Sapporo Holiday Cocktails

Hear those sleigh bells ringing and jing ting tingaling too? No? That’s because it’s the sound of a martini shaker making your favorite holiday cocktails. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and with holiday parties aplenty, what better way is there to celebrate than with a Christmas cocktail or some vodka with that latke.

Whether you’re attending the company holiday party or hosting a gathering of your own, here are some key ingredients essential to any bar to make for one jolly holiday cocktail:

SomberoTini  (like snow in a glass)

  • 1/2 oz. Patron XO
  • 1-1/2 oz. either vodka or Rock Sake Cloud
  • 2 oz. horchata (Mexican, cinnamon rice milk)
Garnish with a dash of cinnamon.

Pumpkin Pie Martini  (a holiday meal staple in liquid form)

  • 2 oz. Pear infused Svedka Vodka (1 bottle of Svedka, 3 peeled pears, infuse for 3 days)

Holiday Cocktail: Pumpkin Pie Martini
  • 1/4 oz. Cointreau
  • 1/4 oz. simple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of pumpkin purée
Dash of both cinnamon and nutmeg
To prepare: Shake and pour ingredients with ice into martini glass; add whipped cream around the inside rim of the glass to assimilate the look of a pumpkin pie

Plumeria (for those with visions of sugar plums)

  • 2 oz. Pearl Plum Vodka
  Sapporo Holiday Cocktails, Plumeria
  • 3 dashes of Fee’s Plum bitters
  • 1 oz. sweet & sour
  • 2 oz. soda water
Garnish with mistletoe or your favorite flower.

Purple Dream Martini (if you’re dreaming of a white purple Christmas)

  • 3 oz. Rock Sake Cloud Sake
 Sapporo Holiday Cocktail, Purple Dream Martini
  • 1 oz. lemonade
  • 1/2 oz. raspberry liqueur (layered)
To Prepare: Pour sake and lemonade into shaker and pour into martini glass. Down the side of the glass, slowly layer raspberry liqueur so that it layers to the bottom of the glass.

For those with at-home holiday soirees, fear not. You don’t need every piece of bar ware to make the aforementioned beverages. More times than not the everyday kitchen utensils can get the job done, but to look like a seasoned professional, some key bar tools include:

  • Glassware: a gin and tonic doesn’t belong in a martini glass
  • Cocktail Shaker: a must for any bar and any drink shaken, not stirred
  • Muddler: an essential tool for crushing mint leaves, fruit, herbs or any other ingredient that requires mashing to extract its true flavor
  • Corkscrew: for those who prefer wine over cocktails
  • Measure/Jigger: this helps keep that heavy-hand in check and prevents guests from getting too sloshy in their ugly Christmas sweaters
  • Knife/Cutting Board: for any fruity accoutrement

Feature one or all four drinks on your holiday cocktail menu this season, but
remember that practice makes perfect. Who said hard work isn’t fun? Enjoy those libations, and have a safe and happy holiday!