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    Tuesday, December 03, 2024

    Bottoms up! Try these holiday cocktail recipes from local bars and restaurants

    The holiday cocktail Stink, Stank, Stunk at Draft Choice in New London. (Photo by Beto Zuniga)
    Christmas Coconut Margarita at La Llorona (Submitted)
    Christmas Mistletoe Margarita at La Llorona (Submitted)
    Snow Flake Martini at Cedars Steak & Oysters at Foxwoods (Submitted)
    Gingerbread Man Martini at Cedars Steak & Oysters at Foxwoods (Submitted)
    The Paws Off My Coquito at The Essex Restaurant (Contributed)
    The Peragarita at Los Charros Cantina (Contributed)
    The Espresso Martini and Santa’s Sleigh at novelle at Mohegan Sun (Submitted)
    Pistachio Coquito at The Social (Contributed)
    Mele Ka-Tiki-Maka at The Café bar in Westerly (Contributed)
    S'more Tini at Breakwater in Stonington (Contributed)

    Cheers to the holiday! Bars and restaurants offer lots of seasonal cocktails this time of year, and here are recipes for some of the favorite drinks at several local venues.

    Mele Ka-Tiki-Maka at The Café bar in Westerly

    Crafted by the amazing team of Virginia Graham and Kylie Sarosi at Café bar in Westerly, this delicious cocktail will have you saying, “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays” all season long.

    • 1.5 oz light rum
    • 1.0 oz Allspice Dram
    • .75 oz Starlino Aperitivo
    • .5 oz Aperol
    • .75 oz lime juice
    • .5 oz pineapple juice
    • .75 oz cinnamon-spiced cranberry juice
    • 2.0 oz ginger beer float

    Serve over ice in a large goblet.

    Garnish with a cocktail umbrella-skewered Amarena cherry and orange slice.

    Stink, Stank, Stunk at Draft Choice

    You want taste AND drama? Try this Stink, Stank, Stunk from Draft Choice in New London. You can have it without adding and lighting up the rum floater, but why would you?

    • 1/4 oz rum
    • 1/2 oz bourbon
    • 1/2 oz amaretto
    • 2 oz eggnog
    • 1/4 oz Gosling’s 151 dark rum floater

    Mix first four ingredients. Then add rum on top, light the rum. Sprinkle cinnamon to taste.

    S'more Tini at Breakwater in Stonington
    • 2 oz Smoke Lab Aniseed Flavored Vodka
    • 1/2 oz Kahlua
    • 1/2 oz Amaretto
    • 1/2 oz Selva Rey Chocolate Liquor
    • 4 dashes Fee Brothers Toasted Almond Bitters
    • 1 oz cream

    Dip a martini glass in chocolate and then into crushed graham crackers. Add a swirl of chocolate to the glass and pour in the shaken cocktail. Top with a toasted marshmallow.

    Mistletoe Margarita at La Llorona in Niantic
    • 2 oz tequila
    • 2 oz orange liquor
    • 1/2 oz lime juice
    • 2 oz cranberry juice
    • Ice
    • Salt for rim

    Mix all the ingredients - tequila, orange liquor, lime juice, cranberry juice and the ice - in the shaker. Rim the glass with salt.

    Christmas Coconut Margarita at La Llorona in Niantic

    2 oz tequila

    2 oz orange liquor

    2 oz coconut cream

    Ice

    Coconut shaves for rimmed

    Mix all the ingredients - tequila, orange liquor, coconut cream and the ice - in the shaker. Rim the glass with the coconut shaves.

    Pistachio Coquito at The Social in New London

    A traditional Puerto Rican cocktail (think Puerto Rican eggnog) with a pistachio twist, based on the popularity of the pistachio cake from The Social’s in-house bakery. This is a pre-batched cocktail. Great for a holiday party.

    • 12 oz rum (white or spiced)
    • 1 can Coco Lopez (Cream of Coconut)
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 4 oz evaporated milk
    • 2 cups pistachios
    • 1 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs
    • Green food coloring (optional)

    Chop pistachios into a fine paste. Blend ingredients, chill and let sit for 24 hours. Add a dash of green food coloring for the pop of color..

    33 Golden Holiday Punch at 33 Golden Street in New London

    Owner Gene Barousse says, "Our holiday drink is a traditional holiday punch with a twist -- the kind your aunt made in a big gaudy punch bowl but kids weren't allowed to drink! There is one secret ingredient (lol) but this works just fine -- and we'll be making them this weekend!"

    • 1 part cranberry juice
    • 1 part sparkling wine
    • 1 part ginger ale
    • Dark rum (to taste)

    Mix the ingredients, and add oranges and cranberries to garnish.

    Gingerbread Man Martini at Cedars Steak & Oysters at Foxwoods
    • 1-1/2 oz Cruzan Vanilla Rum
    • 1 oz Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur
    • 3/4 oz Baileys Irish Cream

    Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

    Shake vigorously.

    Strain contents into a martini glass.

    Top with whipped cream.

    Place ginger bread man cookie on top.

    Snow Flake Martini at Cedars Steak & Oysters at Foxwoods
    • 1-1/2 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka
    • 3/4 oz Blue Curacao
    • 3 oz pineapple juice

    Rim a martini glass in vanilla frosting, then dip glass in shredded coconut, and set glass aside.

    Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

    Shake vigorously.

    Strain contents into martini glass.

    The Espresso Martini and Santa’s Sleigh at novelle at Mohegan Sun

    Mohegan Sun’s nightlife lounge, novelle, will be hosting The Big Little Takeover Holiday Party at 7 tonight, and it will include a RumChata Bar. Two highlights are the Espresso Martini and Santa’s Sleigh, which will also be available through the New Year’s Eve festivities at Mohegan Sun.

    Espresso Martini

    • 1/2 oz Illy espresso
    • 1-1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka (Stoli)
    • 1/2 oz Kahlua ½ ounce
    • 1 oz RumChata
    • 3 espresso beans for garnish (to Health, Wealth and Happiness)

    Shaken and served up in a coupe

    Santa’s Sleigh

    • 2-1/2 oz RumChata
    • 1 oz Kahlua

    Shaken and served on the rocks

    The Paws Off My Coquito at The Essex Restaurant in Old Saybrook

    Chef/owner Colt Taylor says, “This is a vegan, gluten free Coquito (or ‘little coconut’) ,a traditional Christmas drink that originated in Puerto Rico. It’s made with pawpaw, a fruit with a lively tropical mango-banana-citrus flavor. It’s a rum-based cocktail that’s nice and boozy and surprisingly creamy, considering there’s no actual milk! Paw paw can be tough to find, so you can add your own favorite fruit or omit it altogether, and it’s still delicious!”

    • 2 1/4 oz cans condensed coconut milk
    • 1 15 oz can Coco Lopez coconut cream
    • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I use Sri Lankan Ceylon cinnamon, but cassia will work as well, with a bit more of an aggressive flavor)
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups pawpaw pulp
    • 1/4 cup raw sugar
    • Rum (Preferably dark, but any rum will do)

    Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.Pour the mixture into a half-gallon container, add the cinnamon stick and cool in the refrigerator.

    To Serve:

    Combine 3 ounces of the mix with 2 ounces rum. Stir or shake without ice to retain the creamy texture and pour over crushed ice into a julep cup. Optional: Garnish with a light dusting of fresh grated nutmeg, burnt cinnamon, paw paw and mint or juniper.

    The Peragarita at Los Charros Cantina in Centerbrook

    Chef/owner Colt Taylor says, “This is perfect for the holiday season. It’s made with Grand Mayan silver tequila, St. George spiked pear liqueur, rosemary agave and fresh squeezed lime juice. It tastes like Christmas. And the little bit of spice from the fresh serrano hits just right!”

    • 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
    • 1 ounce St. Germain pear liqueur
    • 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
    • 1/2 ounce agave syrup, steeped with rosemary
    • Ice
    • lime wedge
    • Salt (for rim)
    • Serrano pepper, for garnish

    Mix all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 10 seconds. Pour over ice into a salt rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and slice of serrano.

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