(Entertaining)

For Your Next Holiday Party, Skip Tradition & Try These Out-Of-The-Box Cocktails Instead

Unique and delicious.

by Anna Buckman
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
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Make the festive and easy Rosa Raspberry Chocatini for your holiday parties by simply mixing equal parts chilled Rosa Regale and Stoli Chocolat Razberi vodka. Serve and enjoy!Courtesy of Rosa Regale
For the Grinch On Vacation by beverage consultant Natasha Velez, combine 1 1/2 ounces iichiko Saiten and 3/4 ounce each of Midori, yuzu juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice in a Collins glass, top with sparkling cider, and garnish with cinnamon-dusted scalloped pear slices and cranberries.Courtesy of iichiko shochu
This moody Black Manhattan cocktail is made by mixing 1 part Averna, 2 parts Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Rye, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a brandied cherry.Courtesy of Averna
To create the Bianca-tini, add 1/2 teaspoon passionfruit syrup, 1/2 ounce each of Carandini Bianca Sweet White Vinegar and Pierre Ferrand Pineau des Charentes, 3/4 ounce Martini & Rossi Ambrato vermouth, and 1 ounce BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho to a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain. Express lemon oils over the top of the finished drink.Courtesy of Carandini / Photo by Shannon Sturgis
For the Balsamic Fig Fizz (a play on the trending "healthy coke"), gather 1 part The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve infused with rosemary, 3 parts G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne, 1/2 part balsamic vinegar, and 3/4 part fig jam syrup. Build in a royale glass and serve.Courtesy of The Glenlivet
The Flannel Szn cocktail by Evan Wolf of The Company Burger in New Orleans calls for 1 1/2 ounces Bourbon, 1/2 ounce Averna, and 3/4 ounces each of cider syrup and fresh lemon juice. Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill. Strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish and serve at your Thanksgiving gatherings.Courtesy of Averna
For A Long Night in Madrid, add 1 1/2 ounces Hennessy Very Special, 3/4 ounce Madeira, 1/4 ounce Grade A maple syrup, 4 dashes Angostura bitters, and 1 egg white to a cocktail shaker and shake without ice. Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a coupe and shave dark chocolate over the top.Courtesy of Hennessy
Create this Hot Chai Spice cocktail by combining 1 ounce Tequila Cazadores Añejo, 1/2 ounce blood orange puree, 1 ounce agave nectar, 4 ounces hot chai, and 3 whole cloves in a coffee mug. Top with whipped cream, cinnamon powder, and orange peel. Serve hot.Courtesy of Cazadores Tequila
The Schrute Sour from Prohibition puts a seasonal twist on the classic sour cocktail. It was created by co-owner and bar manager Jim McCourt, and is made by combining beet vodka, lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup, and an egg white.Courtesy of Prohibition
For the Aurora Borealis cocktail, combine 1 1/2 ounces Batch 22 Classic Gold aquavit, 2 ounces fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, 3 tablespoons brown sugar simple syrup, and 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice in a shaker over ice. Strain into a champagne flute and fill to top with prosecco.Courtesy of Batch 22
The NUTS 4 NUTS cocktail at at Madame George (by beverage director Marshall Minaya) requires 1 1/2 ounces Nuts4Nuts-washed iichiko Saiten, and 1/2 ounce each of Myris Nutmeg Liqueur, Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, and China-China. Add ingredients to a chilled double rocks glass, and slowly lower a big rock into the glass; stir to proper dilution.Courtesy of Madame George