributing a refreshing pungent note, and the bubbly adding brightness and light. You don't need to use fancy wine—the fresh lemon, orange, mint, gin, and Cointreau mask most of its flavor anyway. Even if you pour $3 chuck, this cocktail makes for a pretty elegant midnight countdown.
-1 slice of orange, about 1/2 inch thick
-1 slice of lemon, about 1 inch thick
-12 mint leaves
-1/4 ounce gin
-1/4 ounce Cointreau
-ice
-chilled sparkling wine
In a shaker, muddle citrus slices, mint, gin, and Cointreau. Shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a 6-ounce cocktail glass or champagne flute. Top up with chilled bubbly. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Crema di Limoncello Recipe
This makes an excellent gift, consider starting this one in the fall for your dearest friends…
-10 lemons
-1 (750-ml) bottle Everclear (a quality vodka will do if you can't find it)
-8 cups (1.9 liters) whole milk
-5 cups sugar (1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds)
-1/2 vanilla bean, seeds and pod
-cheesecloth
-bottles
Zest the lemons using a lemon zester or the fine groove side of a grater. (Save the zested lemons and use them for some of our great lemon recipes!) Place the zest and the Everclear in a container and allow to infuse in a dark, cool place for a week. After a week has passed strain the liquid through the cheesecloth into a very large glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bowl. In a large stockpot or sauce pan, warm the milk, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds and pod over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (this will take a few hours). Discard the vanilla bean (wash it and save it for another use) and strain the mixture through the cheesecloth. Combine the Everclear infusion with the sweet milk and stir together. Pass through a colander lined with cheesecloth to catch any solids. Funnel into bottles and store in the freezer. Be sure to leave room in the bottles for the mixture to expand if it freezes to avoid an explosion. Use within six months. Serve small amounts in chilled glasses.

The Poinsettia
This cocktail is inspired by the Kir Royale, but explores the Mediterranean with its flavors and gorgeous colors. Serve this as a toast or use it as your specialty cocktail at your party.
-6 oz prosecco
-½ oz Pama pomegranate liqueur
Pour the prosecco into a champagne flute and as the prosecco begins to settle slowly swirl the Pama into the glass. Be careful! Too quickly and the prosecco will overfoam and run out of the glass. Pass the tray, clink, cheers, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!