Rather than getting Blitzened at the office holiday party and potentially mistaking that one awful co-worker for the hall that needs decking, bring the party home and play Santa’s Little Mixologist. These festive winter warmers from a few local establishments will not only redden your nose but also get you good and holidazed, just in time for those pesky out-of-town relatives to darken your doorstep.
Don Artemio bar manager Pam Moncrief declares that Nos Encontramos en Medio (Meet in the Middle) is the perfect winter libation and pairs well with any of her restaurant’s Mexican offerings. She says once the ingredients are ready in a shaker, “Shake very hard with lots of ice for eight seconds. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass, or any 12-oz rocks glass, and pack with ice. Garnish with a dehydrated lime peel.”
Nos Encontramos en Medio (Meet in the Middle)
1 1/2 oz La Pulga Blanco
1 oz coconut cream
1/2 oz Piloncillo syrup
1/2 oz mineral water
1/4 oz lime juice
3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
1 dash Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
1 dash The Cocktail Experiment Black Pepper Bitters
1 dash smoked saline
Courtesy Blackland Distillery
Earlier this year, Blackland Distillery released Prairie Gold (a 50% ABV bourbon whiskey), adding to an award-winning portfolio. While sales of Blackland’s Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon spike this chilly time of year, keep the Foundry District distillery’s gin in mind when concocting those festive spirits. Once the three ingredients of Alexander’s Sister are placed in a shaker, mix with ice, shake, and strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a peppermint rim.
Alexander’s Sister
1 oz Blackland Gin
1 oz Creme de Menthe
1 oz heavy cream
TX Whiskey, thanks to its famed blend of vanilla, banana, and caramel notes, makes for the perfect base for your yuletide cocktails. For this custom recipe shared by the good folks at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company, start by rimming a glass of your choice in graham cracker dust. Drizzle in chocolate sauce and pour in the TX Whiskey and hot chocolate mixture. Top with marshmallows and additional graham crackers.
TX S’mores
2 parts TX Whiskey
3-4 parts hot chocolate
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate sauce
Courtesy Jackie O’s
Fort Worth’s popular new gay bar Jackie O’s offers affordable cocktails that won’t take more than a few minutes to prepare. This mean-green martini is minty and refreshing, and the process is as simple as a mix and a shake (not stir). Combine the ingredients with ice in a shaker and do as the name of the device implies.
Grinch’s Mean Martini
1 oz RumChata
1 oz Smirnoff vodka
1 oz Creme de Menthe
5 oz mint tea
Baby, it’s cold outside — but you certainly won’t be with these cheek-warmers that’ll have your guests wondering, “Say, what’s in this drink?” To that, simply raise your glass and give ’em a jolly ol’ wink and a smile.
Find out who’s playing where over the holidays in Crosstown Sounds: December Gigs.
