RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
With an upcoming inauguration, we may need a cocktail or few. Whether you are or not looking forward to the new year, head into it with a bit of joy for your mouth. Bubbles can bring that sparkle as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, but these spirits and cocktails could have you rethinking that Auld Lang Syne toast to 2025.
Of course, Christmas is still ahead of us so get a jump start with these drinks for some holiday spirit.
Bona fide whiskey
Still Austin did Texas proud this year. The distillery’s 5-year-old Bottled in Bond Red Corn was named to Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 List, taking the No. 7 spot. Let’s goooo!
Writer Shane English described the spiced bourbon as “big, with a bold nose of cracked pepper, dusty leather and cocktail cherries. The palate is dense and rewarding with layers of chilé pepper, caramel and buttery cornbread.”
A top 10 placing in this list is a big deal for this fairly new distillery. With an ABV of 50 percent and a price tag of $85, this is a bottle that can be a splurge without draining the wallet. With such flavors, Still Austin has certainly delivered something special.
Rum pum pum pum
Tiburon Rum will bring all the Caribbean vibes to the Texas holidays with its handcrafted, aged, premium rum from its family-owned distillery in Belize. For some seasonal flair, how about just the tip? At 92 proof, Tiburon White Tip is definitely high-proof rum which is ideal for cocktails and rum infusions.
This spirit is no joke, winning a gold medal at the San Francisco Spirit Competition. This overproof white rum has a smooth finish when sipped neat, or you can try it in a classic Daiquiri cocktail. Either way is a delight. BigThirst.com.
Pack a punch
If it’s easier to serve a bunch of folks at once, hit them with this spiked punch. Ideally, a silver tequila works best, and we are going with the Camarena Silver Tequila label for this Tequila Nutmeg Punch.
With rings of fresh roasted agave and a hint of green herbs and citrus overtones that round out with a touch of sweet vanilla, this silvery label can be a key ingredient for your spicy Margs, Palomas and Bloody Marias and is available at major spirit retailers.
And for the punch, here’s the recipe:
- 1.5 oz. Camarena Silver Tequila
- 3 oz. pineapple juice
- 1 oz. Coco Re’al creme of coconut
- 1 oz. orange juice
- Nutmeg dust
- Mint sprig garnish
Instructions: Add ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and shake together to combine/chill. Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish with a mint sprig.
Out for a drink
Don’t feel like crafting your own drinks? Head on over to Sheraton Dallas for its limited-time cocktail. The hotel will help you celebrate the holiday season with the Holly Jolly 75 cocktail, available exclusively at Sheraton Dallas’ Open Palette and The Parlor bars.
The Holly Jolly 75 is bright and bubbly, blending the crisp botanicals of Roxor Gin with a seasonal fusion of spiced cranberry and rosemary, balanced by fresh lemon and topped with a splash of prosecco. Finished with a sparkling sugared rosemary sprig, it’s a sip of seasonal cheery in every glass.
Fashionably late
The cocktail may be called Autumn Pear, but trust that it’s still as delicious in December … and January … and March … and September … . And it’s so vers!
Make this with either vodka or gin (or if you’re daring, both). We went with New Amsterdam Vodka, which is a solid vodka at a very accessible price point. When you put these ingredients together though, magic happens.
- 1.5 oz. New Amsterdam Vodka
- .5 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
- .75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- .5 oz. RE’AL Pear Syrup
- Top w/ LaMarca Prosecco
- Poached pear slices for garnish
Instructions: Add ingredients (except LaMarca) into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake together to combine/chill. Uncap shaker, add LaMarca, and strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with a slice of poached pear.
Grow and show
Whether as a gift or as a way to add to your own mixology and green thumb skills, Bombay Sapphire gin offers up this set up where you grow your own herbs — cocktail herbs, we mean.
The “Grow Your Own Cocktail Garnish Planter” comes with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire and a reusable planter, so you can simply fill with soil, add seeds, water and harvest all in the comfort of your own home for the freshest of garnishes for cocktails. Order at BombaySapphire.com for $27.99.
Irish coffee
OK, we know this is not a revolutionary cocktail, but it will warm you up on a cold night. Maybe it’s a quiet New Year’s Eve night with your date, lover, spouse(s), so why not cozy up with a hot drink? Triple Dog Irish Whiskey dropped this recipe that brings an invigorating warmth to add some sweet potentcy to the holidays.
- 1.5 oz. Triple Dog Irish Whiskey
- 1 brown sugar cube
- 3.5 oz. hot coffee
- 1 oz. heavy cream or whipped cream
Instructions: In a six-ounce glass, stir together the whiskey, sugar and hot coffee until the sugar is dissolved. Top with cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.