A Cozy Night In

Spice-inspired food and drink.

With the wintery winds blowing outside, it’s a great time to celebrate indoors with friends. We are increasingly forgoing chic for cozy. Put a pot on the stove and make a warm mulled cocktail or serve up some appetizers with drinks to match. For a little twist on the mulled wine routine, try making a mulled wine simple syrup. You can use this syrup to add spice to warm apple cider drinks or use it to make seasonally inspired cocktails.

Mulled Wine and Apple Martini

1 Serving

½ oz mulled wine syrup 1 oz vodka ½ oz pure apple cider ½ oz lemon juice Dehydrated apple slice, for garnish Directions:

1. Place liquid ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass.

2. Stir until chilled. 3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. 4. Garnish with apple slice.

Mulled Wine Syrup

Makes 2-3 cups

1 cup water 1 cup sugar 2 cups Light & Fruity red wine* 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cloves 1 star anise pod 3 orange peel slices Angostura biters

Directions: Place all ingredients except bitters in a pot. Raise heat to medium high. When the sugar has dissolved, reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. The volume should be about half of its original amount. Strain and let cool. Season with bitters to your desired taste profile.

* Opt for a Light & Fruity red wine such as a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Use mulled wine syrup to enhance cocktails such as our Mulled Wine and Apple Martini.

Christmas Cranberry Margarita

Try our nachos recipe with this seasonal riff of a margarita.

2 Servings

Cinnamon sugar 1 ¼ oz reposado tequila ¼ oz Triple Sec 1 ¼ oz lime juice 2 oz cranberry juice Fresh cranberries, for garnish Directions:

1. Rim old-fashioned glasses in cinnamon sugar (raw sugar mixed with ground cinnamon).

2. Place liquid ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass.

3. Stir until chilled. 4. Strain into glasses. 5. Garnish with fresh cranberries.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Wedge Nachos

4 to 6 Servings

Prep Time: Less than 30 minutes Total Time: Less than 1 hour

3 lb small sweet potatoes, washed 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled ¼ cup dried cranberries 2 green onions, sliced 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Direction: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Parboil the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from water and dry on paper towels. Place potato wedges in a bowl and toss in olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Place wedges on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, flip the wedges and then return to oven and roast for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with feta. Return potatoes to oven and roast until cheese has melted (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Top with dried cranberries and sprinkle with green onion slices and parsley.

Moroccan Minted Hard Tea

1 Serving

6 mint leaves 3 lime wedges ½ tbsp sugar 5 oz tea, chilled 1 ½ oz rum Directions:

1. Place mint, lime wedges and sugar in bottom of highball glass.

2. Muddle to release oils from mint and juice from limes.

Spicy Meatballs

4 to 6 Servings

Prep Time: Less than 30 minutes Total Time: Less than 1 hour

½ lb ground lamb ½ cup breadcrumbs ½ tsp ginger, ground 1 tsp cinnamon, ground 1 tsp all-spice, ground Pinch cardamom, ground 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten Pinch salt Pinch pepper 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp ginger, minced 1 400 ml can crushed tomatoes Fresh mint, chopped, for garnish

Directions: Place lamb, breadcrumbs, ground ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, cardamom, cilantro, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix meat with your hands until well combined. Check seasoning by frying a small piece of the lamb meatball. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Roll into 30 mini-meatballs. Sear meatballs in large frying pan until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add olive oil. Decrease heat to medium low. Add onion and the remaining cinnamon and all-spice. When onion is soft add the garlic and ginger. Sauté until fragrant (about 45 seconds). Return the meatballs to the pan. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm garnished with fresh mint.

Ginger Mule

1 Serving

1 ½ oz Irish whiskey ½ oz fresh lime juice 6 oz ginger beer Mint, for garnish Directions:

1. Fill a mule cup or old-fashioned glass with ice.

2. Add Irish whiskey, lime juice and ginger beer.

3. Stir to combine and then serve garnished with fresh mint.

Mulling Spice Chicken

4 to 6 Servings

Prep Time: More than 30 minutes Total Time: More than 1 hour

4 cloves garlic, minced ½ tbsp each cinnamon and ginger, ground ¼ tbsp star anise, ground

¼ cup each soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar

12 chicken drumsticks Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Directions: Whisk together garlic, spices, soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil and rice wine vinegar. Add chicken and marinate as long as desired (30 minutes to 24 hours). Place drumsticks on baking sheet. Cover with foil. Bake in oven preheated to 350ºF for 40 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven for another 20 minutes. Turn once. Place on a platter and sprinkle with cilantro.