Hey Bartender

LIVING IN RICHMOND has been great! When I arrived, summer was about half over already, but I managed to find lots to do. Before I knew it, fall had claimed its quarter of 2010. There were lots of fall festivals and plenty of fall foliage to enjoy. Last week, we got our first indication that winter was on its way as there was some serious snow flurries spotted on Saturday night.This inspired yet another conversation about winter cocktails. I thought that I'd spend this post listing some of my favorites along with their preparations. I'll break them into two categories: hot drinks and cold drinks. Hopefully, I'll introduce you to some things that you haven't heard of before.

Brian's Rain

2 ounces Patron Resposado tequila
1/2 ounce mulled apple cider
1/2 pineapple juice
6 - 8 fresh blueberries

Add blueberries to a shaker and muddle them. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake all ingredients vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Spiced Old Fashioned

2 ounces Maker's Mark
1/2 ounce of sours mix
1 sugar cube
1 dash of Angostura bitters
1 orange slice
4-6 fresh cranberries

Place the orange slice, cranberries, and sugar cube in a rocks glass and muddle them. Fill the rocks glass with ice and add the Maker's Mark, sours mix, and bitters. Stir the ingredients with a bar spoon. This cocktail can be garnished with an orange slice and fresh cranberries.

Ultimate Alexander

2 ounces Korbel Brandy
2 ounces Creme de Cacao
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
2 ounces of chocolate shavings

Pour Brandy, creme de cacao, whipping cream and chocolate syrup into a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain ingredients into a martini glass. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings onto the drink.

Bloody Mary

1 1/2 ounces lemon pepper vodka
4 ounces tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce
3 - 4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain ingredients into your favorite Bloody Mary glass filled with ice. For those who like salt and pepper, you may sprinkle liberally.

*note: I created the lemon pepper flavored vodka by infusing citrus flavored vodka with peppercorns. As far as I know, there is no brand on the market that is packaged this way.

Candy Cane Cocktail

2 ounces strawberry vodka
4 dashes Rumple Minze
2 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
1 candy cane (crushed)

Garnish the rim of a chilled martini glass with crushed candy cane shrapnel. Pour vodka, Rumple Minze, and cranberry juice into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into the cleverly decorated glass.

My Tai

1 1/2 ounces The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
1 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier
3 ounces pineapple juice
2 tablespoons grenadine
1 dash lime juice
1 dash sugar

Add all ingredients to a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain ingredients into a tall glass filled with ice.

Hot Drinks

Warm Chocolate Cake

1/2 ounce Brandy & Benedictine
3/4 ounce Godiva chocolate liqueur
3/4 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce chocolate syrup
4 ounces hot milk
1 teaspoon chocolate shavings

Pour all liquid ingredients into a coffee cup. Top with chocolate shavings.

Keoki Coffee

1 ounce Kahlua
1/2 ounce Korbel Brandy
4 ounces of coffee

Pour all ingredients into a coffee cup. Top with whipped cream.

Ginger Hot Toddy

1 1/2 ounces Woodford Reserve
1/2 ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
4 ounces Rooibos Tea
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon slice

Fill a tea cup with hot Rooibos tea. Mix in honey. Add Woodford Reserve and Domaine De Canton. Stir gently. Garnish the cup with a slice of lemon.

Peppermint Patty

1 ounce Rumple Minze
6 ounces hot chocolate

Pour hot chocolate and Rumple Minze into a large Brandy snifter. Top with whipped cream.

Hot Apple Pie

1 ounce Tuaca
6 ounces warm apple cider
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick

Pour hot apple cider into a coffee cup. Add Tuaca. Garnish with whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg. Fashionably place cinnamon stick into coffee cup.

Woodford Furnace

1 1/2 ounces Woodford Reserve
6 ounces hot apple cider
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Pour hot cider into a coffee mug. Add Woodford Reserve. Garnish with cloves and cinnamon.

So, there you have it. Enough winter drinks to keep you from pondering the cold winter months ahead. These drinks are all fun twists on standard drinks that I developed in order to make them fresh and new again. They are all pretty easy to make and they are all amazingly delicious. There is something to suit almost anyone's tastes, so I invite you to try them. Many of them are perfect for the holiday season and perfect for small holiday gatherings. As always, no matter where you enjoy them, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!

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