Holiday Cocktails

[DrTeeth]

Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Egg Nog recipe is a go-to for me during the season. It also ages well, if you’re not weirded out by the idea.

Egg Nog (Base Recipe) - Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Well, folks, it’s time of year again. I repost this recipe every year because I’m a man on a mission. You see, I love egg nog, but I can’t stand the thick, gelatinous goop they sell at the grocery store. Even if you were to cut it with alcohol, it’s still so overly-pasteurized and full…

jeffreymorgenthaler.com

 

[pipingfool]

Manhattan
Old Fashioned
Egg Nog
Spiked Hot Cider (usually Bourbon, but sometimes Rum or Brandy)

A good peat-smoked Single Malt is very nice by the fire with a bowl of a Latakia-forward blend.

 

[Streeper541]

I don't know if it's considered a cocktail or not, but local apple cider w/ Fireball is pretty darn good on a fall night.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I don't know if it's considered a cocktail or not, but local apple cider w/ Fireball is pretty darn good on a fall night.

Haha, my wife likes to heat it up and has these little airplane sized bottles of Fireball she uses for that!

 

[Jacob74]

We like hot toddies, and hot buttered rum. My wife makes the batter from scratch.

 

[shanez]

One can never go wrong with a good Cognac served neat.

 

[mso489]

Anyone noticed vino has more kick these days? I broke out a red that we've had for a few years, and though the label says it's 14%, I've had it with several meals, and I know it is more than that. My wife explains that with the climate warming, the sugar content in the grapes increases and ups the alcohol content.

 

[shanez]

Anyone noticed vino has more kick these days? I broke out a red that we've had for a few years, and though the label says it's 14%, I've had it with several meals, and I know it is more than that. My wife explains that with the climate warming, the sugar content in the grapes increases and ups the alcohol content.

Wine is a living thing so it's entirely possible it as continued fermenting and strengthening in the bottle.

I've had a number of Auslese rieslings that underwent secondary fermentation in the bottle and were essentially sparkling wines. Actually they were very nice.

 

[telescopes]

 

[DrTeeth]

Anyone noticed vino has more kick these days? I broke out a red that we've had for a few years, and though the label says it's 14%, I've had it with several meals, and I know it is more than that. My wife explains that with the climate warming, the sugar content in the grapes increases and ups the alcohol content.

Sugar content is, in fact, an issue brought about by climate change. More sun, more sugar = higher alcohol, less balance. That’s why you don’t get great wine from the tropics. The best come from climates with warm days and cool nights. Additionally, there is a variance that is permitted by the TTB. It can vary by as much as 1.5% and still not violate regulations. At least in the USA. Wines from elsewhere are subject to their their home country regulations.

Why a Wine’s Alcohol-by-Volume is Lying to You

You may think a wine’s stated abv tells how much alcohol is actually in the bottle. We're here to let you know, you may not be getting what you expect.

www.winemag.com

 

[DrTeeth]

Can’t believe I forgot my favorite beer for the holidays. All of you out there with a penchant for cellaring will love this.

Samichlaus is a strong doppelbock that is only brewed each year on St. Nicolaus Day (Dec 6). It’s not released until 10 months later. It’s highly allocated, and can be rough to get your hands on (we know all about that, right?). But, because of the high malt content and high ABV, it’s PERFECT for cellaring. I’ve got 12 vintages of them at the moment, but have tried much older. Not worth aging them more than 20 years. They seem to peak around 12-14 years. They’re worth the hunt. Just make sure you lay some down.

Also worth noting is that Hoppin’ Frog makes a clone that is VERY close. And easier to get.

And the tobacco pairings are limitless. But, my preference with be a Latakia blend to hold up to the heft of the beer.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

One can never go wrong with a good Cognac served neat.

Would you mind suggesting some entry level cognacs?

I enjoy bourbon, whiskey, and brandy with water. However, I'm not a fan of strong oak flavors or scotch with an overbearing peat taste.

 

[Bengel]

Would you mind suggesting some entry level cognacs?

I enjoy bourbon, whiskey, and brandy with water. However, I'm not a fan of strong oak flavors or scotch with an overbearing peat taste.

A Manhattan is pretty basic, I go more spirit forward. More bourbon or rye than vermouth.

 

[DrTeeth]

Would you mind suggesting some entry level cognacs?

I enjoy bourbon, whiskey, and brandy with water. However, I'm not a fan of strong oak flavors or scotch with an overbearing peat taste.

A lot of good options, but Maison Ferrand is pretty affordable and relatively easy to find.

 

[Bengel]

Sorry, I read Cognac as Cocktail.Old eyes

 

[solideogloria86]

I just invented a pretty good apple cider bourbon cocktail for my wife the other night.

2 oz bourbon
4 oz honeycrisp apple cider
2tbsp honey
Tsp lemon juice
Tsp of apple pie spice.

Mix honey and spice together thoroughly in the bottom of the glass. Then add bourbon to the honey and mix. Lastly add cider and lemon juice and stir.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

A Manhattan is pretty basic, I go more spirit forward. More bourbon or rye than vermouth.
View attachment 181298View attachment 181299

Do I spy a luxardo cherry?!?

 

[Bengel]

Stolen picture
We have Cherry orchards here and I make my own with bottled in bond 100 proof

Do I spy a luxardo cherry?!?

 

[renfield]

Can’t believe I forgot my favorite beer for the holidays. All of you out there with a penchant for cellaring will love this.

Samichlaus is a strong doppelbock that is only brewed each year on St. Nicolaus Day (Dec 6). It’s not released until 10 months later. It’s highly allocated, and can be rough to get your hands on (

I haven’t had Samichlaus in years but I can still remember the taste. It is the perfect holiday beer. Sit by the fire and sip. So good.

 

[shanez]

Would you mind suggesting some entry level cognacs?

I enjoy bourbon, whiskey, and brandy with water. However, I'm not a fan of strong oak flavors or scotch with an overbearing peat taste.

It's a bit difficult not knowing what you have available to you but I'll do my best. (Can you have alcohol shipped to you? If so I can recommend some online sources.)

Oak and even more so peat are things you really don't have to worry about in Cognac or most brandies in general. I have tried some 40+ year olds that have noticeable oak but it's nothing like whiskey/whisky has.

Entry level can mean different things to different people but I'll use the following analogy to help:

Entry level whiskey might mean Jim Beam/Jack Daniels to some or it might mean Woodford Reserve/Knob Creek to others.

At the JB/JD level there is a plethora of well known VS & VSOP age level bottles available. I try to avoid these.

At the WR/KC level there's still many fantastic options available.

Much more above these I really don't consider to be entry level.

If you have Total Wine store anywhere near you look for A de Fussigny Selection or ABK6 VSOP. Even better would be Leyrat VSOP. When you're looking at bottles like these there are a lot of VSOP single estate offerings that are going to be good and it's more a matter of finding your personal preference.

If you have a good store you can post what they have available and I can provide some input.

You can also try the buying assistant at cognac-expert.com which will walk you through aroma and taste selectors and then you can set a price range to see what is out there that you might be able to find locally. The website is based in France but can be utilized to help you here.