Designer Recommended: 10 Go-To Holiday Drinks
The author considers a drink at Bemelmans (above) a holiday-season must. Image: Bemelman’s
This time of year, when other publications are easing out of December with best-of roundups, we’re still putting in an honest effort and asking subjects the hard-hitting questions. The most important one is, of course, What’s your go-to holiday drink?
“This might not be the classiest answer, but…” began Laura Feinstein, Designer and Tech Editor at Kickstarter. “One of my first jobs out of college was pouring wine for concerts and events at Scandinavia House, the Nordic Center in America. Many of the patrons were a little older and liked to order their wine mixed with seltzer — ‘a spritzer!’ — because ‘it keeps you hydrated as the evening goes on.’ I loved that answer and it has become my go-to formal/work party cocktail. It’s kind of a 2-for-1 special.”
That’s not only classy, it’s smart — keeps you hydrated!
For Laura Podesta, PR Manager at Fiverr, the answer is as easy as the recipe itself: merry mulled wine. Take one bottle of red wine, one cup of orange juice, three tablespoons of whole cloves, and three cinnamon sticks. Then simmer in a pan on low heat. Once hot, serve in a goblet with a slice of orange. “Most people make mulled wine with brandy, but I prefer just OJ and skip the brandy,” said Podesta. If wine is good for the heart and oranges are good for the immune system, then this is practically a health food.
A Negroni with a twist. Image: Sebastian Coman Photography
Reimagining the Classics
Chí-An Benjamin De Leo, Founder & CEO of Rice Studios in Vietnam keeps it super classy. His new favorite holiday drink has to be the Mezcal Negroni. “It’s a twist on the classic Negroni, but in my opinion it’s just that little bit better,” he says. This crowd-pleasing version adds more complexity to the already full-bodied original cocktail. “The Campari provides bitterness, the Vermouth adds sweetness, the lemon peel brings freshness and acidity (using lemon peel instead of orange to balance the smokiness of the Mezcal), and of course, the Mezcal adds a smoky flavor,” he says. “Perfect aperitif for the holidays!”
A Recipe with a Singing Ritual
Naomi Piercey, our Special Projects Editor, goes with the Wassail. The spiced drink has pre-Christian origins, and she makes a version of it at her family’s winter solstice celebration every year. “The idea is to brew it with some special ingredients while setting an intention for the new year and then to pour some of the strained fruit out on your crops and trees while singing, which scares away evil spirits and ensures a good harvest the following year,” she said. “I think this weird little singing ritual is what eventually turned into caroling at people’s doors, but you can look up the yule origins if you’re curious!”
You can put almost anything into your wassail — herbs, fruits, wine, brandy, polyjuice potion — but “just make sure you choose it with purpose,” said Piercey. To make her recipe, simmer two parts apple cide to one part cranberry juice with a “bunch” of allspice berries for abundance, double that of cloves for courage, four cinnamon sticks for health, and an orange peel for happiness, for a couple of hours. Then add in the apples, sliced horizontally, so the natural pentacle (star) is visible, in the last hour to soften. Remove from the heat, then “top with brandy and sing!” said Piercey.
A hot toddy made with non-alcoholic Ghia. Image: Ghia.
Delicious With or Without Booze
For those who might not have polyjuice handy, Adventr founder Devo Harris has something a little simpler — hot chocolate topped with whiskey because, yum. And Standards Manual founder Hamish Smyth leans towards the Dirty Shirley. “Everyone like a Shirley Temple. And nostalgia is best served tipsy,” he said. “Plus, you can make regular Shirley’s for the kids or anyone not drinking.”
For those looking for more mocktail options, Cathie Urushibata, Shake Shake Creative Director, has just the answer. She favors Ghia, the new non-alcoholic apéritif inspired by the Mediterranean; and Avec, a sparkling drink made with botanicals and real fruit. Or even good ol’ Martinelli’s. “Any type of ginger-based mocktail makes me happy,” she said.
Another favorite is the Bull Shot, a Bloody Mary made with beef broth. Image: Johann Trasch.
Serious Beverage Business
But if you’re drinking drinking, you might try WeTranfer Chief Creative Officer Damian Bradfield’s special occasion beverage. “My go-to holiday drink is the Bullshot,” he said. “It’s for serious drinkers with serious issues. I am sure people have suggested a Bloody Mary for a hangover. A Bloody Mary doesn't even come close to the Bull Shot. It is vodka, beef broth, celery salt, Worcestershiresauce, Tabasco and horseradish. This puts hairs on your chest on those cold winter mornings and will destroy your intestines slowly, too. But YOLO.”
Finally, we end this deep exploration with “Uncle Dan’s whiskey sour” as shared by our very own Head of Partnerships Tucker Margulies. Uncle Dan is the “fun” uncle — the eldest of eight siblings, never married, no kids, retired early. It’s unclear in which year the whiskey sour became “Uncle Dan’s,” but other memories are more clear. The Margulies holiday tradition was to head to Clover Lanes (now closed) to bowl. In reality, it was more beer than bowling. Then back to grandpa’s split-level ranch house with shag carpet where Uncle Dan would whip up alarmingly-frothy green and yellow concoctions for those still up “late” at night, which was about 7 p.m. because it was pitch dark outside and everyone had been drinking since noon. “The key,” said Margulies, “was a hand-whipped raw egg. That’s why they were only for the ‘specials.’”
Uncle Dan’s whiskey sours come served in whatever clear glass can be found, and are handed out with hushed reverence to the select few. And there is no recipe because no one ever asked Uncle Dan for it.
And to all a goodnight!
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