Drinking for the Holidays
Impress your guests with these original winter cocktail recipes from Dallas' topmixologists
A Mai-Tai-Dings will give you the most confused taste memories. Is the holidaysor the beach? Jimmy Buffett says both!Photo by Rich Vana
Rocco Milano of Private Social is the man behind the Mai-Tai-Ding, a Mai-Taiwith holiday undertones.Photo courtesy of Barter
We were hoping for a picture of the Colombian Necktie from the People's LastStand's Anthony Polo. But the Jameson is still being infused with banana andnutmeg.The People's Last Stand/Facebook
It's not that we don't love you, margarita. It's just that sometimes we want toexperiment a little.
The margarita is perhaps the perfect cocktail for Texas. Cool and refreshing, it works in the spring, summer and fall. But come winter, the margarita leaves our liver wanting.
Sometimes we need something a little deeper and richer to keep us warm. So we asked a few Dallas bartenders for some inspiration in the winter cocktail department. They went to their labs and came back with original concoctions that will work at your holiday party or on a quiet night wrapped in blankets.
We love you, margarita, but we’re ditching you until spring.
Rocco Milano atPrivate Social has whipped up his holiday take on the Mai-Tai call a Mai-Tai-Ding. (Get it?) Don’t tell the margarita that we’re drinking another fruity, cold drink. Sometimes it just feels so right to cheat.
The Mai-Tai-Dings
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. spiced rum
.75 oz. orange liqueur
.25 oz. all spice liqueur
1 oz. lime juice
2 oz. orgeat syrup
Orange slice, for garnish
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake. Strain into a glass over fresh ice, garnish with orange slice and serve.
Anthony Polo fromThe People’s Last Stand came up with this twist on the traditional Irish coffee, called the Colombian Necktie. It takes a while to prepare (like 72 hours or so), but stick around for an alcoholic coffee with South American flair.
The Colombian Necktie
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. banana-infused Jameson (see recipe)
1 oz. salted toffee caramel syrup (see recipe)
Cinnamon, freshly grated
Medium roast coffee
Preparation:
Combine ingredients in a coffee cup in the following order: banana-infused Jameson, salted caramel toffee syrup, medium roast coffee. Top with Kahlua-cacao whipped cream (see recipe) and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon. Allow cream to mix naturally or stir into cocktail.
Banana-infused Jameson
Ingredients:
1 bottle Jameson Irish whiskey 6 year
5 ripe bananas
2 oz. of freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation:
Slice bananas. Combine with nutmeg and Jameson and put into a glass container. Let it sit for a minimum of 72 hours.
Salted toffee caramel syrup
Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
4 tbsp. butter
1 pinch of salt
Preparation:
Mix brown sugar, half and half, butter and salt in saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisking gently, cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add vanilla and cook another minute. Turn off heat, cool slightly and pour into bowl or jar. Refrigerate until cold.
Kahlua-Cacao whipped cream
Ingredients:
1 liter heavy whipping cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur
1/4 cup Tempus Fugit cacao
Preparation:
Combine ingredients in a mixer and whip to proper consistency. Keep refrigerated. Or, combine ingredients in bowl and lightly whip. Pour mix into Isi Whip canister and charge. Keep canister refrigerated. (The latter is far more pleasing to the eye and ultimately is the best way to store the whipped cream.)
Charlie Papaceno at theWindmill Loungeserves the Windmill’s Neuvo Anos, a rich and sweet cocktail to strengthen you against the cold.
Windmill’s Nuevo Anos
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Ron Zacapa rum
1.5 oz. heavy cream
1 egg white
2 tbsp. apple butter
1 tsp. honey syrup
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Preparation:
Dry shake all the ingredients to emulsify. Add ice, then shake heavily and pour into a tall flute. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
