holiday best cocktails

SpiritS

Holiday Bests

Christmas cocktails are 99.9 percent about garnishes. Swear to god. You could put out a punch bowl of lukewarm Ocean Spray, and with some pine tree fronds, dried cranberries, and star anise pods scattered about, people would rave. But, that other tenth of a percent is alcohol, and alcohol is, needless to say, still important. So alcohol is what we'll give you, with a collection of cocktail recipes that are more than appropriate for Christmastime and all its merriment.

COQUITO (PICTURED) This Puerto Rican rum classic, much like eggnog, is sinfully rich and heavy. Coconut provides the backbone, and you won't find an egg yolk anywhere. 2 c. white rum 3 cans evaporated milk 1 15-oz. can cream of coconut 1 can condensed milk cinnamon 1. Blend ingredients (except cinnamon) at high speed for 2 minutes. 2. Pour into an empty bottle. Cover and refrigerate the bottle for at least 4 hours, but preferably 2 to 3 days. 3. When properly chilled, serve in a small glass. Garnish with ground cinnamon. IRISH (OR MEXICAN) COFFEE A serious contender for Official Cocktail of Christmas Morning Madness. Irish coffee is hot, sweet, and caffeinated. Swap the whiskey for tequila, if that's more your style, and you get a Mexican Coffee. 2 oz. Irish whiskey 5 oz. coffee 2 tsp. sugar heavy cream 1. Pour the whiskey, coffee, and sugar into a stemmed, heated glass mug. 2. Stir, then top off with a thick layer of lightly whipped heavy cream. Don't stir it in.

CHRISTMAS EGGNOG A creamy eggnog recipe that contains a dozen eggs is enough to knock the entire family out for the count. At least, until dinnertime. 12 eggs 3/4 c. superfine sugar 1 p. cognac 1/2 p. dark rum 1 p. milk 1/2 p. heavy cream nutmeg 1. Separate the eggs, putting aside the whites. Beat the yolks while slowly adding the sugar. Beat until sugar is entirely dissolved. 2. Slowly add the cognac while stirring, then the rum. 3. Stir in milk and heavy cream. 4. Beat the whites until they stand on their own. Fold them into the mixture. 5. Stir in grated nutmeg and serve.

HOLIDAY PUNCH BOWL Another punch to sustain a crowd, this is a tea, rum, and cognac version that's spiced and strong. 4 lemons 1 c. Demerara sugar or Sugar in the Raw 4 tea bags 1 c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice, strained 2 1/2 c. cognac 1 1/2 c. dark rum fresh nutmeg 1. The day before, place a 2-quart bowl of water in the freezer. 2. Using a vegetable peeler, skin lemons, avoiding the white pith, and put the peels in a large heatproof bowl. 3. Add sugar, and mash the sugar and the peels together with a muddler. 4. Bring a quart of water to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add tea bags. (English breakfast works well.) 5. After 5 minutes, remove the tea bags and pour the tea onto the sugar and peels. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. 6. Add lemon juice. 7. Add cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand Ambre or Martell Noblige, and rum, such as Coruba or Batavia Arrack van Oosten. 8. Stir well and let cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so. 9. To serve, pour the punch into a punch bowl, slip in your block of ice, and grate fresh nutmeg over the top.

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