Holiday cocktails for anyone
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The winter solstice has been observed in most documented historical cultures, just as it is today. It was called Saturnalia by the Romans.
Before them, some scholars say the Greeks marked the winter solstice with a month-long fertility festival in honor of Poseidon.
Before even then, the neolithic peoples of Ireland created megaliths that tracked the winter solstice. Newgrange was built about 3,500 BCE, older than Stonehenge or the pyramids of Egypt. Whether out of fear the diminishing sun meant the world was ending, or just frantic year-end activity, the solstice was (is) a time to eat, drink and celebrate the year’s events.
It’s a time of the shortest and often coldest days, so why not stay inside by the fire and entertain each other?
Now, remember: a cocktail is not like a glass of wine. It’s a lot of alcohol in a little package, so sip and savor. If you’re drinking because you’re thirsty, grab a lemonade.
Ardith Holmes from Emporians for Drug Awareness sent in some helpful non-alcoholic recipes. The point of a party is to enjoy each other’s company and conversation — not enjoy getting drunk, right?
According to James Thurber: “One martini is all right, two is too many, three is not enough.” And that’s where the trouble begins, so alternate your drinks with a big glass of water and keep food in your tummy. Emporians for Drug Awareness says “If you catch a buzz, catch a ride.”
A Bloody Mary is one of my favorite drinks. The hot sauce, the celery salt, the marinated green bean stirrers — I love it! You can get all that flavor without the vodka, too. Here’s one recipe.
TRICKY MARY
1 quart vegetable cocktail juice
4 tsp. low calorie sweetener
3 dashes each of celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, lime juice
Combine everything and shake well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Serve over ice with a garnish, like a stalk of celery, a skewered radish, or some green olives.
This next one is rich and fizzy. You can use diet cola to save on calories.
THE HOLSTEIN
8 oz. dark cola
4 oz. half and half
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients with ice.
If you like Piña Coladas, then you probably won’t care if this has rum in it or not. It’s the creamy pineapple-coconut combination that makes this drink so unique.
NOD-A-COLADA
2 oz. 100 percent pineapple juice
4 oz. water
1 oz. coconut cream
1 oz. half and half
6 ice cubes
Prepare in a blender on high speed until smooth. Garnish with a huge wedge of fresh pineapple and a cherry.
Here’s one more mocktail to savor while singing, “Some day my Prince will come.”
CINDERELLA MOCKTAIL
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz fresh orange juice
1 oz fresh pineapple juice
Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake until chilled; strain into a chilled martini glass. Club soda or ginger ale can be added for a little fizzy excitement.
Get out the bocce set and bowl a few games while enjoying this next recipe.
BOCCE BALL
2 oz. Amaretto
Orange juice
Orange slice
Pour the Amaretto into a chilled highball glass filled with ice, fill with orange juice and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.
Some call it a Bumble Bee but in Tallahassee it was known as the Killer Bee. Very tasty, and great for sipping as the proportion of bitter to sweet alters with each sip, ending with mostly sweet. Keep both liqueurs in the freezer for a special treat.
KILLER BEE
1/2 oz. Barenjaeger
1/2 oz. Jaegermeister
Pour the Barenjaeger into a clear shot glass. Gently pour the Jaegermeister down the side of the glass so that it floats on top of the Barenjaeger. It’s dramatic!
Perhaps this one could go with a “Titanic” watch party. Just look out for the ice.
ICEBERG MARTINI
2 oz. gin
Dash white creme de menthe
Mint sprigs
Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh mint.
If you’re not a fan of olives, you could try this next drink. Just don’t expect too many kisses!
GIBSON
2 oz. gin or vodka
2 drops dry vermouth
cocktail pearl onion
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finish with a marinated pearl onion.
HIGHLAND FLING
1 1/2 oz. scotch
1 oz. sweet vermouth
Dashes of orange bitters
Green olive
Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a green olive and serve with haggis (not really, but it would probably make the haggis taste better).
If you’re having a hard time putting together your holiday gifts, you ought to go by Jack’s Tobacco. I was in there the other day, and Jane King has beautiful gift baskets that you can fill up with all kinds of little treats, like nifty bottle corks, unusual stemware, blue cheese stuffed olives, or even mulling spices. Grab some goodies, and bottle of bubbly from King’s Liquor next door and you’ll be set no matter the occasion!
Next week we’ll have a special column. The challenge you should be working on right now is for soups and stews. Have a wonderful holiday season, and get cooking!