Drinks
Three festive cocktails to shake up for holiday entertaining at home
Holiday entertaining in Tampa Bay calls for drinks that feel celebratory without feeling heavy. Think bright citrus, garden herbs and a little sparkle, all perfectly suited to an evening on the lanai. These three recipes are designed for the home bar and scale up beautifully for a crowd.
Cranberry Rosemary Spritz
1½ oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
½ oz rosemary simple syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
Sparkling wine, to top
Shake the vodka, cranberry, syrup and lime with ice, strain into a glass over fresh ice and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries. For the syrup, simmer equal parts sugar and water with a handful of rosemary, then cool and strain.
Spiced Pear Old Fashioned
2 oz bourbon
½ oz spiced pear syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange peel, to garnish
Stir the bourbon, syrup and bitters with ice until well chilled, then strain over a large cube. Express the orange peel over the glass and drop it in. For the syrup, simmer one diced ripe pear with equal parts sugar and water, a cinnamon stick and two cloves, then strain. The syrup keeps for about a week in the refrigerator, so make a batch early and you will have a cozy nightcap ready whenever friends drop by.
Poinsettia Punch
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled
2 cups cranberry juice
½ cup orange liqueur
Orange wheels and fresh cranberries
Combine the cranberry juice and orange liqueur in a chilled punch bowl, then add the sparkling wine just before guests arrive. Float orange wheels and cranberries on top and serve over ice.
A Few Hosting Notes
Batch what you can ahead of time, keep plenty of ice on hand and chill your glassware early. Fresh garnishes make simple pours feel special. Offer an alcohol-free option, too: the spritz is just as festive made with sparkling water. And always plan a safe ride home for every guest.
