I know that the last month of the year can be a little crazy for many reasons.  To help ring in your holidays and to offer you ideas for your holiday parties or gatherings, our Wildfire Lincolnshire resident mixologist, Joann Simonson has come up with some tasty martinis and cocktails to warm you up this December and throughout the winter months.

Guaranteed to liven up any holiday gathering...

Sparkling Sangria

2 oz. pomegranate juice

1 oz. dry red wine

1 oz. dry white wine

½ oz. gin

Top with champagne & your choice of fruit

Serve with ice in a high ball or short juice glass

For the bourbon lover...

Apple Beam Martini

1 oz. Jim Beam

1 ½ oz. Dekuyper Sour Apple Pucker

1 oz sour mix

Splash of Sprite (add after you shake the rest of the ingredients to avoid the carbonation from exploding

Cinnamon-sugar rim on the martini glass

Shake well with ice in a martini shaker

Strain and serve in a martini glass

If you prefer a little sweeter martini, here is a crowd pleaser...

Snowflake

1 ½ oz. Licor 43

1 ½ oz. vanilla vodka

1 oz. cream

Pinch of cinnamon

Shake well with ice in a martini shaker

Strain and serve in a martini glass

This martini has the look and taste of the holidays...

Starhopper

1 ½ oz. Café Boheme Liqueur

½ Green Crème de Menthe

1 oz. vanilla vodka

Crushed peppermint candy on the rim of the martini glass

Here are 3 hot drink alternatives that are sure to bring you comfort and joy. The first two are recipes from the Wildfire Winter Warmer archives and the last one is my personal favorite and is a tribute to Joann's mother:

Crème Caramel

1 Glass coffee mug

Fill coffee mug with hot water to pre-heat for approximately 1 minute, then dump the water out.

1 ½ oz Café Boheme Liqueur - pour into mug

¾ oz Crown Royal - pour into mug

¾ oz DeKuyper Buttershot Schnapps - pour into mug

Fill with hot coffee to a ¼" from the top of the mug.  Stir ingredients and top off with whipped cream.

Mocha S'mores

1 Glass coffee mug

Fill coffee mug with hot water to pre-heat for approximately 1 minute, then dump the water out.  Wet the rim of the glass with water, and rim the mug with graham cracker and sugar mix.

¾ oz. Café Boheme Liqueur - pour into mug

¾ oz. DeKuyper Dark Crème de Cocao - pour into mug

½ oz. Hershey's syrup - pour into mug

Fill with hot water to a ¼" from the top of the mug.  Stir ingredients and top off with whipped cream.

7 Mini Marshmallows - place on whipped cream and drizzle with Hershey's chocolate syrup

Betty's (Joann's Mom) Tom & Jerry

2 oz. Tom & Jerry Mix

2 oz. Spiced Rum

Top with hot water and stir

Tom & Jerry Mix:

(makes 16-20 servings)

Beat 12 egg whites until stiff.  When they are half way beaten, add ½ tsp. baking soda.  Add 2 lbs. powdered sugar.  In a separate bowl, beat 12 egg yolks until creamy and lemon-colored.  Add 1 tsp. all spice, ¼ tsp. cloves, 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon, and a pinch of ginger to the egg yolks.  Fold the yolk mixture into the white mixture.

Enjoy any of these delicious holiday drink ideas at your office party, dinner or gathering at home with friends and family! Have a safe and joyous holiday season. Now I think I'm going to start celebrating  with a "Snowflake" or perhaps a "Sparkling Sangria"...

Cheers to you!

Brad Wermager