Season cheer is in the air…and in your cocktail. Billie Keithley is bringing on the holiday spirit with 16 hand-crafted cocktails.
COTTON HEADED NINNY-MUGGINS
Cotton Headed Ninny-Muggins
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
3/4 oz maple syrup
Top with ginger beer
Incorporate ingredients with crushed ice.
Garnish: cotton candy, candy canes and candy corn.
MR. GRINCH
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
1 oz wintergreen tea syrup*
1 oz lime juice
Top with Fever Tree Tonic Water
1/4 tsp green pearl dust
Shake top 3 ingredients with ice. Strain over ice. Add tonic and dust and stir to incorporate.
Garnish: mint bouquet
*Wintergreen tea simple syrup: over medium heat add 1 cup of brewed mint green tea and 1 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate.
RUMCRACKER
Rumcracker
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish (Buy Now)
3 oz chai
2 oz vanilla almond milk
2 dashes Fee Brothers Toasted Nut Bitters
Shake first 3 ingredients with ice. Strain and serve with crushed ice. Add bitters.
Garnish: cracked nuts
OHHH FFFFUDGE!! (Christmas Story)
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1 oz Irish cream
Top with hot cocoa and whip cream.
Garnish: mini fudge squares
SILVER AND GOLD
Silver and Gold
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Vodka (Buy Now)
5 oz white cranberry juice
Splash of Prosecco
1/4 tsp silver pearl dust
Stir all ingredients with ice.
Garnish: red edible flower.
PASSION FOR WINTER
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz Perfect Puree EL Corazon
Top with sparkling water
Stir ingredients with ice.
Garnish: blood oranges cut into quarter wheels with pomegranate seeds.
FA, LA, LA, LA NOG
Fa, La, La, La Nog
2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
4 oz egg nog
1/2 oz vanilla liqueur
3 dashes walnut bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Served up.
Garnish: sprinkle of vanilla bean sugar.
MERRY FLIPMAS
Merry Flipmas
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1/2 oz nut liqueur
1 oz creme of coconut
1 oz toasted almond milk
1 egg
Shake all ingredients with ice well. Strain over ice.
Garnish: grated nutmeg and cardamom sugar
Muletide
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz Colorado honey simple syrup*
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes cranberry bitters
Top with ginger beer
Garnish: lime and cranberries
*Honey simple syrup: over medium heat, add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup honey & 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until dissolved.
SANTA’S LIL HELPER
Santa’s Lil Helper
2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)/brown butter/Christmas cookie wash*
Pour over large ice ball, sip and enjoy the slight nuances of a sugar Christmas cookie in this spirit forward Breckenridge Bourbon libation.
*Breckenridge Bourbon wash: add 1 stick of butter to a skillet on medium-low heat. Let it melt until it turns a caramel color and nutty aroma comes forth. Add 5 muddled sugar cookies. Stir. Pour the skillet and 375 ml of Breckenridge Bourbon into a plastic container. Let rest about an hour at room temp. (You’ll see the butter separating). Put into the freezer 4 hours. Take out of the freezer and pull the butter layer off. (Can use this delicious butter for a spread). Strain the rest into a bottle.
Spiced Sleigh Bells
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
1-1/2 oz cranberry/habanero/cinnamon syrup*
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Shake all ingredients with ice. Serve over ice.
Garnish: cranberries and sliced habanero
*Cranberry, habanero and cinnamon simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz cranberry juice, 8 oz sugar, 4 oz cranberries muddled with 1 tablespoon chopped habanero pepper and pinch of ground cinnamon. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and strain. Refrigerate.
BILLIE’S HOT BUTTERED RUM
Billie’s Hot Buttered Rum
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
1 generous tablespoon hot buttered rum batter*
Top with hot water.
Add ingredients into a mug. Give it a little stir.
Garnish: churros and fresh ground cinnamon
*Hot buttered rum batter: add one stick of softened butter, 1 pint of churro ice cream (substitute your favorite decadent ice cream if you desire), 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon into a blender. Blend until a it becomes a very thick milkshake consistency. Transfer to a covered container and keep in the freezer.
BLITZEN GROG
2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
1 oz blackberry syrup
Eggnog
Shake Breckenridge spiced rum and nog with ice. Layer over 1oz blackberry syrup.
Garnish: blackberries and freshly grated nutmeg.
TIS THE SEASON FIZZ
Tis the Season Fizz
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz cranberry, pomegranate, blackberry shrub
Top with soda
Garnish: cranberries
*Cranberry/Blackberry/
BLOOD ORANGE BLISS
Blood Orange Bliss
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz blood orange juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
1/2 oz lime juice
1 dash cranberry bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve over crushed ice.
Garnish: blood orange slice and mint
DEER SANTA
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
1/2 oz nut liquor
Fill with hot cocoa
Top with butterscotch whip cream and sprinkles
SPICED WHISKEY CIDER SOUR
2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1 oz cold, unfiltered apple cider
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve up.
Garnish: traditional fruit cake square with a flame.
Looking for more cocktail inspiration? Check out our Thanksgiving cocktail and dish pairings, winter cocktails and summer cocktails. Cheers.