We have a lot to be thankful for here at Pink Jacket for the Toast-Worthy Holiday Season! One of the perks of working with the restaurant and entertainment industry, is you get a learn a few things about eating and drinking well. Here are a few of the staff pick holiday favorite libations:
Amy Ero, Managing Director
I’ve got two favorite cocktails that I like to share with guests during the holidays. One is inspired by my dear friend, Julia Garton. She and her partner, Mike Schoder, owners of Granada Theater and Sundown at Granada – this first drink is in honor of my favorite Sundown tequila drinks.
MISTLETOE MARGARITA
Ingredients:
- Ready Rabbit GREEN Sugar (available at Spec’s)
- Flaky salt
- 2 ounces of your favorite silver tequila (I like Casa Dragones)
- 4 ounces cranberry juice (I prefer no sugar added, but if you like it sweeter, you may want to get a cranberry cocktail)
- ¾ ounce Paula’s Orange Liqueur (a Texas-made spirit)
- ½ lime, squeezed juice
- 2-3 teaspoons honey (or agave)
- About ½ an orange, zested
- Ice
- Serve with sugared cranberries or a sprig of rosemary piercing a small chunk of orange
Directions:
1) Get your green sugar on a flat plate and put a few pinches of flaky salt on there. Rim your glass with lime and then roll so you get a nice, green sugar rim on your glass.
2) In a blender (or if you want it on the rocks, in a shaker) combine tequila, cranberry, Paula’s, lime, and honey (or agave) and top with ice. Blend (or shake) and then add in your orange zest.
3) Pour into your prepared glass and garnish.
GLÖGG
The second is a classic Swedish hot drink that is perfect for cold, winter days. Glögg is a traditional hot mulled wine served in Sweden (in Germany, it is called Glühwein). Do NOT use your good bottles for this! Cheap red wine is the way to go!
Ingredients:
- Two bottles of red wine (we’re partial to Two Buck Chuck at Trader Joe’s)
- One bottle sweet white wine (a Moscato or Riesling is good)
- One orange sliced into rounds
- One lemon slides into rounds
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4-5 whole cloves
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup sugar (or less if you don’t like it as sweet)
- 1-2 cups Vanilla Vodka (Absolut Vanilla to keep it Swedish)
Directions:
1) Put all the wines in a crockpot and put the orange and lemon slices in there (make sure you’ve already taken out the seeds)
2) Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, cranberries, and sugar
3) Lid on. Crockpot on HIGH.
After about an hour, it should be nice and hot. You can move the dial to LOW or WARM. Ladle into your favorite holiday mug and either put a shot of the vanilla vodka into each serving or you can pour it directly into the LOW simmering pot. Garnish with a small cinnamon stick.
Marilyn, Digital Marketing Strategist
SPICY POM MULE 🎅❄️
When it’s cold outside there’s nothing better than a Moscow Mule, there’s just something cheery about this drink and it’s fun to create. I love making a spicy version with pomegranate juice because it has practically every facet of what I find tasty in food or drink. Spiciness, tartness from the ginger, bright and chilly Mint if I have it on hand, and sweetness from the Pom juice.
Ingredients:
- Lime Juice & muddled mint
- 2 ounces vodka
- Reed’s Ginger beer
- 1/3 cup Pom juice
- Ice
- 2-3 jalapeño slices and/or Mike’s Hot Honey
Elena Baca, Creative Director
Like Amy, I also love a nice Glögg but if I’m not having that, I like to keep it simple with hot chocolate plus a little something-something to make it feel festive.
HOT CHOCOLATE & BAILEYS ☕️ ❄️
Ingredients:
- Your favorite hot chocolate
- Baileys, the Original Irish Cream
- Done!
Directions:
1) Make your favorite hot chocolate however you like it.
2) Add however much Baileys you desire.
3) Start sipping!
Ryan Wilson, Data Lord 🤖
A classic for a reason, I enjoy an old-fashioned. I enjoy it, however, the bartender makes it, but the holiday twist I like is punching up the flavors. Best late enjoyed later in the evening, listening to good tunes, with friends & family.
HOLIDAY OLD FASHIONED 🥃🍊
Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1/2 oz Christmas Syrup or Brown Sugar
- 2 dashes bitters
- Garnish w/ cinnamon stick & orange peel
- Ideally, cube-cut ice
Directions:
1) Poor a tablespoon (more or less, depending on preference) of Maple Syrup into the bottom of your whiskey glass.
2) Add 2 dashes of bitters
3) Add two ounces of the bourbon & lightly stir
4) Carve a strip of peel off of an orange. Rub this on the rim of the glass and toss it in.
5) Add ice & a cinnamon stick. Serve!
