Warm Your Spirits with These Classy Cocktails

The holidays may be over, but winter is still in full swing. So why not add a bit of festivity to the long, chilly nights with some new cocktails? Better yet, make extra and gather your friends for a cocktail party!

To get you started, we’ve got two winter-ready cocktails that are sure to become party favorites. 

Our first pick is a juicy Cranberry Apple Sangria from Whitney Bond. This delicious concoction comes together in 10 minutes of prep and makes ten servings simultaneously!

Cranberry Apple Sangria

•       1 orange, thinly sliced
•       2 TBSP brown sugar
•       ½ tsp ground cinnamon
•       1 cup spiced rum
•       2 750 ml bottles of red wine
•       ¼ cup orange liqueur
•       1 cup cranberry juice
•       1 cup cranberries
•       1 cup red apples, diced
•       1 cup club soda, chilled

Instructions

1.     Add orange slices to the bottom of a pitcher.
2.     Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and muddle (or mash with the back of a spoon).
3.     Add spiced rum, red wine, orange liqueur, and cranberry juice. Stir to combine.
4.     Add cranberries and apples.
5.     Chill in refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
6.     Add club soda just before serving.

If you want to keep the party going all night, a Mexican coffee eggnog cocktail will do the trick! This tasty Café Rompope recipe from Better Homes & Gardens takes just 25 minutes of prep and makes ten servings.

Café Rompope

•       8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
•       4 cups whole milk
•       ½ cup sugar
•       1 stick cinnamon
•       10 whole roasted coffee or espresso beans
•       1 tsp vanilla extract
•       1/3-1/2 cup light-color rum
•       ¼-1/2 cup Kahlua
•       Ground nutmeg (optional)
•       Whole roasted coffee or espresso beans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1.     Combine egg yolks, milk, sugar, stick cinnamon, and ten coffee beans in a large saucepan.
2.     Cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture coats the spoon.
3.     Remove from heat. Place saucepan in a sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes.
4.     Discard stick cinnamon. Do not remove coffee beans.
5.     Transfer the egg yolk mixture to a pitcher.
6.     Stir in rum, Kahlua, and vanilla extract.
7.     Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
8.     Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and garnish with coffee beans for serving.

You can prepare both of these cocktails in bulk before the party and make them a focal point in vintage crystal beverage dispensers with garnishes on the side. Don’t forget some embossed goblets to add another classic touch that instantly elevates the feel of your get-together. Cheers!