Great drink recipes for the entire family!
Do you ever feel left out during the holidays as family members indulge in their holiday style cocktails? Or, if you are 21, are you ever looking for a way to include a sibling or cousin who is underage in a cocktail recipe you have been dying to make? As you head home for the upcoming holiday seasons, we wanted to provide you with a few recipes that can easily be made into a cocktail or a mocktail in order to satisfy and include family members and friends of all ages. We asked some SJU students if they are 21 or older, 36% said yes, while 64% reported no so we decided to appeal to both groups.
Senior Lillian McCann, age 21, is bringing you 3 cocktails, while Freshman Grace Brennan and Sophomore Lily McStravick transform these cocktails into mocktails.
Apple Cider Mimosa
(left) Cocktail Credit: Lilly McCann (right) Mocktail Credit: Grace Brennan
Cocktail
Ingredients: ½ cup apple cider, ¼ cup champagne, caramel for the rim, apple slice for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Rim glass with caramel
2. In the glass, pour the apple cider
3. Then pour the ¼ of champagne
4. Add an apple slice on top
Mocktail
Ingredients: ½ cup apple cider, ¼ cup sparkling apple cider, caramel for the rim, apple slice for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Rim glass with caramel
2. In the glass, pour the apple cider
3. Then pour the ¼ of sparkling apple cider
4. Add an apple slice on top
Peppermint White Russian
(left) Cocktail Credit: Lilly McCann (right) Mocktail Credit: Lily McStravick
Cocktail
Ingredients: ¾ oz. of peppermint vodka, ¾ oz. of Baileys, ¾ oz. of heavy cream, ¾ oz.
Instructions:
- Fill a glass with ice
2. Pour in the vodka, Baileys, and peppermint extract
3. Fill the rest of the glass with the heavy cream
4. Stir very gently
Mocktail
Ingredients: ¾ oz. strong brewed coffee, ¾ oz. teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract, ¾ oz. of heavy cream or a little more to fill the glass, 1 peppermint stick optional garnish
Instructions:
- Fill glass with ice
2. Pour the brewed cold coffee over ice
3. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts
4. Add heavy cream to the top
5. Stir very gently
Christmas Cosmopolitan
(left) Cocktail Credit: Lilly McCann (right) Mocktail Credit: Grace Brennan
Cocktail
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, .5 oz Triple Sec, .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice, Splash of Cranberry Juice
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake for approximately 10 seconds
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish
Mocktail
Ingredients: 2.5 oz Sprite, .5 oz lime juice, .5 oz orange juice, Splash of Cranberry Juice
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake for approximately 10 seconds
2. Pour into a glass and garnish with cherries and limes
Finals Results
As a team, we decided that the alcoholic and nonalcoholic Cosmopolitan drinks were our favorite and definitely worth trying. Out of the three, we decided that the White Russian was our least favorite. Lillian shared that her preference would be adding coffee into the alcoholic version.
With the holidays right around the corner, what better way to get into the spirit then enjoying a cocktail or mocktail catered to the seasons? Just a few simple steps and ingredients and you will have wonderful drinks and memories for you and your guests.
