Toasting the Holidays

As I’ve said before, I love parties: cocktail parties, dinner parties, casual parties and spur-of-the-moment get-togethers! I love spending time with friends and family I don’t see often enough because life gets in the way. Being the host, I love these cocktails because they are simple to put together and easy to make. You can entertain while still enjoying your own party. 

Red is a colour that reminds me of the holidays, I don’t know if it’s Santa’s red suit, poinsettias or the big red bows that decorate doors, boxes and cars on tv. Cranberries are a fall fruit from evergreen shrubs that start to make their appearance on the table at Thanksgiving and are a colourful holiday side. They are a tart burst of colour be it on a plate or in a drink. What better way to raise a festive toast than with a cranberry red cocktail. 

I hope you enjoy these fun holiday cocktails. Raise a glass and make a toast. Cheers to getting together with friends and family and to whatever holiday you might be celebrating!

Want other cocktails to celebrate? Check out the cocktail section under the Food pull-down menu above, or see Holiday Cheers, Thank You Coffee or Maple Cocktails.

Now, about that HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!!!! As you know, I’ve written in the past about one of my fav Canadian companies, Black Cloud Bitters. They’ve released three new flavours of bitters (!) and to celebrate, they’re giving one lucky reader one of their super cute Campfire mugs and a 1 oz bottle of each of their new bitters: Pumpkin, Winter Spice and Cabaret. Check out my Instagram here on how to win. Also, if you sign up for the Black Cloud Bitters emails, here, you will get a set of their cocktail recipe cards! 

Cranberry Bourbon Sour – sours are easy cocktails that can be modified via the base spirit.

What you need:

• 1 3/4 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• cranberries (garnish)
• orange slice (garnish)

What you do:

• Place the bourbon, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and cranberry juice in a shaker filled with ice
• Shake shake shake
• Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, add the cranberry and orange slice garnish

Cranberry Negroni – I love a Negroni. The cranberry gives it a little extra red OOMPH! and plays well with the bitter orange notes of the Campari.

What you need:

• 1 oz Spirit of York Gin (Yay Canada!!!! Proudly Canadian, proudly Torontonian!)
• 3/4 oz Campari
• 3/4 oz red vermouth
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• orange peel (garnish)
• cranberry (garnish)

What you do:

• Place the gin, Campari, vermouth and cranberry juice in a shaker filled with ice
• Shake shake shake
• Strain into a martini glass
• Twist the orange over the cocktail and wipe rim of glass
• Add the cranberry and orange twist garnish

Soft (Snow) Shoe – I couldn’t wait to try out the new Black Cloud Bitters and I couldn’t resist a photo in the snow (and yes, I know there are no cranberries in this cocktail, but it’s got a reddish colour, and a great flavour, so that counts!)

What you need:

• 1 oz bourbon
• 1 oz red vermouth (I used Carpano Antica)
• 1/4 Creme de Mure (I used Giffard)
• 3 dashes Black Cloud Bitters Cabaret
• lemon twist (garnish)

What you do:

• Mix in a large rocks glass
• Add a large ice sphere
• Garnish with a lemon twist
• Sip it in a snowbank (optional)

Cranberry Ginger Mule Ginger– I think we all know what a big fan I am! This cranberry riff on a Moscow Mule hits all the right notes.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 oz Spirit of York Vodka (Yay Canada!!!! Proudly Canadian, proudly Torontonian!)
• 1/2 Giffard Ginger of the Indies
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• ginger beer 
• cranberries (for garnish)
• rosemary (optional – for garnish)

What you do:

• Fill a tall Collins glass with ice
• Add the vodka, Ginger of the Indies and cranberry juice
• Stir
• Garnish with rosemary sprig and cranberries

Cranberry Orange Sparkler (Serves 4 friends catching up – 8 -10 drinks!) – get ready to sparkle this New Year’s with this easy-to-make elegant bubbles cocktail!

What you need:

• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 bottle of prosecco

What you do:

• Mix the Grand Marnier and cranberry juice together
• Drop 1 cranberry in the bottom of each champagne flute
• Pour the Grand Marnier/Cranberry mix into each glass (roughly 1 to 1 1/4 oz per glass)
• Top with prosecco
• (Want to make this for 1 -2 people? Use 1/4 oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz cranberry juice and top using one can of Joiy Sparkling Wine – one can is 250 ml, perfect for 1 or 2 people)
• Cheers!

Hoping everyone gets to raise a toast with good friends and family this holiday season. Remember if you are out celebrating don’t drink and drive. Please take a cab, Uber or Lyft and stay safe!