Between planning our London takeover and managing the other office mischief, I looked up from my computer and suddenly the Holiday season showed up. (Seriously, people. I am NOT prepared for this.) Wherever you are, whether the holidays came with a whisper (looking at you, LA!) or a Bang (sorry, Buffalo!), one thing is for fo’ sho: there will be parties with SGs in ugly sweaters and a drink in their hands.
And since Ye Olde Holiday Party is a great time to come together with your bffs and get completely sauced, the Suicide girls around the office have been asking to dish out a list of my best-ever drink recipes from my bartending days. (Shout Out to all the Pink Pony and Galardi Girls in ATL! I miss y’all!!) Truth be told, I tend to have a party at least twice a month, so those recipes have only gotten better! So here is my epic list for delicious drinks guaranteed to impress whatever hoodlums you are hosting, be they hipsters or republicans. I’ll throw in the pro-secrets for ya too - if you have a special drink that your crowd loves, please put it in the comments and add to the awesomeness.
And without further ado, here’s a peek into my recipe box (organized by liquor, of course). I laid out the brands that I love, but don’t feel obligated to use them. Please use your tried-and-true favs if you have them. I also included pics of my standbys from my most party. Enjoy!!
Gin:
My relationship with gin can easily be described as “love the playa, hate the game.” I love the way it make me feel, but man I hate the taste!!! Here are some drink mixers that eat up the “burn” of the Juniper.
Gin and Ginger beer: aka the “Han Solo.”
Gingerbeer is one of those mixers that will do the trick every time, with anything. You can turn this into a mule by muddling the mint and adding some simple syrup – but this amazing combo doesn’t even need to be fancied up. For this crowd pleaser, mix: START WITH: A highball glass 3/4 full of ice
ADD:
1 part Gin (Hendrick’s, Tanqueray, Beefeater) (add first)
3 parts Ginger beer (Reed’s) (add second, pouring in swirley circles)
FINISH:
Lemon, Lime, and/or a mint sprig. No need to shake – the carbonation does the work for you.
Gin and Pineapple Juice, aka the “Snoop Dog.”
START WITH:
A highball glass 3/4 full of ice
ADD:
1 part Gin (Hendrick’s, Tanqueray, Beefeater)
3 parts Pineapple Juice
FINISH:
Shake a little, or dump it into a pint glass and pour it back into the glass. Top with a maraschino cherry (or 5) and a swirl of grenadine, or a slosh of Maraschino cherry juice.
Whiskey
Now, I’m not too big on whiskey’s aftertaste, but I am Irish - so therefore I stubbornly insist on consuming it anyway, like a sexy frenemy that keeps getting me into trouble. Here are some great options for whiskey based party drinks – but make sure all of your guests are of the same political affiliation so there are no fights once everyone’s knackered.
Bourbon & Cream soda / aka the “Princess Leia”
This drink takes me to my happy place on the level as Pecan Pie. I’m not even a Bourbon fan, but I will drink this by the GALLON.
START WITH:
A highball glass 3/4 full of ice – or a pint glass ½ full of ice, if going for the Leia Float.
ADD:
1 part Bourbon (Angel’s Envy, Gentleman Jack, or any flavored whiskey anything). (Add first.)
3 parts Cream Soda (Brown’s is just totally the best, but Virgils, A&W or any other works too). (Add second – swirly pour. If you’re doing a Leia float, put in ½ - ¾ as much.)
FINISH:
Maraschino cherry, or a scoop of VANILLA ICE CREAM & spoon. OMG. Ice cream float that gets you drunk? YES PLEASE!!!
Hot toddy
START WITH:
1 cup of Hot tea (any black, red, or green tea will do)
ADD:
1-2 Tbsp Honey (add first)
2 oz whiskey (Johhny Walker, Glenfiddich, or any apple whiskey)
FINISH:
1-2 cinnamon sticks, and stir.
Bloody Irish
START WITH:
highball glass ½ full of ice
ADD:
2 oz Fine Irish Whiskey (Blended or Small batch is always best. And on that note, if anyone has a bottle of John Sullivan, please call me!)
4 oz blood orange juice – OR – regular orange juice, light pulp + a swirl of grenadine
Splash of gingerale
FINISH:
Mint sprig, Orange wedge or even, … A drop of Sriracha (but then you have to shake it). If you wanna get SUPER fancy, you can muddle some orange, mint, and a JALAPENO slice in the glass before you put the ice in … But seriously, who has time for that?
Vodka:
The secret of a good Vodka drink is actually less in the components and more in the epic violent shaking that you give the ingredients. The shaking releases the saccharides in the liquor, which not only makes it taste better, it helps your kidneys process the alcohol and therefore PREVENTS HANGOVERS. Yep, you heard me! Stirred drink = Hangover. Shaken drink = No Hangover. Follow Mr. Bond’s lead, my friends. This is universally true for all non-carbonated drinks of all liquors, actually; not just Vodka.
French Martini
Start with: a martini glass AND a Highball, ½ full of ice AND an empty pint glass. Make sure the highball and the pint glass fit together for shaking. Into the highball glass, add:
ADD:
3 oz Vodka (Anything, really)
2 oz Rasperry Liquor or wine (Chambord or Trader Joe’s is my super fav)
2 oz orange liquor
Splash of pineapple juice
FINISH:
Place the pint glass upside-down over the highball to form a container. Shake it until it froths (15 second or so?) then flip the pint glass over and stick use the bottom to trap the ice in the highball as you pour the concoction into the martini glass. Drop in a raspberry afterwards for an adorable little garnish. *Note: immediately rinse the shaker glasses to avoid an epic sticky mess.*
Fully Loaded Bloody Mary, aka the “Kill Bill”
Like the Leia, the Boody Mary can be a drink and a snack at the same time – and there are few things that look better with an ugly holiday sweater than a Bloody Mary. Think of this drink in terms of cocktail sauce. You have to hit a balance on all areas of your tongue. Although a simple lemon garnish works great, in our house, the garnish is more of an antipasti on a stick. Bloody Mary mix is SO easy to make, just skip the store-bought stuff!
** FOR THE MIX: **
START WITH:
a ½ gallon pitcher with air-tight lid that you can shake (or a blender)
ADD:
32oz of Tomato Juice (Klamato or V-8)
¼c Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
¼ c Lemon Juice
1 tsp crushed garlic (the stuff that you find in the jar in the produce aisle. You can sub garlic powder too.)
1.5 – 2 Tbsp Horseradish. OR, if you are slightly insane, try subbing some Wasabi, but use ½ as much. It’s face-meltingly delicious.
A few shakes of your fav hot sauce (Tabasco, Franks, etc)
Celery Salt, if you have it, but let’s face it, no one under the age of 60 actually keeps that stuff around….
Once this stuff is added, put the lid on the pitcher and shake it violently or about 30 seconds. Hard. Like you mean for it to die. Because it takes a lot for the horseradish and the garlic to make friends, but once they do, hoooboy! Then, once you shook the dickens out of it, taste it, and adjust to your liking – because literally every single human is different in their Bloody Mary likings. Shake the mix again immediately before serving, so the chunks redistribute nicely.
** FOR THE DRINK: **
START WITH:
a pint glass 2/3 full of ice
ADD:
3 oz Vodka (doesn’t matter what kind)
Bloody Mary mix (swirly pour!) If you have a drink shaker, shake it up. If not, you can also pour both in a the same time if you can control the alcohol flow.
FINISH:
1 celery stick (with leaves, cuz they’re pretty) and a wood grilling skewer full of awesomeness. On this skewer can go a myriad of items, including, but not limited to: stuffed olives, pickled okra, carrots, and/or asparagus; sweet gherkin pickles; mini hotdogs or summer sausage slices, salami or prosciutto roll-ups; and cheese cubes. You can even make the skewers ahead of time if you are worried about your tispy guests putting an eye out while attempting it themselves.
Rum:
Gosh I wish I had more to say about Rum drinks, but sine Rum is more of a Summertime thang, that just leaves is with good old …
Egg Nog
START WITH: a mug AND a pint glass. Into the pint glass,
ADD:
2 oz Rum
1 oz Brandy OR Vanilla Liquor
6 oz store-bought Egg nog
A few shakes of cinnamon of pumpkin pie spice
FINISH: Pour the concoction from the pint glass into the mug and add a cinnamon stick
Tequila:
Well, Tequila and I go waay back to my boarding school days. She’s the BFF that is first to get me up on the stripper pole; that’s why we’re such good friends! Although Tequila is also CLEARLY not a Holiday tradition, there is always a reason for another margarita. So here goes….
Ultimate Margarita:
START WITH:
A drink shaker ½ full of ice and a pint glass.
ADD:
Into the drink shaker goes:
3 oz good quality silver tequila (Milagro, Patron)
1-2 oz Orange Liquor (Doesn’t honestly matter what kind)
3 oz Margarita Mix (Finest call, Master of Mixes)
1 oz of good quality orange juice, no pulp – The OJ makes a drastic flavor change, killing the Tequila’s Hi-YA! on the back of your throat.
To flavor up the margarita, add 1-2 oz of fruit nectar: Mango, Strawberry, Peach are all great. I suggest Prickly Pear, if you can get it – they used to serve it at Revel in AC, and O. My. God. was it good . . .
Shake for about 20 seconds like you’re trying to give it brain damage. You’re done when the top ½ inch is froth.
FINISH:
To rim the pint glass: pour a circle of Kosher salt in a circle in a small plat or tea saucer. Take a lime or lemon wedge and rub the meaty juicy part around the top of the glass. Flip the glass and put it in the salt, top down. Turn the glass about ¼ turn and pick it back up. Voila! Salt rim. Pour carefully into the middle of the pint glass, avoiding the salty goodness.
Wine:
Nothing says “holidays” like a glass of wine in your hand, cuddled on the couch with your honey … or in a drunken argument with your family … Whichever way you prefer to spend your buzz, here’s some help to get you there!
Spiced/Mulled Wine
START WITH:
A Crock Pot or Spaghetti Pot on the stove, set to the lowest setting
ADD:
½ of an orange, sliced
2-3 Cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4-10 whole cloves, depending how spicy you like stuff
½ cup of honey
1 cup of Apple brandy or Apple whisky (AppleJack)
2 cups of apple cider
Fill up the pot with wine (Pinot Noir, Merlot, any blended wine is awesome)
Let it warm for at least 10 minutes; DO NOT SIMMER. Bubbles = alcohol evaporation, and that makes Santa’s elves sad. Then, to be spiteful, they’ll bring you crazy relatives for Christmas. SO DON’T LET THE WINE BUBBLE, DAMMIT! You’ll know it’s done when the whole place smells good. When the pot gets down to about 1/3, dump in another bottle of wine, a slosh of cider, and 4 oz (1/2cup) of brandy. Keep it going all night.
FINISH:
Scoop out the deliciousness into a mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick. I personally suggest a 1 Cup measuring cup to do so; it will scoop about 6 oz so you can keep track of what you’re drinking.
Plum wine spritzer aka “Sailor Moon”
START WITH:
Big red or balloon wine glass ½ full of Ice
ADD:
Two fingers of Ginger Ale (the cheaper the better. I don’t know why this is true…)
Fill with Japanese Plum wine (Use Choya Brand! If you can’t get that, just make sure it’s “umeshu” made from plums and not plum-flavored white wine – you gotta read the label.)
FINISH:
A thin slice of lemon on the rim
Bellissimo
This one is perfect for New Year’s celebrations, brunch, and if your parents or grandparents are coming over. Not really an autumnal theme per se, but gosh darn it’s so good I had to put it in here JUST in case you haven’t heard about this little beauty yet:
START WITH: Champagne flute
ADD: 1 -2 fingers of Mango or Peach nectar, then
Fill the glass with your fave champagne (I personally love Sparkling Moscato for this) but tilting the glass at a 45 degree angle a pouring slowly to preserve bubbles
Garnish: none. Just try not to drink it in one gulp!