The Ultimate Latin Holiday Cocktail Guide

Ponche Crema

Kick old holiday traditions and start a new one with this Caribbean twist on egg nog! This recipe comes to us from the Hyatt Regency Aruba.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 ½ cups plus 2 tbs white Bacardi Rum
3 eggs and 3 egg yolks
1 tin condensed milk (about 1 ½ cups)
1 small tin evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Grate fresh nutmeg into 2 tbs. white Bacardi Rum and set aside. Beat eggs and yolks until light and frothy. Add condensed milk, an equal amount of Bacardi rum (about 1 ½ cups) and evaporated milk and whisk until combined. Strain rum and nutmeg mixture into egg and milk mixture to ensure nutmeg grains do not find their way into finished product. Add vanilla.

Pour mixture into the top of a double boiler and cook over gently boiling water, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool. Funnel into a decorative bottle and refrigerate indefinitely.

Elevated Margarita

This recipe is perfect for someone who is short on time! It's a tasty, traditional recipe using Avión that you can whip up quickly before your guests arrive.

Ingredients:

2 parts Avión Silver or Reposado

1 part Fresh Lime Juice

1/2 part Agave Nectar

Directions:

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Coquito

It's not the holidays without a little coquito! This Puerto Rican recipe comes from La Concha Resort in San Juan. They've captured all the flavors of the island in just one recipe. 

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 15-ounce cans cream of coconut 

1 15-ounce can of evaporated milk

2 14-ounce cans condensed milk 

1/2 cup of rum

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve cold.

Salted Caramel Holiday Pie

Salted caramel? Pie? We're in! EFFEN®Vodka is a beautifully smooth vodka that makes this drink  - created by NYC mixologist Niccole Trzaska - truly stand out.

1 1/2 parts EFFEN® Salted Caramel Vodka

3/4 part Pumpkin and Apple Puree (Half Pumpkin Pie Filling and Half Apple Sauce)

1/4 part Cinnamon Simple Syrup

1/4 Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 Egg White

Garnish: Cinnamon Stick

Garnish: Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and cinnamon over the frothy top.

Optional: Use a round edge to create an apple shape over the froth.

Yuletide Spruce

This cocktail is a blend of Christmas smells! If you or your friends are on a gluten-free diet, Vikingfjord Vodka, which is part of this recipe, is the spirit for you! 

Ingredients:

2 oz Dill Infused Vikingfjord Vodka

.75 oz Lillet Blanc

3 Dashes Elixir de Chartreuse

Lemon

Directions:

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Dill Infusion:

10 g of fresh dill per 700ml Vodka. Leave overnight at room temperature. Strain and refrigerate.

Rosé Sparkler

Courvoisier Rosé is a smooth cognac blend with red wine grapes and this easy-to-whip-up New Year's Eve cocktail will be an amazing compliment to any delicious appetizers you're serving.

Ingredients:

1 part Courvoisier® Rosé

1 part Prosecco

Lemon twist garnish

Directions:

Combine Courvoisier Rosé and Prosecco in champagne flute. Garnish with lemon twist and serve.

Strongbow Spice

This cocktail will surely warm your soul if you're craving something hearty this holiday season. It's made with Strongbow Cider - a beautiful blend of bittersweet cider and apples. 

Ingredients:

4 oz. Strongbow Hard Cider

1.5 oz. Cinnamon Whiskey 

1 oz. Pomegranate Juice

1 tsp. Pomegranate Seeds

Directions: Build in a tall glass filled with ice. Stir and garnish. 

Cucumber-Cranberry Yuletide 

Cucumer and cranberry, an unlikely pair, come together flawlessly to make this drink thanks to NYC Mixologist Niccole Trzaska.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 parts EFFEN® Cucumber Vodka 

1/4 part Fresh Lime and Simple Syrup (Half Lime and Half SImple Syrup, Combined)

1 part Ginger Beer

1/4 part White Cranberry Juice

Garnish: Red Cranberries

Garnish: Slice of Cucumber

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and stir. Garnish with red cranberries and a slice of cucumber.

The Balvenie Christmas Cake Martini

Are you a fan of fruitcake, but don't feel like baking it? The Balvenie has whipped up a cocktail that features all the classic Christmas cake flavors.

Ingredients:

2 ounces The Balvenie DoubleWood, Aged 12 Years

1 bar spoon cherry heering

2 bar spoons orgeat

1 bar spoon fresh lime juice

Orange peel, for garnish Cinnamon sugar, for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir well. Strain the drink into a chilled, stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel and a pinch of cinnamon sugar.

El Diablo’s Fire

Hennessy V.S. is back with a hot one! This is definitely one of the more creative ways to get into the holiday spirit and your guests will love it. 

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Hennessy V.S.

.75 oz Crème de cassis

.5 oz fresh lime juice

½ tsp of Chipotle powder

Pinch of salt

Splash ginger beer or ginger ale

Garnish: Blackberry

Directions: Combine all ingredients except the ginger beer in a shaker tin with ice. Shake until chilled and serve over ice; add splash of ginger beer and garnish with a blackberry.

Coco Walker 

This delicious recipe featuring Johnnie Walker Black Label was created by award winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, who has been named UK bartender of the year twice!

Ingredients:

11/2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label

1 sliced strawberry

2 dashes orange bitters

4 cups coconut water

3 oz simple syrup 

Equipment:

Soda Siphon

Co2 Cartridge

Directions: 

Combine coconut water and simple syrup in a soda siphon and charge twice. Build Johnnie Walker Black Label, strawberries and orange bitters over cubed ice in a high ball glass. Top with coconut soda and stir briefly, allowing the layers in the Scotch whisky to unfold over time, showing off the complexity of the blend. 

Frosty the Blue Mojito

Mama Walker's is bringing breakfast flavors to the cocktail hour with this yummy concoction! 

Ingredients:

2 parts Mama Walkers Blueberry Pancake

6-8 blueberries

10 mint leaves

1 part simple syrup

1/2 cut of lime cut into wedges

Directions:

Muddle mint, blueberries, lime, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add Mama Walker’s Blueberry Pancake with ice and shake. Strain into a highball glass with fresh ice. Top with club soda, garnish with blueberries on skewer.

Fortune Teller

This fantastic cocktail was developed by world-class bartender Jessica Gonzalez from The NoMad. It doesn't take a fortune teller to see this cocktail is delicioso. 

Ingredients:

ó oz Cynar

2 oz Santa Teresa “1796” Solera Aged Rum

ó oz Bonal

Directions:

Build in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with a large cube of ice.

Midnight Kiss Apple Punch

Have you tried one of Spakling ICE's tasty flavors yet? With zero-calories, this makes the perfect guilt-free punch for all your holiday parties!

Ingredients

3 bottles of Crisp Apple Sparkling ICE

1 bottle dry white wine

1 cup apple brandy

2 apples, sliced

1 orange, sliced

1 pear, sliced

Directions

In a large pitcher combine sliced fruit with brandy and wine. Let this sit in the refrigerator for approximately 3 hours. Right before serving, top with Crisp Apple Sparkling ICE. Stir gently to combine the ingredients.

Guatemalan Spice

This drink was created by the fabulous Venezuelan Mixologist Leo Robitscheck. He uses seasonal spirits to develop an appreciation for well-crafted cocktails. If you're looking for someone who knows their stuff, he's mixing excellence at both Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad.

Ingredients

3/4 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream

1 1/8 ounces Zacapa Rum

1 3/4 ounces Cold Brew Coffee

1/16 ounce Cinnamon Syrup

Pinch of Freshly Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Add Baileys Original Irish Cream, Zacapa Rum, cinnamon syrup and cold brew coffee to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously with ice. Pour contents into highball glass and garnish with cinnamon.

Ideal Glass: High Ball

Cinn-Ful Cocktail from Asellina

If you're throwing a luxurious party this holiday season, CÎROC® is all you'll need in your freezer! This recipe from NYC restaurant Asellina is a smooth blend of coconut, cream, and pineapple with just a hint of cinnamon to make your tastebuds water.

Ingredients:

2 oz Ciroc Coconut

1 oz Heavy Cream

¾ oz Fresh Pineapple Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder

Directions:

Shak & serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass with sprinkled cinnamon on top.

GM Raspberry Peach 75

This delicious recipe was created by mixologist George Carney, whose specialities are classic and contemporary cocktails.

Ingredients:

1 oz Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

Moet & Chandon Champagne

Lemon twist

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the Champagne in a shaker and shake. Pour into a flute and top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mountain Dove

This recipe brings us a taste of Mexico to our shores with Montelobos, the spirit of Mezcal.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Montelobos

3/4 oz Lillet Rose

3/4 oz Strawberry Simple Syrup

1 1/2 oz Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice

1 1/2 oz Soda Water

Directions:

Combine ingredients (except soda water) and shake well. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass prepared with a half salt rim. Garnish with a lime wheel.