Shake up the Season!
The perfect holiday wine cocktail is just a shake, stir, and sip away. Whether you want to cozy up with a hot toddy or sweeten the season with sparkling sangria, these recipes are a wonderful way to celebrate the season.
Mulled Wine
Grab the fuzzy blanket and light that seasonal candle, we’re doing the holidays right this year. Pair cozy nights with a warm, mulled wine.
Ingredients
Serves 3-5 people
1 bottle of Merlot
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup honey
1 orange, sliced
4-5 whole star anise
6-8 whole cloves
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split
Garnish: cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and star anise
Directions
1. In a large saucepan or pot, combine red wine, apple cider, and brandy. Heat it over medium-low heat, making sure not to boil it to preserve the alcohol content.
2. Add the honey and stir until it dissolves.
3. Carefully add the orange slices, star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and split vanilla bean into the mixture.
4. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.
5. After simmering, taste the mulled wine and adjust the sweetness by adding more honey or spices if needed. Strain the mulled wine to remove the solid ingredients like orange slices and spices. You can keep some of the spices for garnish if you like.
6. Serve the mulled wine hot in heat-resistant glasses or mugs. You can garnish each serving with a cinnamon stick, orange slice, or star anise for an extra touch.
Apple Pie Infusion
Perfect for a festive celebration, the Apple Pie Infusion combines Moscato, cinnamon schnapps, apple juice, and honey. You won’t find a wine cocktail that tastes more like the aromas of a holiday kitchen than this one. Pass the pie!
Ingredients
2 oz. Moscato or Fruitscato
2 oz. Apple Juice
3 tsp. Honey
½ oz. Cinnamon Schnapps
Cinnamon & sugar mixture, to garnish
Directions
1. Dip the top of a fresh cocktail glass in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the rim. (PRO TIP: dip in honey first for a more generously-coated glass.) Set aside.
2. In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine liquids. Shake to blend and chill.
3. Strain into your cocktail glass and serve immediately.
Cranberry Crush
Change it up this holiday season with a Cranberry Crush, a new take on a classic cocktail that leaves you craving more. This mix of cranberry juice, sweet wine and a squeeze of lime definitely hits that sweet spot.
Ingredients
1.5 ounces Sweet Red Wine
.5 ounces Vodka
3.5 ounces Cranberry Juice
Directions
Serve over ice, garnish with a lemon twist.
Sparkling Sangria
Forget the fruitcake and pass around some Sparkling Sangria. Made with fresh fruit, cinnamon, brandy and topped with your favorite sparkling wine, it makes the perfect bubbly finish.
Ingredients
1 cup of Cranberries
1 Green Apple, sliced
1 Orange, sliced
1 Lime, sliced
4 sticks of Cinnamon
4 ounces of Orange Juice
4 ounces of Brandy
1 bottle of Sparkling Wine
If you like a sweeter sangria you can add simple or honey syrup to adjust the balance.
Directions
Add all ingredients to a pitcher. Pour over ice in your favorite festive glassware and serve.
Festive Firewater
Bring a touch of class to cozy season with a Festive Firewater in a coupe glass. Your favorite red blend combined with scotch and cherry liqueur combine to make a sophisticated wine cocktail.
Ingredients
2oz. Red Blend Wine
1/2 oz. Scotch
1/2 oz. Cherry Liqueur
1/2 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
Directions
1. Add ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake together to combine/chill.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with an expressed orange peel.
Sweater Weather Sipper
While you’re busy baking pies, stir up a Sweater Weather Sipper. Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Brandy, blackberries, brown sugar, and tea, this bold and fruity wine cocktail pairs warmly with your favorite holiday mug.
Ingredients
(1) 750mL bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
4 oz. Brandy
6 oz. Package fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 single bag Chai Tea
1 cup Water
Directions
1. Place fruit, sugar and water into a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and add tea bag. Stir continually.
2. Mash blackberries to release juice into the boiling liquid. Hard simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Remove tea bag and fine strain the liquid to remove all fruit pulp. Return liquid to saucepan.
4. Add Cabernet Sauvignon and brandy to the mixture. Heat to a low simmer. Remove from heat.
5. Pour into heat-proof mugs and serve warm.
Yields approx. 8 servings
Today's Hot Toddy
A holiday staple, the hot toddy has been popular for centuries. But have you ever made a hot toddy with Rosé? Our Hot Toddy takes the classic ingredients (whiskey, lemon, honey, and cinnamon) and adds crisp, refreshing and smooth Rosé. Your favorite summer wine just slipped its way into the holidays.
Ingredients
1.5oz Rosé
1.5oz Whiskey
.75oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Honey
1 Cinnamon Stick
Directions
1. Add all ingredients including cinnamon stick to a mug and top with boiling water.
2. Stir with a cinnamon stick and garnish with rosemary and lemon.