Food, Festivities, Fun...and a Little Bit of Drinking

Happy Monday all! Christmas is almost upon us and while your food menu might be ready, your drink menu is equally as important! All that family, all that noise...those kids...the pets...the screaming...where's my cocktail? Tonight's recipes are here to amaze and thrill your guests; happy guests = easier baking. Drink up.

The Savoy Daisy
Erik Lorincz

Ingredients

• Ice
• 2 ounces ruby port
• 1/4 ounce Bacardi 8-year aged rum
• 1 ounce Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon muscovado sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon grenadine
• 1 orange twist

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients except the orange twist and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the twist.

Hot Peppermint Flip

Gourmet, February 1986

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup peppermint schnapps
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 3 cups hot espresso
• 3 peppermint sticks, halved, for garnish

Directions

In a blender, combine the egg, the cream, the sugar, the schnapps, and the cognac and blend the mixture at high speed for 10 seconds. With the motor running, add the espresso in a stream and blend the mixture until it is frothy. Divide the mixture among 6 heated coffee cups and garnish each drink with one of the peppermint sticks.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 cups cups sliced fresh (or frozen, thawed) peaches
• 12 sprigs thyme
• 1¼ cups cups sugar
• 1 liter (4¼ cups) Jamaican Gold rum (such as Appleton Estate)
• 2 cups cups Cognac
• 1½ cups cups fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup cup peach liqueur (such as Bols)

Directions

Do ahead: 

1. Arrange peaches and thyme sprigs along the bottom of Bundt pan. Fill pan with cold water and freeze to make an ice ring. Combine sugar and 1¼ cups water in a jar; cover and shake to dissolve to make simple syrup. Ice ring and simple syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead.
2. Keep ice ring frozen. Chill simple syrup. Pour simple syrup into a large wide container or a punch bowl. Add rum, Cognac, lemon juice, and peach liqueur. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Add 6 cups cold water to punch; stir gently to blend. Remove ice ring from Bundt pan and float, rounded side up, in punch. Ladle into glasses filled with ice.