Holiday spirits

The holiday season is upon us — it’s time to make merry with loved ones.

Whether you’re hosting a big gathering or just having a few friends over, it’s fun to serve something new to sip.

SAIT Food and Beverage Instructor Madeleine MacDonald offers up three signature drinks — a mocktail, along with one hot and one cold cocktail — to try at your next get-together.

Jingle Bell Swing

• 1 ½ ounces fresh mandarin orange juice
• 1 ½ ounces cranberry juice
• ½ ounce Rosemary Syrup (see recipe below)
• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
• soda water
• rosemary sprig, to garnish

Combine all ingredients except soda and rosemary sprig in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute. Top with soda and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Pro tip: Swap the soda out for sparkling wine to turn this into a cocktail.

Rosemary Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 sprigs rosemary

Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from heat and strain. Cool and store in a food safe container for up to two weeks.

Tinsel Toddy

• 2 ounces dark rum (Appleton preferred)
• ¾ ounces Gingerbread Syrup (see recipe below)
• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
• dash Angostura bitters
• hot apple cider (or apple juice)
• cinnamon sugar, to garnish

Method:

Combine all ingredients in tea cup or coffee mug and stir. Garnish with sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Gingerbread Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp gingerbread powder

Add gingerbread cookies to a food processor and blitz until a fine powder. Combine ingredients in a pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from heat and strain. Cool and store in a food safe container for up to two weeks.

Pro tip: Steam apple cider/juice with a milk steamer, if you have one.

Christmas Dinner with the In-laws

• 1 ½ ounces bourbon (Buffalo Trace preferred)
• ½ ounce Branca Menta
• 1 ounce eggnog
• ¾ ounce Candy Cane Syrup (see below)
• 1 egg
• candy cane powder, to garnish

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake to incorporate the egg into the cocktail. Add ice and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a rocks glass and garnish.

Candy Cane Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp candy cane powder

Add candy canes to a food processor and blitz until a fine powder. Combine ingredients in a pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from heat and strain. Cool and store in a food-safe container for up to two weeks.

Mixology is just one of many culinary courses offered through SAIT’s Continuing Education program. Find more classes — from baking to winter stews — and register on sait.ca