Midwinter Punch
Dylan Macleod of Native Tongues brings apple brandy, pear cider and fig syrup together in a giant bowl. Serves 16.
24 oz. Pere Magloire Calvados
12 oz. Quinta Do Portal fine ruby Port
12 oz. fig and honey syrup (recipe below)
8 oz. lemon juice
32 oz. dry pear cider
Freshly grated nutmeg
Ice
Add all ingredients to a punch bowl and stir until chilled. Serve in punch glasses or teacups and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Fig and honey syrup
250 grams store-bought 100-per cent fig jam
500 grams liquid golden honey
375 mL water
4 grams salt
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the honey and jam are completely dissolved (there will be small bits of fig leftover). Cool to room temperature and strain through a tea strainer. Bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
H.K. Cafe Nog
Raw Bar‘s Franz Swinton uses a blender to give this easy eggnog a frothy texture without having to emulsify yolks and beat egg whites. And, he adds an Asian twist with Chinese five-spice syrup. Serves 6.
4 whole eggs
4 oz. heavy cream
8 oz. Cognac or brandy such as Remy Martin VSOP
2 oz. Chinese five-spice simple syrup (recipe below)
12 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
1 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 20 seconds on medium or until smooth and frothy. Serve over ice and dust with Chinese five-spice powder.
TIP You can make this in advance and chill it in the fridge but it’s at its frothy best fresh out of the blender.
Chinese five-spice simple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp of Chinese five-spice powder
Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve sugar. While it is simmering add the Chinese five-spice.
Five Point Plane
Cannibale‘s spin on the Old Pal is sour, pungent, sweet, bitter and spiced-up for the holidays. Serves 8.
(*When you order this drink from the holiday cocktail menu at Cannibale, $2 will be donated to the Mustard Seed)
8 oz. rye
4 oz. Campari
4 oz. sweet (red) vermouth
4 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. Chinese five-spice simple syrup (recipe below)
You can premix this drink and keep it chilled overnight in a pitcher or punch bowl. To serve, add ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into chilled Old Fashioned glasses with large-format ice cubes. Garnish with a flamed orange slice (or just serve on the rocks for quick execution).
Chinese five-spice simple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp of Chinese five-spice powder
Bring sugar and water to boil to dissolve sugar. While it is simmering add the Chinese five-spice.
Alcohol-free Five Point Plane
Because teetotallers deserve a tasty holiday drink, too. Recipe courtesy of Cannibale. Serves 8.
12 oz. fresh orange juice
4 oz. fresh lemon juice
4 oz. five-spice syrup
18 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients. Pour into glasses and top with soda water or Sprite and garnish with a five-spice-dusted orange wheel.