December is here and it is finally time to break out the Christmas decorations, sing carols loudly throughout the house and start sipping on some festive drinks! This cocktail includes some of my favorite things; cinnamon, cranberries and the most wonderful of all...TEQUILA! So be merry and get stirring! Happy Holiday Season!!
Christmas Cranberry Margarita
Ingredients
2 ounces resposado tequila
1/2 ounce cranberry simple syrup (see recipe below)
1/2 lime, juiced
Soda water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) cinnamon
Sea salt to taste
Ice
3 fresh cranberries for garnish
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (I use organic coconut sugar)
6-8 ounces fresh cranberries
In a medium saucepan combine all of the ingredients over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stir intermittently. Using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, break up the cranberries. Strain into an airtight container and allow to cool. You can either discard the cranberries or save them for a later use (I spread it on my toast with cream cheese). Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Assembling the Cocktail:
On a small plate combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of a rocks glass. Dip the glass into the mixture coating the rim of the glass. Fill the glass with ice. Add the Tequila, cranberry syrup and lime juice. Top with soda water and stir to combine. Garnish with cranberries. Makes 1 cocktail.
Need to make a big batch?
In a large pitcher combine 3 cups of tequila, 1 cup of the cranberry simple syrup, and the juice from 6 limes. Rim each glass with the cinnamon sugar mix and fill with ice. Fill each glass about halfway with the tequila cranberry mixture and top with soda water. Garnish with fresh cranberry skewers. Serves 12.
December has always been a favorite time of year for our family. For us it means building a snowmen, putting up Christmas lights, setting up the nativity scene, and lots of family time around the dinner table with good food and a great drink.
Celebrating Christmas with our cousins and Aunt and Uncle has always been and will always be a personal favorite for me. The day always includes a wonderful dinner, which usually last for over an hour, the tradition of opening gifts from youngest to oldest, really loud laughter, a Christmas song sung in harmony, many bottles of wine and a new tradition that we started a few years ago, a signature cocktail brought by me.
This year will be no different but I thought I would share some great holiday cocktails to get everyone in the spirit and help us decide which one or two we will be having this Christmas
Be sure to check in for the next 12 days to get the recipes to each Christmas Cocktail!
On The First Day Of Christmas...
This Super Spicy Bloody Mary has become one of my favorite weekend drinks and can always help cure the wine flu.
Ingredients
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 drops (or more) Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1-1/2 ounces of vodka (I prefer Ketel One)
Old Bay Seasoning
Lime wedge
Celery stalk
In a large liquid measuring cup mix together the tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, prepared horseradish and celery salt. This will make enough for about 2 drinks.
Rim the glass by moistening the rim with a lime wedge. Shake the Old Bay seasoning on the moisten rim. Add ice to your prepared glass. Add the vodka and top with the tomato mixture and stir. Garnish with a celery stalk.
Note: There are many other ingredients you could add and garnish with such as steak sauce, pickled green beans, cocktail onions and cayenne pepper but this is my favorite way to enjoy.
