Do you find yourself with bottles of spirits you don’t use often: the Limoncello you bought on impulse, the cachaça you used once to make Caipirinhas, the saké you never get around to drinking with take-out sushi?

Could you use the space they take up to store something else?

Look for holiday cocktail recipes that use those ingredients, and clear those bottles from the shelf.

Jason Oh, Beverage Manager of the Haru Japanese restaurant chain, shared his recipes for some of Haru’s holiday cocktails, including a Cranberry Caipirinha. It’s helping us use up the cachaça, while looking colorful and tasting great.

Have Limoncello? Here’s a recipe for a Limoncello Cranberry Spritzer.

CRANBERRY CAIPIRINHA RECIPE

Ingredients

Christmas is in the air and on the palate with this Cranberry Caipirinha. Photo courtesy Haru Sushi.

Preparation

1. MUDDLE limes, cranberries and orange slice in a shaker; mix in brown sugar.

2. ADD cachaça, cranberry juice and cinnamon sugar. Shake and strain into a rocks glass.

3. GARNISH with one or two cinnamon sticks.

 
Find more of our favorite holiday cocktails.

A FOLLOW-UP TIP

If you have more than a few bottles that need to be drunk—and no occasion in sight—simply give them as “party favors” to the people who come over for the Cranberry Caipirinhas.

Your white elephants are someone else’s celebration!

Some people think of Kahlúa as one single type of coffee liqueur, to be used in Black Russians, White Russians, Espresso Martinis and Mudslides.

The brand is actually a delicious family of coffee liqueurs, including Kahlúa Especial, Kahlúa French Vanilla, Kahlúa Mocha and Kahlúa Hazelnut, among other flavors.

There have been limited holiday additions such as Gingerbread Kahlúa and Peppermint Mocha Kahlúa. Last year we loved the debut of Kahlúa Cinnamon Spice, and gave it as holiday gifts.

This year, Kahlúa Midnight is on our gifts-to-give-to-coffee-lovers list.

A combination of 70 proof rum and black coffee, Kahlúa Midnight was designed to be served as a chilled shot. But Kahlúa and other liqueurs are much more than a liqueur or cocktail ingredient. We’re been enjoying Kahlúa Midnight:

New Kahlúa Midnight was designed for shots…but you can also shoot it into a cup of coffee or on top of ice cream. Photo courtesy Kahlúa.

 
Last night we finished dinner with the ice cream approach: Kahlúa Midnight over a melange of vanilla, chocolate and coffee ice cream.

How’s that for a very special—and very easy—dessert!

Kahlúa Midnight is available at retailers nationwide.

Find more of our favorite liqueurs in our Cocktails & Spirits Section.

Yesterday we discussed that cup of good cheer, mulled wine, as a traditional Christmas drink.

Today we present the other drink of holiday song, the wassail bowl (pronounced WOSS-ul).

Wassail is an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “good health.” During the holiday season in merrie olde [medieval] England, a host would invite friends over for a celebratory drink. The festivities began when the host held up the bowl and exclaimed, “Wassail!”

Punch was drunk, songs were sung. The tradition began in the 14th century in southern England, where the apple groves produced a lot of cider. The first wassail bowls contained hot mulled cider.

But your wassail bowl can contain whatever type of punch you like, hot or chilled.

While recipes have evolved, the first wassail bowls contained hot mulled cider. Photo courtesy FeastsFromThePantry.com.

While wassail is a spirited drink, you can make a non-alcoholic versions as well.

Here’s a video recipe for wassail.

This non-alcoholic version of a wassail recipe combines apple cider and pineapple juice: certain to be popular with the kids.

Start wassailing!

You can serve mulled wine in a mug, brandy snifter, wine glass or other vessel of choice. Photo courtesy Spice Islands.

Mulled wine, a traditional winter drink in northern Europe, is hearty red wine that’s warmed, sweetened and spiced.

It’s a popular holiday drink. The word mulled means heated, sweetened and spiced. The expression “cup of good cheer” that comes to us from Merrie Olde England refers to hot mulled cider and wine.

Glögg is the Swedish form of mulled wine, Glühwein is the German variation, vin fieri (“boiled wine”) is Romanian, and so forth. Hot buttered rum (also called rum toddy), the Colonial favorite, uses similar spices and brown sugar (both rum and sugar came from the Caribbean).

Different countries use different spices (cloves and black pepper versus cinnamon and star anise, e.g.) and sweeteners (sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses). But the end result is the same: fragrant, warm, sweet and comforting.

While delicious and festive, recipes originated not as party fare but as a way to save wine that had turned (throw in enough sugar and spice and anything tastes good). Ale was/is also mulled.

You can buy pouches of pre-mixed mulling spices, but it’s just as easy to pull out the cinnamon sticks, measure out a little allspice, mix in some dried orange peel and drop in a few whole cloves.

You can cook up the ingredients and keep them in the fridge, reheating when friends and family stop by.

Check out our article on mulled wine, cider and glogg and enjoy a cup of good cheer.

Tomorrow: how to make a wassail bowl.

HOT MULLED WINE RECIPE

There are as many mulled wine recipes as there are people who make them. This recipe, from Estancia Winery, mixes Estancia’s Pinot Noir with apple cider.

Ingredients

Hot buttered rum at left, flanked by a Scotch toddy (substitute Scotch for the rum). Photo courtesy National Honey Board.

1. PEEL long strips of rind from the orange, lemon and lime and place in a saucepan along with the sugar/honey and the juice of the orange.

2. ADD the cloves, cinnamon sticks, 3 gratings of nutmeg, zest of orange, bay leaves and sliced vanilla pod.

3. POUR enough wine and cider to cover the sugar and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture boils and thickens slightly (roughly 5 minutes).

4. POUR in the rest of the wine and cider and turn the heat down to low.

5. ADD the star anise and leave the mixture to heat through for about 10 minutes without boiling. Make sure to leave the spices and zest in the pan.

6. LADLE into glasses or mugs and garnish with slices of orange, nutmeg or cinnamon sticks and enjoy!
 
FOOD TRIVIA

Some American food holidays are on dates that make no sense:

We keep these stackable espresso cups right
next to our espresso machine. Photo
courtesy Harold Imports | AMZ.

The flavors of espresso are very concentrated, intense and dark. Espresso is drunk black; sugar is permissible but milk is not. If you want milk in your coffee, choose another dark roast bean: Italian Roast and French roast.

There are key differences between espresso, Italian Roast and French roast coffees.

1. Beans: Special. Espresso is not a type of bean, but a level of roasting. In fact, espresso is typically a blend of beans roasted anywhere from very light to very dark; you know it’s espresso if there’s a lot of surface oil evident. Different coffee roasters use different blends of beans and different degrees of roasting. Ask which roaster roasted the beans you are purchasing. If they’re not your ideal, keep trying different roasters.

2. Caffeine: Less. Because a cup of espresso takes no more than 30 seconds to brew (28 seconds is the ideal brewing time), less caffeine is extracted from the ground beans than in drip coffee, which takes anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes to brew.

3. Crema: Thick. The pressure exerted by the espresso machine forms a thick cap of brown crema (pronounced CRAY-mah, Italian for cream; but it’s “espresso bean cream,” not milk-related cream). Some single serve coffee machines also produce a crema; but true espresso crema carries the aroma and lasts to the bottom of the cup.

4. Portion: Small. Although modern designs veer from the classic style, espresso cups were intentionally made small and thick. They serve a different purpose from the delicate porcelain demitasse cups used for regular coffee in a fine dinner service. Thick, small espresso cups hold the heat; large cups dissipate the heat and the crema. The proper portion of espresso is one ounce for these reasons. If you want a larger serving of espresso, don’t fill a full-size cup: Have another espresso-size and drink it in its peak form.

5. Garnish: Lemon Peel. You may see espresso served with a piece of lemon peel, to be rubbed around the rim of the cup to leave a slick of lemon oil. The original purpose was to counteract the taste of over-roasted, overly bitter espresso: The oil in the peel blocks the bitterness. Italians traditionally serve top quality espresso without lemon peel, bowing to the quality of the beans. However, if you like the added flavor of the lemon peel (we do), feel free to serve it.

6. Freshness: Imperative. Advice continues to circulate that coffee beans should be kept in the freezer for freshness. False! Freezing the coffee coagulates the natural oils contained in the bean. In an espresso, those oils need to emulsify to produce the body and mouthful of the coffee. Coffee can be stored in the refrigerator, but airtight containers are crucial. An airtight container keeps out odors and protects the internal moisture of the coffee bean. No matter what kind of coffee you buy, the best rule of thumb is to buy only what you need for a week, or two weeks at best. Ground coffee will begin to go stale in 24 hours. Keep coffee away from direct light and heat. Direct light and heat begin to cook the coffee oils, and will affect the flavor and aroma properties.

Discover more about coffee in our Gourmet Coffee Section.

A Rye Manhattan. Photo courtesy Joe’s Stone
Crab.

A Manhattan is a pre-Prohibition cocktail that’s coming back into retro favor. It’s made with whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters and garnished with a stemmed Maraschino cherry. The traditional whiskey is rye, although Canadian whiskey, Bourbon, blended whiskey and Tennessee whiskey can be used.

The cocktail represents “classic simplicity,” says the general manager of Joe’s Stone Crab | Chicago, John Aldape, who provided this recipe.

MANHATTAN COCKTAIL RECIPE

Ingredients

Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients except garnish in a shaker. Shake for 30 seconds. Serve “up” in a chilled Martini glass or an Old Fashioned (lowball) glass.

2. GARNISH with cherry and serve.
 
MANHATTAN VARIATIONS

There are many variations of the cocktail. Originally it was stirred, not shaken. And then, there are the spirits switch-outs:

 
In fact, you can have a Manhattan party and let everyone vote on the “best” Manhattan.
 
Find more of our favorite cocktail recipes.

This could just be the “perfect poison” you’re seeking for Halloween entertaining.

The ingredients are simple, except for finding that perfect candy spider:

SPIDER BITE HALLOWEEN DRINK RECIPE

Ingredients For One Drink

 
Preparation

1. SHAKE. Shake Frangelico and lime juice with ice.

Bite me! Photo and recipe courtesy Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur.

2. STRAIN. Strain into a rocks glass, fill with ice and garnish with a spooky Halloween treat.

3. GARNISH. To drip grenadine “blood” on the glass, reduce some grenadine in a sauce pan until it becomes thick and syrupy. Use a small squeeze bottle or a medicine dropper to dribble the “blood” from the rim of the glass.
 
Find more Halloween cocktail recipes.

Find more delicious Frangelico recipes at FrangelicoUSA.com.

What’s “adult Halloween?”

It’s a gathering of friends to enjoy candy-inspired cocktails. Here’s the first of our Halloween cocktails, courtesy of Hornitos Tequila.

To evoke candy corn, this cocktail has been layered with ingredients of different densities that rest atop each other, like oil and vinegar (more about layered cocktails).

With a hint of mint, this cocktail doesn’t taste like candy corn. But you can serve some on the side!

CANDY CORN COCKTAIL RECIPE

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. Chill ingredients, if desired.

2. Layer ingredients in a tall glass.

3. Drink from the bottom, through a straw.

Serve it with a side of candy corn. Photo courtesy Hornitos Tequila.

More Halloween cocktail recipes.

Today is National Vodka Day. Do you know the first vodka cocktail invented in the U.S.? (If you read the headline of this article, you do).

Today vodka and vodka cocktails are ubiquitous. In 2011, roughly 62 million 9-liter cases of vodka were sold in the U.S: the most of any spirit category.*

In the 1940s, vodka represented a tiny fraction—just $50,000—of the then-$2,000,000,000-a-year U.S. spirits industry.

The Moscow Mule was invented in 1941 by John G. Martin of Heublein (grandson of founder Gilbert Heublein); Jack Morgan, president of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products (which produced ginger beer) and proprietor of the Cock ‘n’ Bull restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, popular with movie stars; and Rudolph Kunett, president of the Pierre Smirnoff, Heublein’s vodka division.

A Moscow Mule in the traditional copper mug. Photo courtesy Smirnoff Vodka.

One evening at the Chatham Hotel (no longer extant) in New York City, the trio wondered what would happen if they mixed a two-ounce shot of Smirnoff vodka with Morgan’s ginger beer and a squeeze of lime.

Four or five drinks later, the new cocktail was christened the Moscow Mule. Why?

Vodka is associated with Russia;† Moscow is the capital. “Buck” and “mule” are antiquated names for a family of mixed drinks that incorporate ginger ale or ginger beer and citrus juice (more about them).

Why The Copper Mug?

To aid vodka sales, Martin and Morgan promoted the new cocktail at the Cock and Bull restaurant. To amp up the marketing, it was served in a copper mug engraved with two mules kicking up their heels.

Many of the stars had their own mugs engraved with their names, hanging over the bar. Martin and Morgan knew how to use star power to sell a drink!

THE ORIGINAL MOSCOW MULE RECIPE

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a rocks glass.

You’ll find modern variations that turn the Moscow Mule into a tall drink, add cranberry juice, orange bitters, substitute lemon juice for the lime juice, and so forth.

But that night at the Chatham Hotel, the three inventors used only vodka, lime juice, ginger beer and ice. Follow suit for an authentic Moscow Mule.

You don’t need copper mugs, but you can buy them on Amazon.com, with or without an engraved kicking mule.

 
While you’re enjoying your drink, check out the history of vodka.

*Source: Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Industry Review Support Tables 2011.

†Vodka actually originated in Poland. The history of vodka.

Our Top Pick Of The Week is Adult Chocolate Milk: a pour-and-serve combination that tastes like chocolate milk with a shot of vodka. It rocks!

What if you’re jonesing for a shot or two, but don’t have Adult Chocolate Milk?

If you have chocolate ice cream, coffee liqueur and vodka, you can make this Chocolate Black Russian, a cross between a cocktail and a milkshake.

Serve it for dessert. You can vary the recipe with flavored vodka: cherry, coffee, orange, raspberry and vanilla vodkas work well in this recipe.

Your next “ice cream social” will be a lot more social when you serve this!

Find more of our favorite cocktail and ice cream recipes.