Sunday, November 09, 2008
Food, Wine, Beer & Spirits, "Dish", Recipes

Seasonal libations

Great cold-weather drink recipes from some of Kirsten Ott's favorite bars

TRG
Hennessey Carrot Cake at Room at Twelve

By Kirsten Ott

Sweater weather has arrived, and it’s time to get toasted—er, I mean toasty in front of the fire with a cocktail or two. Try your master mixologist hand at some of these recipes from local restaurants. Got cabin fever? Head to One Midtown Kitchen for a taste of its new pumpkin pie martini, made with Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie Vodka, cream and maple syrup, and served in a graham cracker-rimmed glass. It’s sure to warm your spirits. SP


Chocolate Peppermint
At Lobby at Twelve

• 1.5 ounces Van Gogh Chocolate Vodka
• .5 ounce Bailey’s
• 1 ounce crème de cacao

Garnish rim with crushed peppermint candy canes.
 
New Years Champagne Mojito
At Lobby at Twelve

• Muddle mint leaves and limes
• 1.5 ounces of light rum
• Splash simple syrup
• Top with 2 ounces of champagne

Modern American Champagne Cocktail

• At Room at Twelve
• 3 shakes of blood orange bitters
• 1 ½ ounces pineapple juice  
• Champagne

Pour ingredients into a champagne glass, and top with champagne.

Hennessey Carrot Cake
At Room at Twelve

• 1 ounce Hennessey
• 1 ounce Navan
• 1 ounce cinnamon
• 1 ¼ ounce fresh carrot juice
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• Squeeze of lemon

Shake and strain into a martini glass, and top with special cream.
(Special cream must be prepared in advance.)

Special Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ ounce Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps
• ½ ounce Grand Marnier

Shake until thick and frothy. It must be able to float. Pour cream gently on to the top of the drink allowing the cream to move across the drink until it’s about a quarter-inch thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon.


Hot Orange Coco Coffee with Chocolate Cream Float
At Room at Twelve

• ¾ ounce Kahlua
• ¾ ounce Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
• ¾ ounce Smirnoff Orange Vodka
• Fresh hot coffee
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 ounce white crème de cacao
• 3 tablespoons of sugar

In a mixing tin, add heavy cream, white crème de cacao and the sugar. Shake until thick enough to float. You must shake every time you use it. Thick is the name of the game. The drink will blend too quickly if it’s not done right.

Prime a coffee glass with piping hot water, and let it sit. You want to do this every time in order to get the glass nice and hot. After a few moments, pour out the hot water and add your Kahlua, Dutch Chocolate Vodka and Smirnoff Orange Vodka. The rest of the glass is filled with hot coffee, stopping about ¾ of an inch from the top.

Top with the cream, which will be poured out of the tin only after you have shaken it for at least 60 seconds. Fill the glass to the top, and shave chocolate and orange zest on top.


Peppermint Candy Kiss
At Room at Twelve

• 1 ¾ ounces Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
• ¾ ounce Peppermint Schnapps
• ½ ounce white crème de cacao
• ½ ounce simple syrup

Shake and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish by dropping a frozen Hershey’s candy kiss into the glass.


Holiday Cheer
At Room at Twelve

• 1 ounce pomegranate schnapps
• ¾ ounce cranberry juice
• Dash of gin
• ½ ounce simple syrup

Add these items to a champagne flute, and then fill with champagne.
Garnish by dropping 3 fresh raspberries in the glass


Screaming Mimi
At Room at Twelve

• 1 ¼ ounce Jack Daniel’s
• ¾ ounce Kahlua
• Fill the glass with piping hot coffee. Sweeten if desired, but not necessary.

Garnish by floating thick heavy cream on top. To make thick cream, add 3 teaspoons of sugar to 1 cup of heavy cream and ¾ ounces of Dekuyper Thrilla Vanilla Schnapps. Shake in a cold metal tin until thick enough to float. Shake, shake, shake.


Hottie Toddie
At Room at Twelve
Muddle:

• A ½ slice of orange
• A wedge of lemon
• One small dash of Grand Marnier
• Teaspoon of sugar

Add:

• ¾ ounce Jack Daniel’s
• ¾ ounce Grand Marnier
• 2 tablespoons honey (more or less to your taste)

Fill with boiling hot water.

Murphy’s Ski Slope
At Murphy’s
(Serves 6 to 8 people)

• 1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 
1 cup cream
• 
1/2 cup whole milk 

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 

• Pinch of salt 

• Pinch of cinnamon 

• 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
• 
1 cup peppermint schnapps

Simmer all ingredients together except chocolate, butter and schnapps. When mixture is at a boil, remove from heat, and add chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth. Then stir in peppermint schnapps.