Win Host or Hostess of the Year With These Festive Libations
The hum of laughter wafts through the kitchen, as clanking pans provide percussion to melodic conversations. You’re hosting your family for the holidays, and the bar cart is stocked with a collection of cocktail ingredients you’ve foraged from your local markets. Mission: tailor-make a special something for each family member. Liquor of choice: The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Whisky, which has been aged for 12 years (hence the name). Marked by quality craftsmanship and created through a process called wood finishing, this single-malt scotch carries notes of vanilla and honey, and it’s infused with fruity flavors. Get ready to steal some hearts with a few lively libations—stirred with holiday cheer!
1 | For Your Mom + Grandma
Drink: Whiskin’ Whisky Eggnog
Rich in taste and etymology, eggnog is known to be a coveted holiday drink. Rooted in the word “noggin,” which originally referenced a wooden cup or a small measurement of liquor, an early version of the drink was first introduced in the 1700s in Britain. Win a smile from Mom or Grandma through this frothy, festive drink-with-a-story.
Ingredients:
12 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Whisky
1/3 cup amaretto
3 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
3 cups half-and-half
Garnish: fresh-grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick
How to Make: Beat eggs in a mixer for five minutes or until color lightens. Add sugar and mix until batter thickens, then add your vanilla and nutmeg. Slowly add the whisky and amaretto, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Chill in the refrigerator in a glass container for 24 hours to one week. Gently fold in the whipped cream and half and half, sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and finish with a cinnamon stick.
2 | For Your Dad
Drink: Good-to-Go Ole’ Fashioned
Classic just got cooler. When selecting a go-to drink for the fathers of the house, a good Ole’ Fashioned is your reliable Route 66. As one of the oldest cocktails in existence, these guys are tried and true. Win points from Dad when you bring him this tasty drink on the rocks.
Ingredients:
1 sugar cube (or 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar)
1 teaspoon water
3-4 shakes Angostura bitters
2 ounces The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Whisky
1 Luxardo cherry (optional)
Orange peel
How to Make: Place a sugar cube in a whisky glass, then add water and bitters. Use a muddling spoon or the end of a wooden spoon to stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the whisky and a large ice cube. Stir for 10 seconds or until the ice chills the drink. Then, twist an orange peel over the glass, and place the orange peel and a Luxardo cherry in the drink as a final touch.
12/27
3 | For Your Sister
Drink: Julep Flush
With an element of Southern charm, this spiked iced tea is one of those drinks you could see Reese Witherspoon sippin’ real slow from a swing on the back porch. Homey, inviting and oh-so-sweet, stir this one up for your sister—all season, she’ll be singing songs to the tune of spiked iced tea.
Ingredients:
50 ml 2nd Flush Darjeeling infused The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Whisky
12.5 ml sugar syrup
2.5 ml orgeat
8 mint leaves
How to Make: Put two tea bags or stir 6 grams of loose-leaf tea into the whisky and let it sit for three hours or more. Pour whisky concoction into glass and add mint leaves. Press the leaves against the side of the glass with a bar spoon 2-3 times. Taste to test the strength of the mint, then stir in the sugar syrup. Pour ice into a glass until the glass is half full, then stir and add more ice. Finish your julep off with mint leaves as a garnish!
4 | For Your Hipster Cousin
Drink: Highland Dragon
Elevated and yet subtly unexpected, this drink will wow that hipster cousin who seems to ever be effortlessly ahead of the trends. Balancing fruity notes with chocolate tones, we’ve got a couple headlining flavors that co-star in this cocktail with equal parts ease and chemistry. Wow that cousin of yours with this bold blend of a palette.
Ingredients:
60 ml Wang Tea High Mountain Oolong infused DoubleWood 12 Whisky
30 ml Martini Bianco
5 ml Yellow Chartreuse or Maraschino
Dash of Peychaud’s Bitters
Maraschino Cherry Garnish
How to Make: Put two tea bags or stir 6 grams of loose-leaf tea into 125 ml of whisky and let sit for 70 minutes. Pour whisky concoction into glass and add Martini Bianco, Yellow Chartreuse (or Maraschino) and Peychaud’s Bitters. Stir in ice until chilled and pour into a martini glass and top with a cherry.
12/30
5 | For Your Fun Aunt
Drink: Hot Toddy
Get ready to stir up a cocktail that’s sweet, spicy and strong—just like that cool aunt of yours. Known for their healing and comforting qualities, there’s nothing like a hot toddy on a chilly evening around the fire. Win brownie points with Aunt Suzy when you slip her one of these instead of straight tea.
Ingredients:
Boiling water
2 ounces DoubleWood 12 Whisky
3/4 oz light honey, acacia or maple syrup (or 1 tsp Demerara sugar)
1 lemon peel
Cinnamon stick and whole star anise for garnish (optional)
How to Make: Heat up the water and warm the mug. Add the whisky, stir in your sweetener of choice and add a lemon peel and spices.
