You're hosting a holiday party. You're attending a holiday party. You just want a quick, but fancy and seasonally-appropriate, nip to get you through the last few hours of some late night work.
What you need is a nice holiday cocktail, fit for a festive attorney. No, we're not talking spiked eggnog. Tasty, festive, merry, kind of impressive, these holiday cocktail recipes definitely beat Santa's cookies.
Sweet but Strong: The Candy Cane Cocktail
This drink is perfect for a holiday-themed cocktail hour. Combine two ounces of strawberry vodka (regular is fine as well), four dashes of crème de menthe, and two and a half ounces of cranberry juice, shake well and serve in a martini glass. If you want to get extra fancy, line the rim of the glass with crushed candy cane pieces -- and we mean crushed, pulverized, turned to a fine dust. Big pieces will just fall off.
This drink is sweet without being cloying; strong and assertive without making you stumble home. (You could try another, much higher-calorie version of the CCC that's made with vanilla rum, white chocolate liqueur, and peppermint schnapps that'll leave your belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly.)
Santa Baby: the Hanky Panky
The Hanky Panky is an old-school, classic cocktail from the early 1900s. It's great any season, but particularly suited for the holidays. It's got piney gin, plus some bold spices. To make it, just throw together two ounces of gin, one ounce of vermouth, and a quarter ounce of Fernet Branca, give them a stir and serve in a chilled glass.
For the Office: Spiked Fizz-Punch
If you need to provision a holiday office party, there's nothing like a classic punch. The best part is that, with punch, pretty much anything goes. You can play around with juices, sodas, and spirits to find something perfect for the occasion, but we like the Cosmopolitan Fizz-Punch from the Food Network.
Just throw together two liters of cranberry juice, two cups of orange juice, two cups of vodka and two cups of triple sec. Throw in a handful of fresh cranberries, sliced oranges and limes, and add a bottle of ginger ale to make it fizz just as the party is starting.
Get Kissed for Christmas: Mistletoe Champagne
Don't worry, this drink doesn't contain mistletoe, which we're pretty sure is poisonous. It just looks like it. But it is deadly -- deadly simple. Toss a few cranberries at the bottom of a champagne flute, fill with your finest bubbly and garnish with a sprig of fragrant rosemary. Voila: a great, simple holiday drink.
And of course, if you want to keep your holiday drink simple, nothing beats a great whiskey.
Related Resources:
- The Decline of the Firm Holiday Party (Above the Law)
- The Ultimate Holiday Guide: 65 Last-Minute, Lawyerly Gift Ideas (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- His and Hers: What to Wear to Your Office Holiday Party (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Just Don't Do It: The Three 'Don'ts' of Holiday Office Parties (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
