Santa’s Little Helper

By 8th Day Distillery (slightly adapted by me)

This is an elevated Old Fashion with a spicy holiday twist.

Ingredients

Make the simple syrup:

• 1/2 c. fine sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 knob ginger (about 1 inch), sliced and smashed

Now stir up the cocktail:

• 2 dashes bitters
• 1 T. ginger simple syrup
• 1 1/2 oz. whiskey
• orange peel and rosemary, for garnish

Instructions

1. First, make the simple syrup by bringing the sugar, water and ginger to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. (You may leave the ginger in for more flavor.)
2. After syrup is cool, add a few dashes of bitters to the bottom of a jar, highball glass or Yarai. Coat the bottom. Add 1 T. simple syrup, whiskey and ice. Stir until ice is reduced and mixture has about doubled in volume. Strain into a rocks glass. Add more ice if desired.
3. Garnish with an orange peel and a sprig of rosemary.

Yield: 1

Holiday Lights

By 8th Day Distillery (slightly adapted by me)

Dazzling, just dazzling.

Ingredients

Make the simple syrup:

• 1/2 c. cranberry juice
• 1/2 c. fine sugar
• 1 c. water
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Now, shake up the cocktail:

• 1 1/2 oz. rum
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• ice

Instructions

1. First, make the simple syrup by bringing the cranberry juice, sugar, water and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. After the syrup is cooled, place the rum, 3/4 oz. of the syrup, lemon juice and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake 20 times.
3. Strain into a glass. Garnish with a lemon peel if desired.

Yield: 1

I learned a lot from this virtual cocktail class.  If I had known that you stirred dark liquor and shook clear ones, I had forgotten it.  There were also some great ideas for using leftover simple syrup.

• Place in a half-pint jar and gift (along with the appropriate liquor).
• Use on pancakes and waffles.
• Use equal parts simple syrup (especially the cranberry one above) and apple cider vinegar to make a shrub.

Very Berry & Bright Cocktail

By Vance’s Bakery/Bar (slightly adapted by me)

Festive, truly festive.

Ingredients

• orange or lemon wedge
• fine granulated sugar
• ice
• 2 oz. Rye Whiskey
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 oz. cranberry simple syrup (see Holiday Lights cocktail above)
• cranberries for garnish and for muddling

Instructions

1. If desired, run citrus wedge over the rim of glass and roll rim in sugar.
2. Muddle 2-3 cranberries in a rocks glass.
3. Add Rye Whiskey and cranberry simple syrup.
4. Top with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and stir with ice.
5. Strain into a rocks glass over more ice.  Garnish with citrus slice on the rim and 2-3 cranberries rolled in sugar, served in glass or on cocktail stick.

Yield: 1

Then, I decided to make my own cocktail inspired by all the whiskey ones above.

Spiced Apple Old Fashion

By Debra

Make any fruity simple syrup using juice.  For this one, I used apple cider for a more festive flavor.

Ingredients

Make the simple syrup:

• 1/2 c. apple cider
• 1/2 c. fine sugar
• 1 c. filtered water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 t. all-spice berries

Now, whip up the cocktail:

• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1 T. apple cider simple syrup (from recipe above)
• 2 oz. whiskey
• citrus slice to garnish

Instructions

1. Add a few dashes of bitters to the bottom of a jar, highball glass or Yarai. Coat the bottom. Add 1 T. simple syrup, whiskey and ice. Stir until ice is reduced and mixture has about doubled in volume. Strain into a rocks glass. Add more ice if desired.
2. Garnish with a slice of citrus.

Yield: 1

Take your pick of these holiday cocktails.

Maybe I should have entitled this post “COVID Cocktails” instead, but let’s do are darndest to be festive this season.  Stay in with your loved ones and toast the end of 2020 with your choice of  one (or all) of these Cozy Cocktails.

Cheers!