4 holiday spices to reuse in cocktails
THIS CONTENT IS POWERED BY: VINEPAIR
WORDS: ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON
INFOGRAPHIC: DANIELLE GRINBERG
The guests have gone home, the dishes are clean, and you’re stuck with extra baking spices and fresh herbs. What luck! Instead of storing everything in the pantry for next year, you can use these spices, herbs and other fragrant flavor-enhancers while they’re still sitting out. Check out these tips (paired with suggested recipes) to see how you can reuse some of those leftover ingredients from holiday celebrations in cocktails, taking them to the next level.
Mix in ground spices (nutmeg)
A good bourbon, such as Bulleit, already has notes of baking spices in its flavor profile, so you can’t go wrong with adding it to eggnog. You can use the basic ratio for this recipe to scale up for larger batches. For most cocktails, you’re not going to want to add ground spices directly to the drink (see infusions below for an option), as they risk making the drink taste gritty, but with a thick mixer like eggnog, they blend in beautifully. Consider also ground cinnamon, allspice or pumpkin spices.
Easy Bourbon Eggnog
Ingredients
1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
4 oz. Eggnog, Chilled
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
Chocolate Orange Stick Garnish (Optional)
Dash of Ground Nutmeg Garnish
Instructions
1. Combine bourbon and ground nutmeg in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Stir well to chill and strain into a mug or old fashioned glass.
3. Add chilled eggnog and stir to blend.
4. Sprinkle nutmeg over the drink to garnish.
5. Garnish with a chocolate orange stick.
Serves 1
Infuse spirits with seasonal herbs (rosemary)
Tequila pairs wonderfully with cool weather fruits, herbs and spices, and infusing your tequila with these seasonal ingredients helps bring out those winter flavor notes even more. Infusing a spirit is easy: stick whole fruit, herbs or spices in a large-mouth jar or bottle, add tequila, seal and store in a cool dark place for a few hours or a couple of days. Strain into a clean bottle and, presto! This old fashioned riff has all the goodness of your favorite tequila and citrus cocktail with the added seasonal flavors of rosemary and pear for a crisp, herbal drink that looks as good as it tastes. To give this recipe a little heat, incorporate a few jalapeño slices.
Rosemary Pear Tequila Old Fashioned
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Rosemary and Pear-Infused Casamigos Blanco Tequila*
0.5 oz. Simple Syrup
0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
3-4 Dashes Bitters
Rosemary Sprig Garnish
2 Jalapeño Slices (Optional)
Candied Ginger Garnish (Optional)
Instructions
1. Muddle 2 jalapeño slices (without seeds) in a cocktail shaker (optional).
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and top with ice.
3. Shake until thoroughly chilled, at least 10 seconds.
4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
5. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a piece of candied ginger.
Serves 1
*Rosemary and Pear-Infused Casamigos Blanco Tequila:
1. Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and half a diced pear to a sealable container filled with 6-10 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila.
2. Seal and let sit for 1-4 hours in a cool, dark space.
3. Strain into another sealable container for storage. Store in a cool, dark place.
Make a simple syrup (ginger)
Use herbs or spices to garnish (cinnamon sticks)
What’s better than an inviting, wintry interpretation of the espresso martini that uses leftover ginger to make a homemade simple syrup? The answer is nothing. Nothing is better. Sure, you can buy simple syrup at the store, but making it and customizing it is fun and easy. So grab your ginger and follow these easy steps to mix up this classic cocktail with just the right amount of spice.
Gingerbread Espresso Martini Recipe
Ingredients
1 oz. Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 oz. Brewed Espresso or Coffee, Cooled
0.25 oz. Ginger Simple Syrup*
2-4 ½ Inch Slices Fresh Ginger, to Taste
3 Espresso Beans to Garnish
Candy Cane Garnish
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously, at least 20 seconds, until chilled and frothy, and strain into a martini or cocktail glass.
3. Top with three espresso beans facing each other and a small candy cane to garnish.
Serves 1
*Ginger Simple Syrup:
1. Add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup freshly peeled and sliced ginger root to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally to avoid caking.
2. Strain into a sealable container and store in a cool, dark space.