Part 2: Winter Cocktails Heat Up the Season

Around the ALHI world, special drinks—hot and cold—are emerging for winter, and we share the recipes in Part 2 of a two-part series.

Part 1: Winter Cocktails Heat Up the Season

Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach All Inclusive

Created by Infinite Club Butler Supervisor, Berenice Maldonado, this cocktail’s theme is “Christmas.”

“During this season, the inspiration is family and getting together with friends,” she says. “That end of year toast, the elegance of champagne, those bubbles that burst in your mouth and the touch of roses is wonderful. Why rosemary? Because it’s a very aromatic plant and when you burn it, it’s very representative of this time of year. We combine all of these ingredients and the result is a delicate drink, subtle in taste and appearance.”

Coral Winter Cocktail 

·      1 oz Rose Liquor

·      Top off with sparkling wine

·      2 drops of Angostura bitters

·      Pour Rose Liquor in a champagne glass, carefully adding sparkling wine to separate the colors. Add two drops of Angostura bitters and decorate with a spring of fresh rosemary.
 

InterContinental Washington DC

Kevin Tien, Executive Chef of Moon Rabbit, the hotel’s Vietnamese restaurant, challenged his bar team to come up with this winter cocktail and was behind the selection of its name.

“This cocktail personifies warm + cozy vibe,” he explained. “Picture yourself bundled up in blankets between a fireplace and a snow-covered window for the vibe. The drink is velvety, fruity, spiced, with a modest herbal bitterness. It features familiar fall/winter flavors such as spiced apple, malt, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and has a subtle earthy, herbal undertone.”

Cuffing Season

·      1.5 Oz Japanese whisky, one with more malt than peat, preferably Nikka Coffey Grain

·      0.75 Oz Cardamaro

·      0.25 Oz Allspice

·      0.50 Oz Lemon juice

·      0.50 Oz Apple-Vinegar Cordial

·      Shaken + strained into a coupe/cocktail/Nick + Norah glass; garnish could be orange twist/star anise/apple slice/etc., probably the orange twist.
 

InterContinental Miami

InterContinental and Toro Toro have teamed up to deliver holiday cocktails with a Latin twist, perfectly flavored for Miami.

Holiday White Sangria

·      1 bottle White Wine

·      1 bottle sparkling white grape juice

·      ¾ c cranberries

·      1/3 c seedless green grapes

·      2 granny smith apples (chopped)

·      2-3 rosemary sprigs

·      Add all ingredients to large pitcher, stir to combine and refrigerate for 4 hours

·      Garnish with toasted coconut and frozen grapes
 

Silverado Resort & Spa

The Smoke Box

Looking for a cocktail that will comfort you all winter long? Their new cocktail “The Smoke Box” is reminiscent of a homemade pear pie. It has browned buttered bourbon, mixed with locally grown pear, baking spices, brown sugar, lemon, and finished with applewood smoke to add that earthy finish. All these flavors perfectly mingle creating a cocktail that is best enjoyed snuggled up by the fireplace. The cocktail can also be enjoyed with spiced brown sugar syrup. 

If a guest orders the Smoke Box, the drink will be infused with applewood smoke. The cocktail is delivered to the guest encased in the glass smoke box in a stunning presentation. Once the glass door swivels open, the smoke cascades out. 

Browned Buttered Bourbon

·      750 ml Bourbon

·      3 oz non-salted Butter

·      Brown non-salted butter, let cool for roughly 3 minutes. Add bourbon of choice, we recommend Buffalo Trace, to a container. Pour hot browned butter into bourbon and stir for about 15 minutes. When finished, cover and place in freezer. Let it rest for about 12 hours or until the butter has hardened. Strain the butter from the bourbon. Bourbon should keep for 4 months.

Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup

·      5-7 cloves

·      5-7 allspice berries

·      1 cinnamon stick

·      Place all the spices in a sauce pot with 2 quarts of water. Boil for 15 minutes or until water appears bronze. Strain out any solids. Add the equal ratio of brown sugar to the spiced water. Stir until all the brown sugar has dissolved. Store in fridge for up to 4 weeks.

The Yorkville Royal Sonesta

“I gave this a Canadian twist by changing bourbon to Canadian whisky and honey to maple syrup, says Director of Food & Beverage Emmett Brett. “This concept therefore created a classic warming winter cocktail with a Canadian twist to it.”

Maple Tea Toddy

·      Your Favorite Canadian whisky

·      1.5 oz fresh lemon juice

·      1/4 oz maple syrup

·      3/4 oz hot Earl Grey Tea

·      2 oz hot water

·      2 oz cinnamon stick

·      Lemon wedge for garnish

·      Slice of pear

·      One Star Anise (optional) for garnish

·      Method: Pour the whisky, lemon juice and maple syrup in a rocks glass or mug, stir to combine. Top with hot tea and water. Add the garnishes and enjoy.

Live Aqua Beach Resort Cancun

Mezcal (from the Nahuatl language meaning “oven-cooked agave”) is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from many varieties of the agave plant. With more than 20 varieties being produced in 12 Mexican states, mezcal plays an important – widespread - part in their mixology, paving the way for memorable celebrations.

Coco & Mezcal

·      1 Coconut

·      2 oz of mezcal

·      1 oz Monin coconut syrup

·      1 oz fresh lime juice

·      Ice