Cocktails to ring in the new year

There’s nothing like a good cocktail to warm your soul, reflect on memories past, lessons learned and bring in the new year. Each of us thought up our favorite winter holiday cocktail to share with our readers. Give some a try, expand your palate and night cap the holiday and 2020 with some flavor.

– The Editors

Pomegranate, grapefruit jalapeño Moscow mule

Ingredients

Three flavors perfectly balanced against one or two shots of your favorite vodka.

• 3 ounces ginger beer
• 2 ounces plain seltzer
• 2 ounces grapefruit juice
• 1-2 ounces pomegranate juice
• Heavy splash of lime juice
• 1-2 shots of your preferred vodka
• Pomegranate seeds
• Two slices of jalapeno
• Slice of grapefruit garnish

Method

Combine all ingredients and stir. Serve with garnishes and enjoy.

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White Russian

A disco-era drink revived by the Coen Brothers’ sharp-humored 1998 film “The Big Lebowski,” the White Russian is a fast-drinking creamy treat with an aesthetic on-par with a snowy Big Sky winter day. Be careful though, this decadent cocktail has a deceptively sweet taste. Don’t forget it’s two parts booze!

Ingredients

• 1 oz coffee liqueur
• 1 oz vodka
• 1.5 oz heavy cream

Method

Shake all ingredients together with a generous scoop of ice for a frothy finish.

For best results, serve in a chilled glass and enjoy beside a crackling fire after a day spent playing in the snow. 

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Mulled Wine

Recipe by Ali on Gimme Some Oven

It is a chilly time of year, and sometimes, hot chocolate just won’t cut it. For a warmth that sets a fire in your belly and settles in your bones, mulled wine is a spicy, soul-warming delight. There are many variations on this simple recipe, and it is easy to customize to your liking. Included below is a traditional version of this timeless drink.

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste
• optional add-in: 1/4 cup brandy (or your favorite liqueur)
• optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise

Method

Combine the wine, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, 2 tablespoons sweetener, and brandy in a large saucepan. Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it just barely reaches a simmer.  Avoid letting it bubble — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.  Serve with your favorite garnishes.

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Hot Toddy

For an aperitif to warm you from the inside out, the classic hot toddy is an easy choice. Honey’s sweetness marries lemon’s tartness for a perfect accent. Spike it with your choice of spirit, though we suggest a mountain man’s favorite, whiskey, or keep it local with a honey moonshine distilled in the heart of the Madison Valley.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of water
• 2 tsp lemon
• 1.5 oz whiskey or Willie’s Honey Moonshine
• 2 tsp honey, if you opt out of the honey moonshine

Optional (but festive) garnish

• Cinnamon stick
• Lemon peel

Method

Boil water and combine with other ingredients in mug. Add cinnamon stick to the mug and rest lemon peel on the rim for garnish. Enjoy!