When the guests start arriving this season, you’ll want to have a killer cocktail on hand—after all, you want everyone to get along, right? But not just any cocktail will do (please, no vodka sodas.)
For the holidays, we love to impress our guests with drinks that seem complicated, but are surprisingly simple, and the layered aromas and tastes that come with many Italian spirits are perfect for the job.
We asked some of our favorite masters behind the bar to share holiday cocktail recipes using their favorite Italian spirits. Happily, we’re sharing their recipes with you.
Show of Hands
By Scott Smith of The Elysian Bar in New Orleans
The Elysian Bar has made a splash since it opened in New Orleans last year, and is known for its top-notch cocktails and tasty food. “Most people associate rum with summer, tiki-like drinks, but I drink rum all year round,” says lead bartender Scott Smith of his rum-based holiday-inspired cocktail. “For a winter essence, I grabbed an herbal amari that was just at my fingertips.”
1 small egg white (about 3/4 oz)
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 oz lemon juice
1
½ oz Ramazzotti Amaro
½ oz El Dorado 5-year rum
Angostura bitters, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add 3 or 4 large ice cubes and shake well but briefly. Strain cocktail from large tin into small tin and discard ice for a reverse dry shake. Now shake again with no ice for about 10-15 seconds to create a meringue. Pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a dash Angostura bitters.
(ph the Elysian Bar)
Very Berry Light
By Shawn Chen of RedFarm in New York City
“This cocktail is an improved version of a wine cooler,” says Beverage Director Shawn Chen. “I used the Italian citrus liqueur ITALICUS to add some complexity; this aperitivo liqueur is full of interesting flavors such as rose, honey, and blooming lavender.” Best of all, this drink is low-ABV (the more the merrier!) and “instantly transports you to the coast of Italy with its bright flavor and aroma,” adds Chen.
2 blackberries, divided
3 raspberries, divided
75 oz Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto
3 oz Chenin Blanc white wine
3 dashes white wine vinegar
In a cocktail shaker, lightly muddle 1 blackberry and 2 raspberries. Add Italicus, white wine, vinegar, and ice. Shake and double-strain into a wine glass. Garnish with remaining blackberry and raspberry on a skewer.
(ph James Tran)
Babbo’s Toddy
By Erick Castro of Raised By Wolves and Polite Provisions in San Diego
This variation on the Boulevardier, co-founder Erick Castro’s favorite drink, came from a desire for a hot toddy for the holidays; the name, of course, recalls the Italian name for Santa Claus. “To kick up the spice that was in the drink, I turned to cinnamon as the primary sweetening agent,” says Castro. “It has quickly turned into a holiday favorite at the bars.”
Cinnamon Syrup
14 grams cinnamon sticks
5 L water
5 L sugar
1 oz sweet vermouth
5 oz bourbon
5 oz Campari
75 oz cinnamon syrup
Boiling water
Orange wheel, for garnish
To make the cinnamon syrup, bring water and cinnamon to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain out cinnamon sticks and then add sugar. Stir well.
In a pre-heated toddy mug or glass, build the cocktail by adding the vermouth, bourbon, Campari, and cinnamon syrup one at a time. Fill the rest of the cup with boiling water and garnish with an orange wheel.
Grampa Joe
By John Benevides at SRV in Boston
SRV, which is an acronym for Serene Republic of Venice, is in Boston’s South End neighborhood, known for its many Italian restaurants, bakeries, and cafes. “The Grampa Joe is a much richer style cocktail that is great for someone who enjoys porters or stouts,” says Beverage Director John Benevides. “The name was inspired by the idea of your grandfather sitting in a smoky room with a cup of coffee.”
1 oz Famous Grouse Blended Scotch\
1/2 oz Punt E Mes
1/2 oz Don Ciccio Ambrosia\
1 barspoon coffee liqueur, preferably Caffe Moka\
Lemon twist, for garnish
Sea salt, for garnish
In a rocks glass, combine all ingredients except lemon and sea salt. Add ice and stir for 8 seconds. Express lemon oil from the peel over the glass and then use as garnish. Garnish ice with a hearty pinch of salt.
Grampa Joe (ph SRV)
Amaro Nog
By Sarah Crowl at Coltivare in Houston
Coltivare combines rustic Italian food with a Gulf Coast twist. Bar manager Sarah Crowl created her take on egg nog by adding a custom amari blend. At the restaurant, each Amaro Nog sold benefits the HAY Center, a local nonprofit.
Amari Blend
25 oz Meletti
25 oz Montenegro
25 oz Vallet Ango
25 Angostura
25 Cynar
75 Old Forester Rye
2 dashes salt tincture (combine 1/8 tsp sea salt with 1 tbsp hot water)
Combine all ingredients and stir gently. Set aside.
1 oz amari blend
5 cognac
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz simple
1 whole egg
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cream of tartar
5 oz Nocino, optional
Bay leaves, for garnish\
Fresh cranberries, for garnish
Whisk together all ingredients except Nocino, bay leaves, and cranberries. Pour into a mug or glass. If you want, add the Nocino as a floater on top. Garnish with bay leaves and cranberries speared on a toothpick.
(ph Julia Gabriel)
Dark Hearts
By Ryan Anderson of Josephine Estelle in New Orleans
Ryan Anderson, previously of The Grill in New York City, is the newly appointed beverage director of Josephine Estelle, which is inside the Ace Hotel in New Orleans. He’s added several new cocktails to the menu, and for Dark Hearts he wanted the often-strong botanical flavor of Fernet-style amaros to be accompanied by similar flavors. “The richness of the Blackstrap rum with the caramel softness of the bourbon provide a pretty special toasty roundness, and a little bit of housemade grenadine and lemon juice brightens it all up,” says Anderson.
1 oz Maker’s Mark bourbon
75 oz blackstrap rum
.
5 oz Fernet Vallet
5 oz grenadine
5oz lemon
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, mix all ingredients except pomegranate seeds. Shake vigorously and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Dark Hearts (ph Josephine Estelle)
Coffee & Cream
By Ryan Gavin of Gran Tivoli and Peppi’s Cellar in New York City
This Italian-by-way-of Australian restaurant’s downstairs bar in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood has convivial vibe, and the cocktails by Ryan Gavin don’t hurt. For the Coffee & Cream cocktail he crated a kind of elevated Irish coffee style drink that would “not only show off the delicious espresso flavor, but would highlight the rich and nutty notes from the brandy and Vin Santo,” says Gavin. “The crown is the sweet vanilla cream that is beautifully chilled, providing an incredible sensation of hot and cold in one sip.”
0.75 oz. brandy
0.75 oz. Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
0.175 oz. Vin Santo
1 oz. espresso
2 oz. hot water
0.75 oz. vanilla cream
Cocoa powder, for garnish
Bee pollen, for garnish
In a footed 6-ounce glass, build and layer the cocktail by adding one ingredient at a time without stirring. Then add the cocoa powder and bee pollen as a garnish.
(ph Gran Tivoli)
Fireside Aperitivo
By Braden Alsnauer of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, CO
Winter is a great time to showcase citrus. This low ABV aperitivo cocktail is a take on a bountifully garnished Pimm’s Cup, adapted for cooler weather. “Campari provides beautiful bitterness, meyer lemons will give rich acidity, and the lager will make the cocktail feel soft and fluffy on the palate,” says Bar Manager Braden Alsnauer.
1 oz Pimm’s
5 oz Campari
5 oz meyer lemon juice, or regular lemon juice
25 oz simple syrup
Birra Moretti or another Italian lager\
Grapefruit slice, for garnish
Blood orange slice, for garnish
Sage leaves, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, shake the Pimm’s Campari, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Double strain into a Collins glass over ice. Top up with Birra Morretti. Garnish with grapefruit, blood orange, and sage leaves.
(ph Frasca Food Wine)