Five Great Holiday Cocktails

It's not a secret that given my druthers I would prefer a glass of expensive champagne above all else, but here are a few of my favorite Holiday champagne concoctions and a few others for the non champagne lovers too.

1. Champagne Framboise. My favorite drink of all time. Fill a coupe with good quality champagne and a splash of Framboise. If you happen to have a fresh raspberry or two around drop them into the drink. Now Framboise is just fine on its own too. I bet you never heard of it.

2. Champagne Mimosa. Since I worked at both Mimosa Cafes (33rd and 43rd Streets) for several years, this is not only one of my favorite holiday cocktails, it is also the one I make the best. Use good quality champagne, fill the coupe 3/4 of the way before adding a splash of orange juice and then a splash of cointreau. Yum!

3. Hot Buttered Rum. Now when Bing Crosby talks about this drink in White Christmas he talks about "long on the rum and short on the butter", but I dont see how that can be. Take one stick of butter and melt it, combine with a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and two cups of brown sugar. Boil a pot of water. Mix all the ingredients together (except the water) and put a a scoop in each mug. Fill the mug halfway with dark rum and then fill to the brim with hot water. Stir with a rock candy stick. My mom used to call this one a "toddy" when I was a kid. Its buttery and full of spices that do clear your sinuses.

4. Flaming Rum Punch. Okay, do you remember when George Bailey and the angel Clarence were at Nicks Bar? Nick yelled at Clarence for ordering this drink because at Nicks they order manly drinks for men who want to get drunk. I think you can get pretty surely toasted with this one too. This is an extraordinary recipe for Flaming Rum Punch.

• 6 whole oranges, unpeeled
• Whole cloves
• 1 bottle dark rum, pre-warmed
• Sugar to taste
• 1/2 gallon sweet cider
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg

Stick oranges full of cloves and bake in oven until they soften, 20 to 30 minutes at 350. Place oranges in a punch bowl, pour over them warmed rum and granulated sugar to taste. With a long match, set fire to the rum, and after a few moments add cider slowly to extinguish flame. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, and keep mixture warm, simmering on stovetop

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08353/935723-107.stm#ixzz0WtoLmtCU

Yep we thank the Pittsburgh Post Gazette for this original recipe. Those Pennsylvanians know their rum if anyone does.

5. Holiday Eggnog. Now I bet your Mom made it from scratch just the way my Mom did. The problem is that I now live in this century instead of the one in which I was born and at least five distributors make holiday eggnog faster and better and safer than I do. So buy up a half gallon, pour it into the punchbowl and add a pint of brandy or whiskey depending on your taste. I love eggnog all by itself without any enhancement so I leave the enhancement bottle by the punchbowl and let guests add the alcohol as they like.

Have safe and happy holidays. Drink sensibly and dont drive if you are consuming alcoholic beverages.
Cheers!