{"id":1364,"date":"2019-12-11T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T18:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olered.com\/nashville\/?p=1364"},"modified":"2019-12-17T16:16:56","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T22:16:56","slug":"5-tips-to-rock-the-cocktail-game-at-your-holiday-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olered.com\/nashville\/articles\/2019\/5-tips-to-rock-the-cocktail-game-at-your-holiday-party\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Rock the Cocktail Game at Your Holiday Party"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ole Red Beverage Director Cassie Wade offers clever ideas for festive cocktails that will wow your party guests.<\/h4>\n

1. As with cookies, cocktails are best made in batches.<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve got tons of people coming over. Just because you\u2019re the one prepping the food and drinks doesn\u2019t mean you should miss out on the fun. The key to enjoying yourself as the host is a strategically stocked bar cart. Don\u2019t worry about having every liquor represented. We say this with love: Just keep it simple, stupid. That means selecting two wines \u2014 a red and a white \u2014 one style of beer, and a single type of liquor. (Cassie recommends a dark liquor like whiskey or bourbon this time of year. We like to think it warms our cold, dead hearts.)<\/p>\n

That way, you can offer beer, wine, or an old fashioned to the purists and make a festive yet simple wine-based cocktail for those looking to get into a little trouble. We\u2019re partial to Cassie’s own concoction that she has dubbed as the Rich Mahogany. Its recipe can easily be adapted for a party of 100, 10, or one \u2014 hey oh! Mix red blend wine, pinot noir, or shiraz \u2014 nothing too dry \u2014 some bourbon, orange bitters, and a splash of something sweet like agave nectar or simple syrup. Prepare the cocktail up to a day in advance.<\/p>\n

\n

Cassie’s Rich Mahogany Cocktail<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Single-Serving Recipe:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 2 ounces Conundrum Red Wine Blend<\/li>\n
  • 1 ounce Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon<\/li>\n
  • 1 ounce agave nectar (or Cassie’s Holiday Simple Syrup, recipe below)<\/li>\n
  • 3 dashes orange bitters<\/li>\n
  • Orange peel for garnish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Instructions: <\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Pour all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Stir with bar spoon for one minute to incorporate flavors. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Batch Recipe:<\/strong>
      \n25 servings<\/p>\n

      Ingredients: <\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • 2 750-milliliter standard bottles red wine blend (or 1 1.5-liter magnum bottle red wine blend)<\/li>\n
      • 3 cups bourbon<\/li>\n
      • 3 cups agave nectar (or Cassie’s Holiday Simple Syrup)<\/li>\n
      • 1\/4 cup orange bitters<\/li>\n
      • Peels of 2 oranges for garnish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Instructions: <\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Pour all ingredients over ice in a large pitcher. Stir with bar spoon for one minute to incorporate flavors. Remove ice from pitcher and refrigerate until serving time. Fill each glass with ice before pouring cocktails. Garnish with expressed orange peels.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          2. Vodka soda \u2026 but then make it fashion.<\/h3>\n

          This Ole dog doesn’t want to learn new tricks, which is why we love classic vodka sodas and gin and tonics. But instead of serving them plain, add a special touch that gives your guests the impression that the burnt-out twinkle lights on your front porch totally haven\u2019t been hanging there since Christmas 2007. The night before your party, freeze a bunch of ice cubes that you\u2019ve garnished with fresh cranberries, orange peels, sage, and the like. Never underestimate the power of a sprig of rosemary. Blake used one at a party once. To this day, people still confuse him with Martha Stewart.<\/p>\n

          3. Don\u2019t sweat the small stuff.<\/h3>\n

          Cassie gets it. How a cocktail looks is key, but that can be intimidating to someone whose prior hosting experience is limited to serving pigs in a blanket from the freezer aisle. No judgement here \u2014 those weenies are damn delicious. Don\u2019t get too wrapped up presentation. You\u2019d be surprised how the swap of a glass can drastically improve a drink\u2019s appearance. For large-batch cocktails, simply set out empty glasses that guests can adorn and garnish according to preference. If a drink looks ugly, they have no one to blame but themselves. Same goes for the sweaters they\u2019re wearing.<\/p>\n

          4. Improvise. Ditch the egg whites.<\/h3>\n

          If you love a whiskey sour but the thought of handling raw eggs holds you back from making the cocktail, we\u2019ve got to ask: Have a can of chickpeas lying around the house? Yes? Get ready to go full MacGyver. When making hummus for the vegetable platter, reserve the juice found in the can of chickpeas, known by chefs as \u201caquafaba.\u201d (Good party joke: When someone asks what your astrological sign is, tell them \u201caquafaba.\u201d Everyone will laugh. At how stupid that joke was.) Aquafaba replaces the need of egg whites while still maintaining the silky, frothy texture you love. This is a party, so just remember to shake it real good \u2014 and the cocktail, too.<\/p>\n

          5. Be hospitable, ya little jerk.<\/h3>\n

          After you\u2019ve charmed your guests with your wit and stunning good looks, leave them with something lasting to remember you by. If you\u2019re whipping up your own simple syrup for the cocktails you\u2019re serving \u2014 emphasis on simple\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 might as well make enough to turn into parting gifts.<\/p>\n

          Cassie swears by this recipe for Holiday Simple\u00a0Syrup:<\/p>\n

          \n

          Holiday Simple Syrup<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n

          Yield:<\/strong> 3 cups, adjust recipe according to party size and the number of bottles you\u2019re gifting
          \nPrep:<\/strong> 10 minutes
          \nCook:<\/strong> 10 minutes<\/p>\n

          Ingredients: <\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • 2 cups sugar<\/li>\n
          • 1 cup water<\/li>\n
          • 4 whole black peppercorns<\/li>\n
          • 1 whole clove<\/li>\n
          • 1 cinnamon stick<\/li>\n
          • 1 star anise<\/li>\n
          • Zest of 2 oranges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Instructions: <\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Bring ingredients to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes.<\/li>\n
            2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.<\/li>\n
            3. Strain and discard solids. Store up to a month in a sealed container.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

              Round up any empty liquor and vinegar bottles, clean \u2019em up, and decorate them with a bow or glitter or fish hooks or whatever until your heart\u2019s content. Once you\u2019ve prepared the simple syrup, distribute into bottles and cap with pour spouts. You can find a large pack of spouts on the cheap at lots of liquor stores or online, and the syrup will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. If you attach a recipe card for cocktail that uses simple syrup, your guests will love you and probably want to marry you, so hope you\u2019re cool with that!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Ole Red Beverage Director Cassie Wade offers clever ideas for festive cocktails that will wow your party guests. 1. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,61],"tags":[],"placement":[],"class_list":["post-1364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-food"],"acf":{"header_style":"default","mobile_header_title_background_color":"","url_for_featured_image":"","tile_content":null,"header_video":"none","url_for_video":null,"video_file":null,"background_texture":false,"header_image_source":"default","alternate_header_image":null},"yoast_head":"\n5 Tips to Rock the Cocktail Game at Your Holiday Party - Ole Red Nashville<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ole Red Beverage Director Cassie Wade offers clever ideas for festive cocktails that will wow your party guests.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/olered.com\/nashville\/articles\/2019\/5-tips-to-rock-the-cocktail-game-at-your-holiday-party\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Tips to Rock the Cocktail Game at Your Holiday Party - 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