This usually means hot toddies, dark spirits, lots of spice, a data-ga or egg nog. This usually means hot toddies with lots of spices, Egg Nog, or candy canes.
It’s an exciting time to be a gin lover. Spices, heat, and candy can all mask or overpower gin’s delicate flavor, which is dominated by juniper and botanicals. There are many ways a gin lover can enjoy their favorite liquor without sacrificing the holiday spirit.
Take a big bite of cranberries.
The cranberries remind us of the holidays. The berries are vibrant crimson and have a bauble appearance, making them perfect for hanging on a tree. Freeze cranberries and then place them in your martini glasses. You can also use them to create a ruby-hued toddy or ferment the cranberries in honey.
You can use cranberry syrup to make a simple spritz (11/2 ounces of gin with one tablespoon of cranberry paste and 3 ounces of sparkling wine), or you can add gin sparkling cranberry (Martinelli’s, for example) to create a cocktail.
Celebrate the citrus season.
It used to seem odd that such an intensely colored fruit would be in season during winter, but we need the vitamin C that citrus fruits provide. Make a French 75 to explore the world of tangerines and tangelos. You can also use pink lemons or satsumas. If you don’t want to waste the peels, replace or add lemon juice with any of these gems in season.
Make a toddy (gently, respectfully)
Gin toddies can be tricky. Heat can help open the gin and let its botanicals reach your nose, but it also can overpower more delicate floral notes. If you want to taste your gin without losing its flavor, choose a gin with plenty of juniper or spruce. Tanqueray is an excellent choice. Avoid anything too floral, as it can become tannic when heated. It’s easy to make a gin-toddy. Has covered this before. To recap:
Darken up your martini.
Smoke and spices don’t exactly scream Christmas, but they are wintry, and most people find that to be enough. You can use a piece of wood or cinnamon bark, or a star anise to smoke the glass for a martini. Or you can rinse it with smoky Scotch.
You can also add depth to your cold-weather cocktails with Amaro or bitters. You can also use a ” festive bitter,” such as pecan, cinnamon, or Angostura. You can substitute dry vermouth with something sweet and dark or use an Amaro with baking spices.