Don Draper asks for an Old Fashioned. The befuddled bartender quips that a blind man must have set up the bar: “There’s no bourbon.” Draper graciously hops over the bar to assist. “Rye okay with you,” he asks the bartender, setting up two glasses with his concoction. “You look like you know what you’re doing,” says the bartender. Indeed. Draper muddles the sugar cube, bitters and water in a glass as he prepares a classic Old Fashioned.

The Mad man’s favorite (2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey, one to three dashes of bitters, a sugar cube and splash of water) is just one cocktail that has survived the past six decades of new, experimental concoctions and remains a classic today, particularly during the holidays. Patrons are more inclined to try something different and more classic during the holidays, because it feels special. It’s out with the old and in with the, well, old.

At New York’s Employees Only, the Old Fashioned, and other ’50s-era classics, are on the menu during the frostier months and year round, but holidays are the perfect time to explore more wintry, fuller cocktails like the Manhattan, Tom Collins, White Russian, Sloe Gin Fizz, Sidecar, Whiskey Sour and other classic blends.

“Essentially, a good rule of thumb is brown spirits in the winter time and white spirits when it’s nice out,” says Employees Only bartender Steve Schneider, a former Marine-turned-mixologist. “Whiskey is warm. Scotch is warm. Sazeracs, an Old Fashioned and Manhattans are nice, warming drinks. I wouldn’t be on my porch in the summer drinking an Old Fashioned.”

Schneider has always started with the classics then modifies them as he goes along based on guests’ preferences. Club soda in an Old Fashioned? No problem. If that’s what a customer wants, they got it!

Personally, Schneider is not a Mad Men fan. “To me, if no one gets killed, it’s boring,” he says. “It’s all about marketing on TV. A show like Mad Men changes the way people drink and forces bartenders to adapt.” Despite his indifference to the series, that era of cocktails has been the ultimate education for Schneider; the bartender has learned all the classics inside and out. Even with the popularity of Draper’s manly cocktail, most guests really don’t know what they’re ordering when they ask for an Old Fashioned, according to Schneider. There is an Old Fashioned and an older (or original) Old Fashioned. Originally the drink was made using Rye Whiskey. Throughout the years, bourbon became its base, so the bartender makes it a point to ask guests whether they want their Old Fashioned with Bourbon or Rye (read Steve’s advice on How to Order an Old Fashioned).

“After Prohibition, they started introducing fruit, cherries, orange, because the quality of booze was bad at this time with bathtub gin and homemade rye [whiskey],” says Schneider. “Some were even fatal, so they would add fruit and sugar to mask all that stuff.”

Another holiday classic that Schneider believes defined the mid-20th century in America is the Moscow Mule (2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce lime juice and 4–6 ounces ginger beer poured into a Collins glass full of ice and stirred). “The Moscow Mule revolutionized and changed everything,” says Schneider. “It was the first vodka drink, and back then vodka was unheard of. Now, half a century later vodka is the number one selling spirit in the world.”

Today’s cocktails all originated from the classics, says Schneider, even some of the more contemporary versions invented behind the bar by him and his EO colleagues. “My thing is to start out with the classic cocktail recipe and completely tweak it around,” he says. “Instead of sugar, why not use Elderflower.”

“Everything stems from them,” he says. “It’s like the 13 keys on a piano. Whether it’s the Old Fashioned, a Whiskey Sour or Sidecar, all cocktails today are descendents from these classics. The Southside was one of the most popular drinks during Prohibition. It was gin, lemon, sugar, mint and soda. It’s essentially a Tom Collins with mint. They all come back to the classics.”

Dear holiday shopping, I wish you weren’t so difficult. There are always those people on my list who seem to have it all. Others prove to be gift enigmas — does he really want this bamboo computer keyboard, or should I just resort to a gift certificate? But then, in a moment of brilliance, it struck me: booze. Seriously, who doesn’t love a good cocktail?

The Hooch Life has put together a list of our top ten cocktail gifts for this holiday season, sure to please even the most curmudgeonly Scrooges on your list.

1. Shaker & Strainer Set ($12.95)
Friends don’t let friends make boring drink decisions. Be the enabler. Beyond the “shake weight” workout this little gem provides, it enables you to shake up a slew of cocktails. This essential bartending trio of shaker tin, strainer, and glass also comes with a classic recipe cheat sheet and measurements printed right on the side. The glass fits right into the tin at a slight angle, and you’re ready to shake like a pro. If the drink you’re making needs to be stirred, throw all the fixings in the glass, and give it a whirl. Buy here

2. Ice Sphere Silicon Mold ($5.95)
Now you can ask, “Up or on the rocks?” This magic crystal ball sees better drinks in your future. Fill ‘er up, and let it freeze a few hours. The ice sphere comes out dense and with much less surface area, which allows it to melt at a much slower rate than the standard ice cube. This handy Japanese-inspired ice mold saves the day, er, drink. Because who wants their fantastic drink to turn into a watery, tasteless, sorry excuse for a big-kid drink? Buy here

3. Punch Bowl and Cups ($125.00)
For thousands of years, people have gathered together around food and drink to share ideas, stories, and laughs. A punch bowl is extremely practical when hosting a group of people. You can prep your concoction beforehand and actually enjoy the party. It often becomes the center of attention, the water cooler area of the party. Buy here

4. Leopold Bros. Three Pins Alpine Liqueur ($32.98)
It’s the holidays in one sip. Named after Telemark skiers, this liqueur uses dozens of mountainous herbs and flowers. In its true essence, Leopold Bros. Three Pins Alpine Herbal Liqueur is what Colorado tastes like. The alpine herbs have flavors of Echinacea, coriander, and orange essence. You could use this to make a lot of yummy coffee drinks. Or yummy anything. With that spice, it’s a great toddy, hangover medicine, or a digestif. Mix it, or shoot it; you can’t go wrong. Buy here

5. Averna Amaro Liqueur ($32.99)
Low in alcohol and mostly herbaceous, digestifs have been consumed for hundreds of years in Europe as a way of settling the stomach after a heavy meal. Now they are becoming popular across America, both in cocktails and on the rocks. For your post-feast relaxation this holiday season, we recommend Averna Amaro, a sweet, Italian digestif and great introduction to this genre of liqueurs. Buy here

6. Speakeasy by Jason Kosmas & Dushan Zaric ($24.99)
Who uses a table for coffee anymore? Guaranteed these guys don’t. Now you can use your coffee table for more important things, like this book — and the drinks you make from the book’s recipes. Speakeasy demystifies the classic cocktail mythology and updates some of yesteryear’s recipes for the modern world. Written by the two badass bartender/bar owners of Employees Only in New York, this book shows you what to drink for all your different moods and how to make those drinks. Buy here

7. Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure and the Overrated in Sprits by Jason Wilson ($22.99)
If I didn’t know better, I’d think Jason is Anthony Bourdain’s thirstier brother. “I write. I travel. I drink. And I’m thirsty for more.” This Washington Post cocktail column writer shares his experiences and travels and tastings around the world. Boozehound covers confessions of under-aged Sambuca drinking, to uncovering liquor company marketing magic, and finally developing an appreciation for true quality and complex flavor. Oh, and some of the drink recipes that quenched his thirst along the way. Buy here

8. Bartending Basics by Cheryl Charming ($19.95)
In this case, PLEASE, don’t judge a book by its cover. Once safe inside, you’ll find a visual learner’s paradise. What’s the best way to slice a pineapple? Want a holiday drink that looks festive and actually tastes good? Step-by-step instructions range from beginner to advanced techniques, and every page includes photos, quick tips and interesting facts. Color-coded and neatly organized this book is a great resource on spirits and cocktails. Buy here

9. How to Booze by Jordan Kaye and Marshall Altier ($19.95)
How to Booze has all the answers on what to drink when. Armed with nearly one hundred iconic recipes, useful facts on technique and ingredients, and more than enough advice to get you into trouble, you will now know just the right drink for the occasion—and how to prepare it like a professional. Co-written by Marshall Altier, bartender at JBird in NYC. Buy here

10. The Margarita Gift Basket
Start with a high-quality blanco/silver tequila. Depending on your budget (and the likelihood that the recipient will share with you), Avion ($53), Peligroso ($43), and Espolon ($33) are three excellent options. Cointreau ($35) orange liqueur is a standard in top-notch margaritas, but you might consider three other excellent orange liqueurs: Clement Creole Shrubb ($40) Patron Citronge ($27), and Bols Orange Curacao ($17). A nice smoked salt such as Red Alder Smoked ($5.25) or infused rosemary salt ($5.50) can be purchased online from The Meadow. Add a few organic limes, cocktail shaker, and Margarita recipe card to the gift basket, and hope that you get invited over for cocktails when Cinco de Mayo brings warmer weather.

More Holiday Gift Ideas

Gifts for Home Bartenders: The Basics
Gifts for Home Bartenders: Extras
Libation-Inspired Literary Classics
Best Mezcal $100 Will Buy
Gift Baskets for Cocktail Lovers
Gift Books For Booze-Lovers

Famous drinkers, iconic authors — the two things are basically the same. And more often than not, literary characters follow in their creators’ footsteps. Whether you feel like hitting a hip new bar, having a drink with friends or drowning your sorrows, these characters inspire all of us readers to enjoy great drinks.

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Absinthe

Certain authors are more famous than others when it comes to drinking. Ernest Hemingway might top the list. It is appropriate then, that it is in his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, a story based largely on his personal experiences as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War, that he devotes many lines to describing the carnal pleasures of absinthe in the face of the brutality of war. For the main character, Robert Jordan, absinthe “[takes] the place of the evening papers, of all the old evenings in cafés, of all the chestnut trees that would be in bloom now in this month . . . of all the things he had enjoyed and forgotten.”

The Heart of the Matter, Pink Gin

In one of Graham Greene’s most celebrated novels, The Heart of the Matter, Major Henry Scobie and his wife Louise deal with the travails of life in a British West African colony. Catholicism, pride, love and lack of love are contemplated over many a glass of Pink Gin. Major Scobie mixes up cocktails of gin and “pink” angostura bitters for he and his wife, with the “tacit understanding between them that ‘liquor helped’; growing more miserable with each glass one hoped for the moment of relief.”

Casino Royale, The Vesper

Long before the 1967 and 2006 movie versions, James Bond was drinking his famous martinis in the pages of Ian Fleming’s first book featuring the spy, Casino Royale. “Shaken, not stirred” would become Bond’s signature martini style introduced later in Diamonds Are Forever. But it is in Casino Royale where Bond gives the bartender detailed instructions on making a cocktail out of gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet garnished with a lemon peel — which he later names The Vesper after his Bond girl.

Norwegian Wood, Sake

Haruki Murakami, Japan’s most famous living novelist and a favorite of hipsters everywhere, is best known for the bizarre twists and turns of his plots — alternate realities, midgets and evil Colonel Sanders. But in his most reality-based book, Norwegian Wood, drinking sake occurs so often that the beverage could almost be a character. Without the surreal happenings of Murakami’s other works, the characters of Norwegian Wood are forced to bend reality the old fashioned way, over drinks, as they contemplate sexuality, suicide, and love.

The Border Trilogy, Tequila

In Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy, three novels tell the coming-of-age stories of two young cowboys, John Grady Cole and Billy Parham. All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain weave tales of lawlessness, horses, thievery, and growing up through the American Southwest and across the border to Mexico. Throughout the three novels, the young cowboys spend a lot of time drinking cheap tequila, but this collection is the sort of epic tale that inspires a quiet evening alone with the books, a glass of good resposado or anejo within reach.

Many mezcals of the past were best reserved as industrial cleansing agents and gluttons for punishment, but there is now an incredible array of premium mezcals to drink that will be memorable for the right reasons. Our recommendation: Del Maguey Minero.

Both tequila and mezcal are made from the agave plant, but tequila (by law) must be made with 100% blue agave from the Tequila region of Mexico. Mezcal can be made from a variety of agave species, permitting distillers like Del Maguey greater versatility in plant selection, flavor, and distilling techniques (including clay pot stills). This produces a variety of mezcals that represent the unique “terrior” (soil) of the many single-village producers.

Del Maguey, and other premium mezcals including Ilegal Mezcal ($63-80) and El Zacatecano ($42-60) possess flavors ranging from a smoky rich, almost, fatty oiliness, to a floral, honeyed, and delicate vegetal spirit that are not found in either lower quality tequilas or mezcals.

Many people associate mezcal with the unappetizing worm residing in the bottom of the bottle, or erroneously believe it to contain mescaline due to the similarity of its name. In truth, there are no psychedelic substances in mezcal, nor does Del Maguey Minero put worms in their bottles. The only mind-altering chemical that you will imbibe is good old-fashioned alcohol.

However, the experience will leave you with more than your average tequila buzz. The smoky flavors of Del Maguey Minero will transport you to the earthen oven pits in the backwoods of Oaxaca, Mexico where this spirit is made.

Ron Cooper of Del Maguey Limited Company Single Village Mezcal is the ambassador of this journey and a savior of the spirit. Ron is a man on a mission to redefine the category and expand the opportunities to experience mezcals of a quality beyond the worm-soaked-swill some drinkers have previously experienced.

Generally, high quality mezcal is sipped neat out of small clay cups called copitas, though nice shot glasses will suffice. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try some of the Fresh Cocktails from the growing cult following of mixologists that have found creative uses for the spirit.

Some cocktail recipes call for mezcal as a flavor modifier, like in the Juan Collins, the Mexican variation of the Tom Collins from Tommy Klus. Other recipes use mezcal as the centerpiece spirit, such as the Kiwi Margarita from Dale Degroff.

Toast with the traditional Oaxacan saying, “para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien también” (for everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, too).

Juan Collins
2 ounces Blanco Tequila
1 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 ounce Simple Syrup*
2 teaspoons Mezcal
2 ounce Mexican Coca-cola

Place 1-2 small strawberries into a cocktail mixing glass. Muddle until fruit is thoroughly crushed. Add tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and mezcal; fill with ice. Shake vigorously.

Add 2 ounces of Mexican Coca-cola into directly into shaker. Strain all ingredients into collins glass over ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

*Add 1 part sugar to 1 part water and mix until sugar dissolves.

Kiwi Margarita
2 ounces Mezcal
3/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Kiwi (scoop out of the skin)
1/2 ounce Orange Liqueur (Degroff recommends Cointreau)
1/2 ounce Agave Nectar
1 Lime Wheel

Place kiwi and syrup into a cocktail mixing glass. Muddle until fruit is thoroughly crushed. Add mezcal, lime juice and Cointreau; fill with ice. Shake vigorously and fine strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

When we think of holiday desserts, visions of rich pies and crispy cookies dance through our heads. But why stop there? If you want to get away from the standard pumpkin pie fare this holiday season, mix up a drinkable dessert cocktail with a festive theme.

“It’s got to be sweet,” says Matt Seiter of Sanctuaria in St. Louis where he has been mixing up several dessert cocktails in time for the holidays. Seiter works to feature the fruits and spices of the season while adding some special sweet ingredients.

Seiter likes using melted ice cream as the base for an at-home dessert cocktail because most people have it already. From there, he says, to add a spirit of choice, then rummage through the spice rack for add-ins: cinnamon, nutmeg and clove all work well as holiday flavors.

If you want to kick the cocktail up a notch, Seiter recommends using Root, a Pennsylvania liqueur with root beer-like flavor. He blends it with vanilla ice cream to create a spiked version of a root beer float.

Cocktail consultant Kim Haasarud likes to start with the spirit base of her dessert cocktail and then work from there. For the holidays, she suggests going with darker spirits to add depth and flavor — aged rums, cognac, or even anejo tequila.

Even a classic cocktail like a Cosmopolitan can be made into dessert, says Haasarud. Switch out the vodka for a darker, aged spirit. The flavors of the aged spirit will transform the cocktail from ordinary drink into a special treat.

Haasarud also likes to use food people normally think of as savory, say butternut squash, and turn it into a succulent dessert cocktail. For example, she might roast butternut squash then let it infuse with aged rum overnight in the refrigerator. The next day she will puree the boozy squash and use it as a base for an unusual twist on eggnog.

It is okay for a dessert cocktail to be rich, says Haasarud, because “people are going to have just one.” And since it is special, she recommends take the time with garnish, shaving large chocolate curls, for instance, to hang over the rim of the glass.

Dairy’s Pride
Recipe Courtesy of Matt Seiter

15 ounces Dry Gin
5 ounces Maraschino Liqueur (such as Luxardo)
7 ounces Sparkling Wine
33 ounces Melted Vanilla or Butter Pecan Ice Cream

To melt ice cream, put it in the refrigerator overnight on the top shelf. When ready to serve, mix all ingredients straight in the punch bowl. You may have to adjust the amount of maraschino, but start off with a little and add to taste. The melted ice cream and the sparkling wine will play the part of the ice. No ice needed.

Pumpkin Steamer
Recipe Courtesy of Kim Haasarud
To Serve 1

1 cup Milk
1 ounces Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened)
1-1/2 ounces Agave Nectar
Dash of Ground Nutmeg
Dash of Ground Cinnamon
3/4 ounces Spiced Rum
3/4 ounces Pumpkin Spice Liqueur (i.e. Bols, Hiram Walker)
Whipped cream
Additional Ground Nutmeg for garnish

Combine milk, pumpkin puree, agave nectar, dash of ground nutmeg and dash of ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat mixture until boiling. Reduce heat, and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. Ladle into a mug. Add the spiced rum and pumpkin spice liqueur. Top with whipped cream and ground nutmeg to serve.

Spread the love this holiday season with the gift of spirits. Rather than simply wrapping up a bottle of your loved one’s favorite spirit, create a gift basket that also includes the ingredients to make a great cocktail.

Here are three great examples of how to make an all-in-one cocktail gift basket that is sure to inspire a night of fun (and will hopefully include you): the Margarita, the Bloody Mary, and the dry Gin Martini.

The Margarita Gift Basket

For the Margarita, expand beyond Jose Cuervo and go with high-quality blanco/silver tequila. Depending on your budget (and the likelihood that the recipient will share with you), Avion ($53), Peligroso ($43), and Espolon ($22) are three excellent options.

Cointreau ($36) orange liqueur is a standard in top-notch margaritas, but you might consider three other excellent orange liqueurs: Clement Creole Shrubb ($32) Patron Citronge ($21), and Bols Orange Curacao ($13). A nice smoked salt such as Red Alder Smoked ($5.50) or infused rosemary salt ($5.50) can be purchased online from The Meadow. Add a few organic limes, cocktail shaker, and Margarita recipe card to the gift basket, and hope that you get invited over for cocktails when Cinco de Mayo brings warmer weather.

The Bloody Mary Gift Basket

There are a dizzying number of vodkas entering the market, making for a difficult selection process, but this is also an excellent opportunity to purchase a truly unique spirit. Three incredible newcomers to the market that will be sure to leave a lasting impression are Boyd & Blair vodka ($32), FAIR. Quinoa vodka ($29), and Death’s Door vodka ($27).

Making a batch of Bloody Mary mix from scratch is painstakingly tedious, but most store-bought premixes are simply not up to snuff. Dimitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning ($11) meets you halfway, only requiring the addition of tomato juice for a restaurant-quality Bloody Mary that is simply delicious. With flavors ranging from Chipotle-Habenero to Extra Horseradish, Dimitri’s will satisfy the spicy-food lovers in your life and greatly simplify the process (and increase the likelihood) of making Bloody Mary’s for the perfect brunch. Dimitri’s also makes RimShot!, a blend of Hawaiian sea salts, smoked salts, pepper, celery seed, pepper and a few secret spices — perfect for the rim of your Bloody Mary glass. Add some organic lemons, cocktail shaker, and Bloody Mary recipe card, and be sure to include a free “teaching” (and tasting) lesson.

The Dry Gin Martini Gift Basket

For the James Bond fan, take a classic approach but elevate the Dry Martini to new heights. Start off with a nice gin, Ransom Old Tom ($37), Tanqueray 10 ($32), and Hendrick’s ($28), are distinctive and memorable, both for their flavor and elegant packaging. Martini and Rossi dry vermouth ($14) is a classic quality option, but Vya ($20) and Dolin ($15) are redefining the vermouth category, and delicious in their own right.

The final touch, for those who like their drinks on the dirty side, is a nice jar ($6-15) of olives (in brine, not oil). These can be found at Dean and Deluca or at most good specialty food markets. Don’t feel obliged to stick with pimiento-stuffed green olives. The Dry Martini is beautiful in its simplicity, though many people only experience the drinks in bars rather than making them at home. It is a drink that takes a lifetime to perfect, and experimenting to make it your own is half the fun. Fortify your friends with a love of spirits, and spirits of love they shall be.

The holidays are here. In a time of year filled with epic meals and full bellies in need of soothing, there is perhaps no better time to explore the world of digestifs or after-dinner drinks.

Low in alcohol and mostly herbaceous, digestifs have been consumed for hundreds of years in Europe as a way of settling the stomach after a heavy meal. Now they are becoming popular across America, both in cocktails and on the rocks.

Justin Noel of 1534 bar in New York City grew up drinking the popular digestif, Sambuca. His Italian-American family mixed a hearty dose of Sambuca in with a cup of coffee after dinner. While digestifs are not usually part of the standard American upbringing, Noel says that anyone who is “really into food and culinary experiences is going to enjoy digestifs.”

The easiest way to characterize the digestif genre is in two categories: sweet and bitter. Even the sweet digestifs have a slightly bitter flavor, but the bitter ones also have an astringent bite that gives your taste buds an extra kick.

For the uninitiated, Noel recommends starting with something a little on the sweeter side. He suggests looking to varieties of amari, a variety of Italian digestif, particularly Averna and Ramazzotti with their milder flavors of citrus and herbs.

If you feel like going straight for the hard stuff, try the bartender favorite, Fernet Branca. The strong flavors will hit your mouth like a ton of bricks. If you’re not into the ton-of-bricks-in-your-mouth flavor just yet, it’s worth coming back to Fernet Branca after you’ve cultivated a taste for the flavors in digestifs.

On the bitter side, Cynar is an Italian digestif made from everything but the kitchen sink, including artichokes and twelve different plants and herbs.

If a glass of Averna or Cynar on the rocks is not your thing, there are a variety of cocktails made with digestifs that give you the same unique flavors without the intensity of drinking the spirit straight.

At Entwine in NYC, bartender Duane Fernandez Jr. makes a twist on the classic bitter orange gin cocktail drink, the Negroni, by switching out Campari and sweet vermouth for Fernet Branca and Aperol. This potent mix takes the Negroni “up a notch” says Fernandez in a cocktail he’s named “From Italy to the West Village”.

Sweet Digestifs to try:

Averna
Ramazzotti

Bitter Digestifs:

Fernet Branca
Cynar

—-

From Italy to the West Village
From Duane Fernandez Jr. of Entwine in New York City

2 ounces Bombay Sapphire East
1 ounces Fernet Branca
1 ounces Aperol
2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice.  Strain, and serve straight up in a martini glass.  Garnish with lemon twist for some zing.

Bang the Drum
From Justin Noel of 1534 in New York City

2 ounces Cognac
1/2 ounces Ramazotti Amaro
1/4 ounces Bajan Spiced Syrup
Brandy Crusta Style Orange Peel

Stir ingredients, and pour over large format ice in an old fashioned glass.

The holiday season is a time of joy, but after the last minute shopping, paper cuts from wrapping too many presents, and a whole lot of family time, a brunch cocktail is just what Santa ordered to wind down and get some of your holiday spirit back.

Of course there are the standard brunch cocktails: the Bloody Mary with its festive red tomato and green celery garnish; the Screwdriver, a mix of vodka and orange juice; and Mimosas and Bellinis, the classic brunch blends of sparkling wine with orange and peach juice respectively.

But the holidays call for something a bit more decadent and festive. Cocktail consultant Kim Haasarud advises her clients to set the mood of the scents of the season. A Crock-pot full of mulled cider or punch will fill a room with holiday fragrances all morning long. What’s more, this type of cocktail does not require much maintenance. Instead of mixing up cocktails to order, family members dip in for refills as they please.

If you’re looking for something with more sparkle, you can’t go wrong with bubbles. Haasarud recommends assembling a Bellini Bar on Christmas morning for a different twist on another brunch classic. When she plays hostess, Haasarud sets out sparkling wine and lets guests mix in for themselves a variety of exotic nectars like mango and guava to give the brunch cocktail a unique twist.

Matt Seiter of Sanctuaria in St. Louis is also a fan of festive brunch bubbles on Christmas morning. His secret ingredient for dressing up Mimosas and Screwdrivers at the holidays: cinnamon syrup. Seiter whips up simple syrup infused with cinnamon, orange peel, brandy, and vanilla. He is especially fond of mixing cinnamon syrup with the tart and subtly sweet flavors of passion fruit juice. Sparkling wine mixed with passion fruit juice and cinnamon syrup make for a tropical holiday twist on the classic brunch cocktail.

From Black Friday to stuffing stockings, preparing for the holidays can be a mad rush. Come Christmas morning, it’s time to finally unwind and sit back with family, a cup of mulled punch or festive Mimosa in hand.

Cinnamon Syrup
Recipe Courtesy of Matt Seiter

10 large Cinnamon Sticks (Chinese cinnamon, broken with a muddler)
1 tablespoon Dried Orange Peel
4 cups Sugar
4 cups Water
1/2 Vanilla Bean, split and seeded
2 ounces Brandy or Cognac
2 ounces Pommeau

Bring sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, water and vanilla bean to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes and remove from heat. Let steep for another 20 minutes. Add Pommeau and cognac, and let sit another 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a colander. Strain again through dampened cheesecloth then bottle. Omit spirits if using in non-alcoholic beverages.  Freeze whatever is not used the same day.

Passion Fruit Mimosa
Recipe Courtesy of Matt Seiter

2 ounces Passion Fruit Juice
1/2 ounce Cinnamon Syrup
Sparkling Wine

Fill champagne flute halfway with sparkling wine. Top with passion fruit juice and cinnamon syrup.

Mulled Wine (aka Glögg)
Serves 12
Recipe Courtesy of Kim Haasarud

2 bottles Red Wine
4 cups Orange Juice
1/4 cup Simple Syrup
4 Cinnamon Sticks
4 Oranges, sliced into wheels
10 Whole Cloves
1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cognac per serving (minimum 375ml bottle)
12 Cinnamon Sticks

Combine red wine, orange juice, simple syrup, 4 cinnamon sticks, half of the orange wheels, and cloves in a saucepan or Crock-pot. Heat until hot. Ladle into mugs and stir in Grand Marnier or cognac if desired, 1 ounce per serving. Garnish each much with an orange wheel and cinnamon stick.