What makes a great holiday party? Well, it starts with amazing appetizers and trendy cocktails!
It’s finally here, the big two weeks of holiday parties: Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve… wow! That’s a lot of friends, family and good times. I’m hosting a Christmas dinner party this year, are you? Is it hard to know where to start planning? Well, I think any great party needs to start with a big warm HUG… and I’m talking about delicious appetizers and fun, boozy cocktails (that’s what you thought… right?).
First lets talk about appetizers… the teasers to what culinary delights lie ahead. These little bites of pleasure are usually hand-held and packed with flavour. They can be just a starter, or in the case of a cocktail party, spaced throughout the entire evening. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out my list of 15 Awesome Party Appetizers that I posted in November, it has lots of tasty ideas.
That leads us to the cocktail side of the party. I’m not really an expert, so I’m welcoming a guest contributor… Dee Brun (The Cocktail Diva)! I am so excited that Dee has shared two holiday cocktail recipes with the EIEO readers, the Sparkling Cosmo and Holiday Freeze. Cheers!
Perfect Holiday Cocktails and Appetizers
EMAIL Recipe Share on FacebookIngredients
Sparkling Cosmo
- 1 ounce Vodka
- .5 oz. Pama Pomegranate Liquor
- .5 oz. Cointreau
- 2 oz. White or Red Cranberry juice
- 1 oz. Prosecco or Sparkling wine
- 1 cup crushed ice
Holiday Freeze
- 1.5 oz. Gin
- .5 oz. Cointreau
- 1/3 tsp fresh lemon juice
- fresh rosemary sprig
- 1 cup ice
- .5 oz. rosemary simple syrup
Rosemary Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- fresh rosemary
Instructions
Sparkling Cosmo
- Add all ingredients to a shaker except for prosecco or sparkling wine and shake well. Pour into martini style glass , top with prosecco or sparkling wine. Garnish with lime and pomegranate seeds and serve on or off the rocks
Holiday Freeze
- Add all ingredients to shaker filled with ice and shake well , strain into a martini style or low ball glass. Can be served on or off the rocks. Garnish with rosemary sprig or fresh lemon.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
- Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add rosemary. Let steep for 2 hours. Remove rosemary sprig.
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