If you’re hosting a get-together, it makes sense to stock up on beer and wine, but the best hosts give their nice guests a little something special in their glasses. Something festive. Something memorable.
You could hire a bartender to create a signature drink for your event. Or, you could just use one of ours, by proxy: We pried the secret recipes out of the capable hands of bartenders at four area restaurants and bars. You’ll have to mix the drinks yourselves, but your guests just might swear they were professionally poured.
Warm your party up with The Pub’s Pumpkin Hot Buttered Rum or cool it down with the Oakwood Club’s very own Santa’s Sleigh, a combo of brandy, amaretto, eggnog and ice cream. Make your guests feel like a kid again with a S’mores Martini from Vue Ultra Lounge or let them feel sophisticated while sipping the Taste Chocolate Martini, which has just a hint of coffee in it.
Special thanks to the elves, er, bartenders, at The Pub in Beavercreek, the Oakwood Club in Oakwood, Vue Ultra Lounge in Dayton, and Taste Creative Cuisine in Trotwood, all of whom shared their favorite holiday drink recipes with us.
THE PUB'S PUMPKIN HOT BUTTERED RUM
A seasonal favorite, this cocktail creates a drinkable pumpkin pie.
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin batter mix (see below)
- 6 ounces boiling water
- 1 ½ ounces Sailor Jerry rum
- Whipped cream
Put batter in coffee mug and add boiling water. Stir until well incorporated. Add rum and stir again. Garnish with whipped cream.
Pumpkin Batter Mix:
- ½ lb. butter (unsalted) softened
- 1 lb. light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons allspice
- 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin puree (unspiced)
Put ingredients into mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated. You can refrigerate for later use.
THE PUB'S PEPPERMINT BARK MARTINI
The peppermint schnapps adds a nice peppy kick to this drink.
- ½ ounce Three Olives vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce dark creme de cacao
- ½ ounce Tres Leches cream liqueur
- ½ ounce peppermint schnapps
- ¾ ounce half and half
- Hershey’s chocolate syrup
Use the Hershey’s chocolate syrup to create swirls along the bowl of martini glass. Combine the rest of the ingredients in an iced mixing tin. Shake and strain into martini glass.
VUE WINTER BERRY CHAMPAGNE
For this drink, honey liqueur is pressed with fresh blueberries and lime and topped with sparkling champagne and cranberries. If you prefer sparkling wine, Secco Italian Bubbles or Mumm Napa are good choices.
- 2 ounces Barenjager honey liqueur
- 4 ounces Brut Champagne/sparkling wine
- Fresh blueberries and cranberries
- Lime cut in wedges
Refrigerate champagne glasses and champagne. Fill a cocktail shaker with half a cup of blueberries, 2 lime wedges and Barenjager honey liqueur. Using a muddler (or the back of a large spoon) smash all the ingredients together. Top with 1 cup of ice, shake well and strain into chilled champagne glass. Top prepared mixture with champagne and garnish with fresh cranberries.
VUE S'MORES MARTINI
A classic childhood treat reimagined for grown-ups.
- 2 ounces Three Olives s’mores vodka
- .5 ounces creme de cocoa light
- .5 ounces Kahlua creme liqueur
- Hershey’s chocolate syrup
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Fresh marshmallows to toast
Refrigerate martini glasses an hour in advance. Using two small plates, coat one with chocolate syrup and fill the other with graham cracker crumbs. Roll the rim of a chilled martini glass in the chocolate syrup and then dip in the graham cracker crumbs. (Can do several ahead of time and store in a freezer until ready to serve.) Fill a cocktail shaker with one cup of ice. Add Three Olives s’mores vodka, creme de cocoa light and Kahlua creme. Shake well and pour into prepared martini glass. Spear marshmallows with toothpicks or long skewers cut in half. Toast marshmallows over flame (or use culinary torch) and garnish cocktail.
OAKWOOD CLUB POMEGRANATE/CRANBERRY COSMO
Bartender Corky Kissell makes this drink using either frozen pomegranate seeds from Trader Joe's or fresh ones from Kroger.
- 2 ounces cranberry vodka
- 2 ounces pomegranate vodka
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce Cointreau orange liqueur
- Lime juice from ¼ of a lime
Add cranberry juice, Cointreau and the fresh lime juice to the equal parts cranberry and pomegranate vodka. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with fresh lime and pomegranate seeds.
OAKWOOD CLUB SANTA'S SLEIGH
Make this sweet drink extra special by adding "snow," known to cake decorators as white sparkling sugar, to the rim of the glass.
- 1 ounce brandy
- 1 ounce eggnog
- 1 ounce amaretto
- Generous scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Nutmeg
- Wilton white sparkling sugar
Blend the vanilla ice cream with eggnog, brandy and amaretto. Serve in a sugar ”snow”-rimmed glass and garnish with nutmeg. You could also add a cinnamon stick.
THE TASTE CHOCOLATE MARTINI
Taste first created this drink for a guest wanting a dessert, coffee or a cocktail to end her night and meal. The sweetness of Godiva and the hint of coffee from the Café Patron make it a great nightcap.
- 1 ounce 360 chocolate vodka
- 1 ounce Godiva chocolate liqueur
- .5 ounce Bailey’s Irish cream
- .5 ounce Café Patron
- .5 ounce Stoli vanilla vodka
- chocolate syrup
Spiral chocolate sauce in chilled martini glass. Mix all ingredients in ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well to mix. Strain and pour into prepared martini glass. (Variation: A splash of peppermint liqueur can add a hint of the holidays.)
THE TASTE FRENCH 75
This cocktail is named after a French 75 mm gun in early 1900s Paris. This version puts a modern twist on a vintage cocktail and can be served as an aperitif or between courses.
- 1.5 ounce Hendricks gin
- 1.5 ounce Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose’ Champagne
- .5 ounce orange simple syrup
- .5 ounce sour mix
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients except champagne and shake vigorously. Add champagne. Give it three shakes and then strain into chilled champagne flute.
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