Cocktail Hour: Perfect Drinks for Your East Coast-y Toasty Celebration

Time Several Hours

Budget $ $$$

Skill Level

WORDS BY Gillian Grefe

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Published on November 15, 2017

Any celebration deserves attention to detail– and one of our favorites is an on-theme cocktail. They’re not as hard as you think to make, and they add delight to an already pleasant experience. For our East Coast-y Toasty celebration style, we wanted to channel warm and traditional holiday vibes. Think spices, warmed drinks, and old classics. Fittingly, we’re bringing you two recipes: a rich and warm mulled wine, and the updated classic Rum Old Fashioned.

Mulled Wine

While it takes a little bit of preparation before the party starts, mulled wine is a delicious holiday treat. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and deliciously warm. Serve it in a punch bowl and let it bring rich color to your bar for the occasion.

Ingredients

20 whole cloves

2 tangerines or clementines

2 bottles Merlot

3 cups apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

2 green cardamom pods, cracked

2 cups Port

Instructions

Press the pointed ends of 10 cloves into each tangerine, piercing through the skin. Combine tangerines, wine, cider, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in Port. Serve in a pot or punch bowl and garnish with orange slices, apples, and cinnamon sticks.

Rum Old Fashioned

A classic for a reason, this old fashioned is differentiated by the darker flavor of rum and demorara syrup, a brown sugar mixture. It’s a little bit nautical, a little bit traditional, and really delicious. Just like the east coast! Serve in a traditional old fashioned glass, of course.

Ingredients

2 ounces rum

2 cups brown sugar

2 dashes angostura bitters

2 dashes orange bitters

1 cup water

Ice

Orange (for garnish)

Instructions

First, create the syrup by mixing two cups of brown sugar with one cup of water over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and cool before using. Combine rum, syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass with large ice. Stir  well and strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

 

With these drink recipes under your belt, your holiday is sure to be merry and bright and reminiscent of the New England woods. Don’t forget to check out our design inspiration, East Coast-y Toasty playlist, and our favorite products to make the celebration style come to life. Cheers!