Berry Mule

 I love the raspberries in this one!

2 oz spiced rum ( I use Appleton)

5-6 raspberries (fresh or frozen)

2 oz ginger ale (I like Canada Dry)

1/2 oz simple syrup (optional)

Mint Leaves (optional)

In a lowball glass, muddle raspberries with the simple syrup.  Add rum and stir well.  Fill with ice and top with ginger ale.  Garnish with mint leaves

Caribou Cocktail

 This is a popular Quebecois drink - but is very potent!

To make 2 drinks, mix 3 oz red wine, 1 oz rye and a dash of maple syrup in a cocktail shaker.  Shake then strain into red wine glass full of ice, Top with soda water and garnish with candied ginger.

Rum Cream

 This is a rich, creamy celebration drink.  Easy to make and a delicious addition to any holiday meal.

1/2 cup amber rum

1/2 cup spiced rum

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp crushed allspice

1/2 cup chilled coffee

2 tbsp chocolate sauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Add all ingredients to a 3 cup bottle.  Close lid and shake well to mix.  Keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 5 servings

Cranberry Lime Gin Smash

 A refreshing drink that is easy to make.  I grow mint in my herb garden and using fresh mint really enhances this drink.

3 fresh mint leaves,  torn
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 oz gin
Juice from 1/2 lime

Crushed ice

1 tbsp frozen cranberries

2 oz cranberry juice

sparkling water

lime wedges

• To a cocktail glass, add 3 mint leaves, sugar, gin and lime juice.  Use a muddler to release flavour of fresh mint.
• Fill glass with crushed ice and frozen cranberries.  Add cranberry juice and top with a splash of sparkling water.  Garnish with lime and fresh mint.

Makes 1 drink.

Pistachio Alexander

 This is a bit of a decadent drink, suited well as a dessert.  I had no idea where to get pistachio syrup so I resorted to Amazon and it was surprisingly good.  The pistachio syrup also worked well in other drinks and even as a flavouring in coffee so if you don't want to drink pistachio alexanders until you finish the syrup it is pretty versatile.  

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 1 oz cream, 1 oz pistachio syrup, 1/2 oz white creme de cacao and 1 1/4 oz amber rum.  Shake and strain into prepared glass and sprinkle a little crushed pistachio overtop

makes one cocktail

Sugar Cookie Shots

Indulgent, but sooo good

4 oz Bourbon Cream

2 oz Dr. McGillicuddys Butterscotch

1 oz Triple Sec

 1/2 oz Kahlua

Serves 4

Cranberry Margarita

 Cranberry adds colour and flavour to any recipe and this is no different.  This is nice for the holidays or on a hot day.

5 oz Tonic water

1 oz Grand Marnier

0.5 oz Campari

1.5 oz tequila

1/4 cup frozen cranberries

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Salt for rim

Rim your favourite cocktail glass with salt and then fill with ice and frozen cranberries.  Add lime juice, tequila, grand mariner and Campari to cocktail shaker then shake until mixed.

Strain into slated cocktail glass and top with tonic water.

Chai Tea White Russian

 I enjoyed this different take on a White Russian.  I just used Liptons Chai Tea in a bag but Davids Tea has some nice varieties that could work well.

CHAI VODKA

1 cup vodka

1/4 cup quality loose leaf chai tea

COCKTAIL

1 1/2 oz Chai Vodka

1/2 oz coffee flavoured liqueur (I used Kahlua)

1 oz half and half cream 

Cinnamon stick

1.  For the Chai Vodka, to a measuring cup, add vodka and chai tea.  Stir.  Let stand for minimum 2 hours, then strain.  Set aside until ready to use.

2.  For the cocktail, pour Chai Vodka and coffee liqueur into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.  Stir to combine.  Top with cream.  Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Makes 1 drink

Clementine Orange Moscow Mule

 The fresh squeezed juice made this fantastic!

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz grand marnier

3 oz freshly squeezed clementine orange juice

juice of 1/2 lime

3 oz ginger beer

- Pour vodka, Grand Mariner, orange juice and lime juice into a copper mug filled with ice

- Top with ginger beer and stir.

Cranberry Gin Smash

 Cranberry and gin go suprisingly well together!

3 fresh mint leaves, torn 

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 oz dry gin

ice

1 tbsp frozen cranberries

2 oz cranberry juice

sparkling water

- to a cocktail glass, add 3 mint leaves, sugar and gin.  Use a muddler to release flavour of fresh mint.

- Fill glass with ice and frozen cranberries.  Add cranberry juiced top with a splash of sparkling water.  

makes 1 drink

Festive Rum Cream

 This is a great drink for a holiday get together.  I used milk instead of cream to make it a bit lighter but go for the cream if you want a little more decadence.

1 cup spiced rum

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup milk or cream

1 tsp allspice

1/2 cup chilled coffee

2 tbsp chocolate sauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Add all ingredients to a large mason jar, close lid and shake well to mix.  It will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 5 servings

Gingerbread Smash

 I love gingerbread so I really liked this spicy drink.  

GINGERBREAD INFUSED GIN

1 cup gin
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp grated ginger
6 cloves

3 cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

COCKTAIL

1 1/2 oz gingerbread infused gin

1 oz Aperol

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Splash of ginger beer

1.  For the gingerbread infused gin, in a glass jar with a lid, add all ingredients and shake to combine.  Let stand for a minimum of 48 hours to allow the flavours to infuse.  The longer it sits, the stronger the flavour will be.  Strain mixture and place liquid back in a jar until ready to use.

Add gin, Aperol and lemon juice to an ice filled cocktail shaker.  Shake well for 1 minute.  Strain into a chilled glass.  Top with a splash of ginger beer.

Cranberry White Russian

 A cranberry twist to a classic.  I found this in the Food and Drink Holiday 2022 magazine.  While it takes a bit of preparation because you have to make the cranberry simple syrup it is worth it.

CRANBERRY SIMPLE SYRUP

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cranberries fresh or frozen

COCKTAIL

1 oz vodka

3/4 oz coffee liqueur

1/2 oz cranberry simple syrup

melted white chocolate for garnish

1 oz Irish Cream Liqueur (I used PJs)

1 oz cream or milk

• For the cranberry syrup, in a saucepan over medium heat, add the water, sugar and cranberries.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a gentle simmer and continue stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes.  Strain mixture and store in a lidded glass jar until ready to use or up to 2 weeks.
• Add vodka, cold brew and cranberry simple syrup to an ice filled cocktail shaker.  Shake well for 1 minute.  Strain into a chilled glass rimmed with white chocolate.  Add the Irish cream and milk.

Makes 1 cocktail

Red Carpet Sizzle

A lovely light cocktail just right for company.

To a pitcher, add 8 oz white cranberry juice, 4 oz lemon juice, 16 oz passion fruit juice and 2 cups strawberries, sliced.  Refrigerate to chill.  Before serving add one 750 ml bottle sparkling wine and stir to mix.  Pour into flutes, distributing fruit.

Cool Cucumber Collins

This drink is definitely worth the work.  Refreshing and tart it is the perfect cool down for when the warmer days arrive.

Fill a highball glass three quarters full with ice.  Add 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka and 1 basil leaf, torn.  Top with 3 oz club soda.  Add 1/4 cup Cucumber Ice and a crack of black pepper.  Garnish with a basil leaf.

CUCUMBER ICE
Peel 1 cucumber and chop into pieces.  Put into a blender and puree.  Pour through a sieve to collect cucumber juice in a bowl, pressing down to extract as much juice as possible.  To the bowl, add 2 oz lime juice and 1 oz simple syrup.  Stir to mix.  Pour into a flat tray to freeze.  After 30 minutes remove the tray and use a fork to break up the mixture into a slush.  Place back in the freezer until ready to use.

SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine equal parts sugar and water in a pot.  Over medium high heat boil until sugar is dissolved.  Cool.

Hibiscus Tea Cocktail

This is really more of a summer cocktail but after dealing with -25 to -33 temperatures for the last two weeks I decided I needed to tast summer.

Brew 1 cup Hibiscus Tea and let cool.  Add to iced cup with lemon juice freshly squeezed from 1/2 lemon, 1 oz gin, a drop of grenadine and top with sparkling water. Add raspberries and blueberries. Enjoy

Indian Iced Chai

I made 1/2 of this recipe but if you have a group over for the holidays this would be a great iced tea cocktail to enjoy.  Based on a recipe in Food and Drink Spring 2016

3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
8 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves, crushed
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 cups cold milk
14 Chai tea bags
1 cup white rum

Garnish: Cinnamon Sticks

• In a medium saucepan, bring the water and honey to a boil, stirring to dissolve the honey.  Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods and black pepper.  Cool mixture to room temperature and strain into a glass pitcher and stir to combine.  Refrigerate overnight.
• Next morning remove the tea bags, squeeze them over the pitcher and discard.  When ready to serve, stir in the rum.  Add ice and stir to combine.  Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Serves 8 to 10.

Blueberry Chai

A wonderful warm drink for a cold night.

1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/4 oz fresh orange juice
3 1/2 oz Chai Tea
Orange wheel
Blackberries

Pour brandy, Cointreau, amaretto and orange juice into a warm brandy snifter  Fill to taste with hot tea.  Garnish with orange wheel and blackberries.

Makes 1 drink

Beach Bonfire

It may still be cold outside but this should heat things up a bit

Crush 1/2 cup roasted almonds and put onto a plate.  Rim glass with Simple syrup and dip into the almonds to coat the rim.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz rum, 1/2 oz Alize liqueur, 2 oz pineapple juice and 2 oz passion fruit juice.  Shake until frothy and strain into th rimmed glass filled with ice.


SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine equal parts sugar and boiling water.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.  Store in the fridge until chilled.

Late Night Latte

A home made ice cap!

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz Frangelico, 1/2 oz brandy, 2 oz chilled coffee and 2 oz almond milk.  Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice.  Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.