Tag: Christmas Drinks

Candy Cane Shooters

‘Tis the Season for Good Tidings and Good Cheer!  And I have tons of ways to help you shake up your favorite Spirits to help you get into the Holiday Spirit! 

Vodka is awesome.  It is one of my favorite spirits to play around with.  It mixes well with just about everything.  It’s delicious chilled with some olives or a lime wedge.  It is great as a base for creating infusions.  Like a Candy Cane infusion. 

Yes, Candy Cane infused Vodka.  Delicious in some hot chocolate with tons of whipped cream.  Or a simply chilled and garnished with crushed canes for a Candy Cane Martini.  Or mixed with a few other ingredients to make something extra special.  Extra, extra special.

One of my absolute favorite Christmas cookies from my childhood were Candy Cane Cookies.  Traditional Sugar Cookie mix and pink Peppermint spiked Sugar Cookie mix twisted together in the shape of a Candy Cane.  I loved these things.  So I used my Candy Cane infused vodka to recreate my favorite Christmas Cookie!  I hope you like it as much as I do!

  • Candy Cane Cookie
  • -1.25 oz Candy Cane infused Vodka
  • -.5 oz French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
  • -about ½ a teaspoon of Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice, and shake!  Double strain into a shooter glass or a martini glass if your feeling fancy.  Garnish with a mini Candy Cane and enjoy!

*Candy Cane Infused Vodka

You can infuse the entire bottle or just a couple of cups.  The choice is yours. 

Combine your vodka and Candy Canes in a sealable container. 

For every 2 cups of vodka add about 3 Candy Canes.  Shake container every hour or so.  Once Candy Canes completely dissolve in the vodka it’s ready to use.  For the entire bottle I would use 7 full size Candy Canes. 

Cranberry, Spice, and Everything Nice

I know that I’m not alone when I say that I love the Holidays!  From Thanksgiving (ok, if I’m being honest with myself, from Halloween) through Christmas and New Year’s Eve I love the Holidays.  All of the decorations, the cool-to-cold weather, the first snow, and all of the amazing food!  This time of year, we make all of those special recipes that define Thanksgiving and Christmas to our taste buds.  The Cranberry Sauce simmering away on the stove.  The Snickerdoodles baking in the oven.  The Apple Pie cooling on the counter. 

I don’t know about you, but I always end up with some odds and ends left over from a flurry of holiday cooking and baking.  An apple or pear too bruised to use in a pie.  About half a bag of cranberries that I didn’t use.  I always over buy cinnamon sticks because I love cinnamon and I can always find someway to use it.  So I gathered all of my leftover Thanksgiving goodies and threw them in a pot and let it simmer away for an hour or so… the kitchen smelled amazing as the flavors mingled and the liquid reduced. 

Once cooled I mixed it with some Maker’s Mark and topped it with Fever Tree Ginger Beer.  Honestly, it would mix well with almost any liquor, it just depends on what your feeling and what you have on hand.  But your favorite vodka or rum (I would go with a Spiced Rum over a Silver Rum) or even a nice tequila would all be a nice addition to this reduction.  If you don’t have Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, or even just Sprite would be good.  Or you could spike some Champagne or Sparkling Apple Juice to make a festive Mimosa.  This juice is incredibly versatile.  I was really tempted to reduce some of it down to a syrup to serve over pancakes- but that will have to wait for the next batch! 

Let me know what you think and how you use this concoction!

Cranberry-Pear-Cinnamon-Maple Reduction

  • In a 5 quart pot combine-
  • -6 cups water
  • -12oz fresh Cranberries
  • -2 Pears (or Apples or one of each) cored and chopped
  • -2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • -5oz Demerara Sugar
  • -4oz Pure Maple Syrup
  • -and if you have an orange lying around, throw a slice or two into the pot

Bring it all to a slow boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Taste test for desired sweetness/flavor concentration.  Either continue reducing or allow to cool and strain into a storage container and chill.

Spiked Cranberry and Spice

  • In a Collins glass, over ice combine
  • 1.5 oz Maker’s Mark (or your favorite spirit to get you in the Holiday Spirit)
  • 2 oz Cranberry-Pear Reduction
  • Stir to combine
  • Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
  • Garnish with an Orange Wedge, Cranberries, or nothing at all.

Enjoy!