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  • On the twelfth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Christmas cookie cocktails!

    Courtesy of our friend Andi, I give you five cocktails that are guaranteed to taste just like your favorite Christmas cookies.

    From all of us here at Drink Matron, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    Snickerdoodle

    Ingredients:

    1 part amaretto
    1 part Irish cream
    1 part buttershots
    splash of Hot Damn

    Combine amaretto, Irish cream, and buttershots in a glass over ice. Add hot damn and serve.

    Gingerbread

    Ingredients:

    1 part gingerbread liqueur
    1 part half & half
    1 part Kahlua
    1 part vanilla vodka

    Combine ingredients in a glass over ice. Serve.

    Sugar Cookie

    Ingredients:

    1 part Godiva white
    1 part Irish cream
    1 part milk
    splash of buttershots

    Combine ingredients in a glass over ice. Serve.

    Oatmeal Raisin

    Ingredients:

    1 part Irish cream
    1 part buttershots
    hint of Hot Damn

    Combine ingredients in a glass over ice. Serve.

    Double Chocolate Chip

    Ingredients:

    1 part chocolate vodka
    1 part Irish cream
    splash of Half & Half
    1 squirt Hershey’s syrup

    Combine ingredients in a glass over ice. Serve.

  • On the eleventh day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Other Christmas Cocktails!

    We’ve featured lots of drinks over the last week, most of them warm and traditional. What about the other drinks? The cold martinis, bubbly champagne, and traditions that range from family to family? We’ve asked around and come up with a handful of good ones for you to try at your Christmas Eve party.

    Photo: Howard L. Puckett; Styling: Lindsey Ellis BeattyPeppermint Martini

    Ingredients:

    1 1/4 ounces vanilla vodka
    1 1/4 ounces white crème de cacao
    3/4 ounce peppermint schnapps
    Garnish: peppermint candy

    Combine vanilla vodka, white creme de cacao, and peppermint schnapps in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with peppermint candy.

    cranberry champagneCranberry Champagne Cocktail

    Ingredients:

    2 well-chilled bottles champagne
    1 cup well-chilled cranberry juice cocktail, or to taste
    3 Tbsp triple sec

    In a large pitcher combine champagne, cranberry juice cocktail and triple sec. Serve in champagne flutes. Garnish with cranberry, if desired.

    grinch1Grinch Cocktail

    Ingredients:

    1 part vodka, rum, or champagne
    2 parts sprite
    2 parts pineapple juice
    lime sherbet
    whipped cream
    green sprinkles

    Combine booze, sprite, and pineapple juice in a pitcher. Float Lime Sherbet on top. Serve in a large glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. (For kids, leave out the booze. You already know how I feel about giving kids alcohol.)

    cocoa with boozeyHot Peppermint Cocoa

    Ingredients:

    1 pouch of hot cocoa
    1 oz Irish cream
    1 oz 100 proof peppermint schnapps

    In a mug, combine packet of cocoa and hot water. Add Irish cream and peppermint schnapps. If desired, top with whipped cream or marshmallows. Serve.

    apple ciderBoozey Cider

    Ingredients:

    Warmed hot cider
    1.5 oz rum
    .5 oz bourbon
    cinnamon
    nutmeg
    whipped cream

    In a mug, combine hot cider, rum, and bourbon. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.

     

  • On the tenth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Beer kits for brewin’!

    Looking for a last minute gift or family project for Christmas day? Why not get a beer kit and brew some beer? Most home brew stores have small (and large, if you want to go big!) batch brewing kits that take approximately three hours to make. Here are Adrian’s and my favorites.

    Drink Matron’s Favorite

    brooklyn brew shopBrooklyn Brew Shop

    Brooklyn Brew Shop popped up a few years ago, armed with one goal: make brewing beer easy. Their one gallon beer kits give you the chance to make high quality all-grain beer no matter how small your kitchen.

    The kit includes a one gallon fermenter, bottling equipment, a thermometer, and your choice of mix for $40. You can also buy extra mixes for future brewing. Mixes included grains, hops, yeast, and and spices when needed. After that, all you need is a free afternoon and BAM! you’re making beer. They also have five gallon kits and mixes if you want more beer, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want more beer?

    You can find kits and mixes on their website, or check your local bottle shop or local whole foods.

    Adrian’s Favorite

    midwest logoMidwest Supplies

    It’s not just one kit, it’s all kits at Midwest. They’ve got everything you need from one gallon brewing kits to kegerator parts. No matter how you want to brew, all grain or extract, they are your one stop shop, especially if you don’t have a home brew store near you.

    Midwest was the first brewing website Adrian ever used and due to the quality of their products and the integrity of the business itself, he’s remained loyal to them for nearly 10 years.

    Midwest also provides wine, cheese, liqueur, soda, coffee, mead, and hot sauce making supplies. Seriously! This site is awesome.

    Both of us recommend…

    Your local home brewing store

    If you’d like something a little more local than a website, check out your local home brewing store. They provide the product and are staffed by experts who can help you find exactly what you need, no matter your skill level.

  • On the ninth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Chocolate Covered Brandy Cherries!

    chocolate covered cherriesChocolate Covered Brandy Cherries

    Ingredients:
    1 pound butter
    2 pounds of powdered sugar sifted
    2 tsp Vanilla (can be replaced with 2.5-3 tsp brandy, if you prefer)
    One large jar of whole maraschino cherries
    Several bars of good chocolate

    Preparation:
    1. Drain the juice from the cherries and replace with brandy. Let them sit to develop flavor, the longer they sit, the stronger they’ll be. When you are ready to make the cherries drain (save the brandy for drinking). Place the cherries on a paper towel to let them dry.
    2. Soften your butter and gradually knead as much powdered sugar as you can until the dough is really stiff. Add a teaspoon of vanilla (or brandy). Continue to knead more powdered sugar until dough is stiff again. Repeat adding liquid and sugar.
    3. Take a small circle of dough and flatten in the palm of your hand. Place a cherry on the dough and wrap around until in a ball. If you don’t completely cover the cherry it will leak. Place cherries on a tray and chill as they will be warm from your hands.
    4. In small batches, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring each time. Do not allow the chocolate to get too hot, or it will become grainy.
    5. Dip cherries in the melted chocolate, covering completely. Remove from chocolate with toothpicks. Set on wax paper on a cookie sheet and chill until firm. Enjoy.

  • Stocking Stuffer! Found on the Internet: How to Make Holiday Punch Without a Recipe

    Not sure if you have exactly what you need for punch? Well, Food 52 wants you to know that as long as you have some wine and booze, you probably do. Check it out!

    Photo byFood 52

     

    From the article:
    “For the booze, use your favorite; for the wine, bubbles are best, white wine works, hard cider is nice with apple and rye; for the sweet, use your judgment. We like to use simple syrup, or you can add a sweet liqueur, like St. Germain if you’re making gin punch, or Domaine de Canton if your batch wants a gingery kick.”

    See more at How to Make Holiday Punch Without a Recipe

     

     

     

  • On the eighth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Punch for your party!

    What can I say about punch? It’s simple, it’s yummy, it’s cheap, and it’s a great way to get people drunk.

    cran rasp punchParty Punch

    Ingredients:

    1 can frozen lemonade
    1 can frozen Cranberry Raspberry
    1 bottle ginger ale
    750ml champagne
    Raspberry Sherbet

    In a bowl, mix lemonade, limeade, ginger ale, and champagne. Stir together. Before serving, float scoops of raspberry sherbet on top. Enjoy!

    poinsettia-punchPoinsettia Punch

    Ingredients:

    750 ml champagne (chilled)
    3 cups apple juice (chilled)
    1/4 cup white grape juice concentrate
    1/4 cup orange liqueur

    Stir together all ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher. Serve.

    mulled tea punchMulled Tea Punch

    Ingredients:

    15 Whole cloves
    2 1/2 cinnamon sticks, broken
    2 1/2 quarts water
    5 Lipton® Iced Tea Brew Family Size Tea Bags
    2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
    2 1/2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
    2 quarts Burgundy wine

    Tie spices in cheesecloth; set aside. Bring water to a boil over high heat in large stockpot. Remove from heat, then add Lipton® Iced Tea Brew Family Size Tea Bags and spices; cover and brew 5 minutes. Remove Tea Bags and squeeze. Stir in brown sugar, then cranberry juice and wine. Cook covered until heated through. Remove spices. Serve warm.

     

    Christmas Rum Punch

    Ingredients:

    2 liters cranberry juice
    1 1/2 liters spiced rum
    2 cups lime juice
    1 Tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
    3 cinnamon sticks
    1 tangerine, sliced

    Mix ingredients in a punch bowl, chill, and serve over ice.

     

     

     

     

  • On the seventh day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Mulled Wine and Cider!

    It’s Christmas and it’s cold and snowy. Nothing beats warming up after a snowball fight with a nice steaming cup of mulled wine or cider. Pulling a big pot outside during family get-togethers will keep everyone toasty while the kids play, and might even get Grandma to tell you an embarrassing story about your dad.

    Mulled-Wine-4Mulled Wine

    Ingredients:

    12 whole cloves
    2 nutmegs, cracked into pieces with a hammer
    2 bottles dry red wine
    1/2 cup sugar
    Stripped zest from 2 oranges and 2 lemons, plus more zest for garnish
    3/4 cup fresh orange juice
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    2 cinnamon sticks

    Preparation

    1. Tie the cloves and nutmeg pieces in a small square of cheesecloth, or put them in a large metal tea ball.

    2. In a large pot, combine the wine, sugar, orange and lemon zests, orange and lemon juices, and cinnamon sticks. Add the clove-and-nutmeg bundle. Heat over medium-low heat until steam begins to rise from the pot and the mixture is hot, about 10 minutes; do not let it boil. Remove the clove-and-nutmeg bundle. Keep the wine warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

    3. Ladle the wine into cups or heatproof glasses, garnish with the citrus zest and serve warm.

    wbrewMichigan Mulled Wine Cheat

    Ingredients:

    2-3 bottle of Leelanau Witches Brew Spiced Red Wine
    2-3 apples, sliced
    2 oranges, sliced
    Handful cherries
    5-10 Cinnamon sticks

    Combine ingredients in a crock pot and warm on medium for about an hour.

     

    Mulled_Cider

    Hot Mulled Cider

    Ingredients:

    1/2 gallon of fresh, unfiltered apple cider
    1 orange
    15 cloves
    4 3-inch sticks of cinnamon
    15 allspice berries
    1 teaspoon of nutmeg
    7 pods of cardamon
    1/4 cup brown sugar

    Preparation
    1. Pour apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high. While cider is heating up peel two thick strips from the orange. Press half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

    2. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices. If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit. Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.

  • On the sixth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Irish Coffee!

    You’ve been with your family for days already, and you’re beginning to wear thin. It’s socially unacceptable to drink beer in the morning, and your mom doesn’t keep champagne around the house for mimosas. Your dad, however, always has a little Irish Whiskey, and there’s a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. Time for some Irish coffee.

    Irish Coffee

    Ingredients:

    Freshly brewed cup of coffee
    1 Tbsp brown sugar
    1.5 oz Irish whiskey
    Heavy cream

    In a mug, pour coffee. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add whiskey. Top with heavy cream. Serve hot.

    And now….IRISH COFFEE PORN!

    albert costill

    coffeegeek

    examiner

    badassdigest

    erin go braghaccino

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • On the fifth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: CROCK POT COCKTAILS!

    The crock pot is a beautiful thing. It can make dinner while you’re at work better than you could even imagine. It can steam, boil, broil, saute, and bake practically anything you want. In fact, did you know that it can also make amazing cocktails?

    Well, you do now, and I’m here to give you some of the best recipes I could find that will give you plenty of Christmas joy.

    Rum Chata Hot Chocolate

    crock pot hot chocolateIngredients:

    2 bags chopped Ande’s mints
    1 750ml bottle of Rum Chata
    2 small cans of sweetened condensed milk
    1 small carton of heavy whipping cream
    4 cups milk

     

     

    Combine everything in crock pot and set on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Ladle into mugs and add marshmallows or whip cream (marshmallows or whip cream are optional, but COME ON).

    Wassail

    Wassail_(4221293123)Ingredients:

    2 cups Madeira
    2 bottles London Pride Ale
    4 bottles Strongbow English Cider
    1 cup apple cider
    12 whole cloves
    12 whole allspice berries
    2 cinnamon sticks, 2 inches long
    2 oranges, sliced
    2 Lemons, sliced
    2 strips orange peel, 2 inches long
    4 apples, cored and sliced
    1 tsp ground ginger
    1 tsp ground nutmeg

    Pour Madeira, ale and English and apple ciders into a large slow cooker. Place cloves, allspice, orange peal, and cinnamon into cheesecloth or mesh bag, tie shut with kitchen twine (or whatever is available) and add to slow cooker along with ginger and nutmeg. Set slow cooker to medium. Gently simmer for about 1 hour or longer if desired. Add sliced oranges, apples, and lemons to the slow cooker for garnish. Reduce heat. Ladle into mugs and serve.

    Winter Sangria

    SangriaIngredients:

    2 bottles red wine
    2 cups orange herbal iced tea
    1 cup brandy
    1/2 cup simple syrup
    1/2 cup triple sec
    1 lime, sliced
    1 lemon, sliced
    1 orange, sliced

    Stir all of the ingredients together in a slow cooker and set to low heat. Warm for an hour or until mix reaches desired heat.

     

     

  • Stocking Stuffer! Found on the Internet: Bourbon Maple Bacon and Pecan cookies

    Because bourbon + Bacon + Pecan + cookies = dreamy. Why not add this to Christmas cookie baking day?

    Thank you Heather Christo.

    Get the recipe here: Bourbon Maple Bacon and Pecan cookies
    Photo by Heather Christo