Pairings

Liquid Dessert

Sweet cocktails deliciously top off any celebration.

BY MARY SUBIALKA PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

Relax with a spirited sweet a er dinner this holiday season. Dessert cocktails can stand in for sweets, or try these drinks alongside chocolate candies and cookies such as classic decorated sugar varieties, gingerbread, snowball cookies, and more. Shake things up and also sip these while enjoying the traditional yule log cake, cheesecake, and other goodies, and experiment with your favorite pairings.

Grasshopper

This classic creamy after-dinner treat is like a chocolatemint cookie in a glass. It’s said New Orleans restaurant bar owner Philibert Guichet created it in his French Quarter establishment, Tujague, in 1918 and went on to win second prize in a noteworthy New York cocktail competition with this drink. It then gained popularity during the 1950s and ’60s.

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 ounce green crème de menthe liqueur, 1 ounce white crème de cacao, 1 ounce heavy cream, and 1 ounce milk. Shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Sugar Cookie Martini

Vanilla vodka, amaretto, and Irish cream combine to create fl avors of the holiday favorite cookie. Deck the glass with sprinkles and an optional dip in frosting fi rst for an extra sweet and festive boost.

Prepare a cocktail glass by either dipping the rim in Irish cream or spreading prepared vanilla frosting around the rim, then dip the rim in your choice of sprinkles and set aside. To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1½ ounces vanilla vodka, 1½ ounces Irish cream liqueur, 1 ounce amaretto liqueur, and a splash of whole milk or cream, if desired. Shake and strain into the prepared glass.

Mudslide

The Irish cream adds richness and a little spice to this dessert in a glass that tastes like a milkshake for grownups.

Drizzle either 1 ounce melted dark chocolate or chocolate syrup inside a martini cocktail glass or rocks glass along the rim and set aside. To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa), and 1½ ounces Irish cream liqueur. Shake and strain into the prepared glass—either over ice cubes or without, depending on preference. Garnish with chocolate crumbles or shavings, if desired. ■

TOP TO BOTTOM:

GRASSHOPPER, SUGAR COOKIE MARTINI, MUDSLIDE