Drink Recipe Ideas

[irish daveyboy]

Marmalade Sours

Makes 6 cocktails

Ingredients

6 Tbls orange marmalade

1 generous cup of burbon or rye whiskey

3 Tbls lemon juice

Ice

Preparation

In a pitcher or 2-pint measuring cup, dissolve orange marmalade in 3/4 cup hot water.

Stir in whiskey and lemon juice.

Fill six (12-oz. glasses) with ice and pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup cocktail mixture into each glass, making sure each serving gets some of the orange peel that settles at the bottom of the mixture.

Serve marmalade sours immediately.

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Negronis

Makes 6 cocktails

Ingredients

3/4 cup gin

3/4 cup Campari

3/4 cup sweet vermouth

1 cup ice cubes

6 strips orange zest (about 1/2 in. by 3 in. each)

Preparation

In a large cocktail shaker or pitcher, combine gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.

Add ice cubes and stir or shake until mixture is cold.

Strain into 6 cocktail glasses.

Over each glass, twist an orange zest strip to release its oils and drop into glass.

Serve immediately.

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Hot Cranberry-Ginger Punch

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

1 quart cranberry juice

2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup lime juice

1/3 cup sugar, (plus 1/4 cup, extra sweet if desired)

Preparation

Combine cranberry juice and ginger in a 2- to 3-quart pot over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer and cook to infuse flavor, about 20 minutes.

Stir in lime juice and 1/3 cup sugar; stir until sugar has dissolved.

Taste and add up to 1/4 cup more sugar if desired.

Pour through a fine strainer into a thermos (discard solids).

Serve hot

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Mulled Cranberry Wine Punch

12 to 14 servings

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 48 oz., 6 cups cranberry

1/2 cup raisins

4 to 6 cinnamon sticks (about 3 in.)

2 bottles (750 ml.) fruity dry red wine (Beaujolais)

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon almond essence

About 3/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur such as Cointreau

Preparation

Sort cranberries, discarding bruised and decayed fruit.

Rinse berries and put in a 5- to 6-quart pot; add cranberry juice, raisins, and cinnamon sticks.

Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer on low heat to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

Add wine and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste.

Heat until steaming, 5 to 8 minutes; do not boil.

Add almond extract and orange liqueur; keep punch warm over lowest heat and ladle into cups or stemmed glasses.

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Spiced Rum Cider

Ingredients

8 cloves

8 allspice berries

2 cinnamon sticks

2 strips lemon zest (each 1/2 by 3 in.)

1 qt. unsweetened apple cider

1 cup dark rum (capt Morgan)

Lemon slices or peel, studded with a few cloves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Wrap cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie packet with kitchen twine to close it.

In a medium saucepan (not aluminum), combine spice packet and cider.

Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about 1 hour.

To serve, heat infused cider, covered, over medium heat until hot and steaming.

Lift out and discard spice packet.

Stir in rum.

Ladle into cups or heatproof glasses and garnish with lemon slices if you like.

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Makes 4 mugs

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grated bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup dry milk powder

4 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons Armagnac

Whipped cream or marshmallows, for garnish

Preparation

In a medium bowl, mix grated chocolate and dry milk powder.

In a medium saucepan, heat whole milk over medium heat.

Once heated, stir in the chocolate mixture and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and hot.

Pour 1 Tbsp. Armagnac into each mug (four mugs total), then fill each mug with the smooth, hot chocolate mixture.

Serve hot, garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows

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Layered Mocha

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate

2 1/2 Tbls sugar, divided, plus more to taste

1 cup hot brewed espresso

1 tsp unsweetened gluten-free cocoa powder

Preparation

Place cream in a bowl and chill until very cold, about 15 minutes.

Fill 4 heatproof glasses (6 to 8 oz. each) with boiling water.

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and whisk in chopped chocolate until smoothly blended.

Add 1 Tbls. sugar.

Stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens slightly and coats spoon in a thin layer, 3 to 5 minutes.

Cover and keep hot.

Whip cream with 1 Tbls sugar until thick, but before peaks form (cream should still be pourable).

Mix remaining 1/2 Tbls sugar with hot espresso.

Drain water from glasses.

Pour one-quarter of hot chocolate into a glass.

Hold a spoon, concave side down, at about a 45° angle so tip of spoon touches inside of glass, slightly above chocolate. Very slowly, pour one-quarter of espresso over back of spoon.

Repeat for each glass.

Spoon thick cream onto espresso, dividing evenly between glasses.

Sift a bit of cocoa over cream if you like. Serve immediately.