This is the day we’ve all been looking forward to. On the sixth day of Christmas, we give you: Six Festive Cocktails, Five Holiday Wishes, Four Tips for a Successful Renovation, Three Blogs Not to Miss, Two New Traditions, and One Room to Refresh.
Holiday Cocktails with Dawn and Cory
With much anticipation and excitement, Clark Griswold belts “Joy to the world”, as he confidently joins two plugs together with hopes to electrify 250 strands of lights covering the exterior of his home…only they didn’t light. If you’re a fan of the Christmas movie classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, then you know exactly what scene I’m describing.
Just like Clark, we, with much anticipation and excitement, gift to you three more holiday cocktails to add to your seasonal cheer. We are confident that at least one of the cocktails will electrify your holiday spirits…and if not, follow Clark Griswold’s lead and don’t give up. Make and try the drinks again and again and again…eventually something will light up!
Coquito
First up, Dawn’s favorite, is the Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog).
Ingredients:
- 1 (15-ounce) Can of Cream of Coconut (Sometimes labeled as Crème de Coconut and should not be confused with coconut cream or coconut milk, neither of which are typically sweetened.)
- 1 (14-ounce) Can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) Can evaporated milk
- 12 ounces of white rum, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and/or cinnamon sticks for garnish (Dawn and Cory advise using extreme caution if using the cinnamon sticks as a “straw” to sip the beverage)
Directions:
- Add cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, white rum, coconut or vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg to a blender.
- Process until it is well mixed and then pour into a glass pitcher and cover tightly. Alternatively, add the cover to the blender and place it in the fridge.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, until well chilled. Coquito tastes best very cold.
- Shake to mix well right before serving. Pour into small glasses.
- Sprinkle the top with nutmeg or cinnamon, and/or garnish with a cinnamon stick. Enjoy!
Spicy Sweet Grinch Cocktail
Second up, Cory’s favorite, is the Spicy Sweet Grinch Cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2-4 finely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
- 2 ounces vodka
- Juice from ½ lime juice
- Juice from ½ of a small grapefruit
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1-2 jalapeno slices (Dawn didn’t remove the seeds!)
- ginger beer for topping
- pomegranate arils, for serving
Directions:
- On a shallow plate, combine the sugar and mint. Rim your glass in sugar, then fill with ice.
- Combine the vodka, lime juice, grapefruit juice, honey, and jalapenos in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until combined, about 1 minute. Strain into your prepared glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish as desired. Enjoy!
Winter Aperol Spritz
Third up, Sarah Kaper’s favorite, is the Winter Aperol Spritz.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Aperol
- 1 ounce unsweetened cranberry juice
- 3 to 4 ounces Prosecco or other sparkling white wine
- Dash of club soda
- Orange wheel slices for garnish
- 2-3 whole cranberries for garnish
Directions:
- Add Aperol and unsweetened cranberry juice to the bottom of a champagne glass.
- Top with Prosecco and a splash of soda water.
- Garnish with orange wheel and cranberries. Enjoy!
Three More Cocktails to Brighten the Season
Wait! But that’s only three drinks and this is day six! Since it’s been three years since our last drinks video, we’re sharing those recipes as well: Very Merry Moscow Mule (Cory’s favorite), Christmas Sangria (Dawn’s favorite), and White Christmas Margarita (the most interesting). Be sure to check out the video and don’t miss the outtakes at the end.
