Getting in the Christmas Spirits: The Gin Edition

The holiday season is in full swing. And if you are like me, you are totally procrastinating right now. Between parties, and gifts, and hosting it’s a lot for one dude to do alone! So, the dudes at Design Dudes have an early Christmas present for you. We teamed up with Drinking in SA to create two festive cocktail recipes for your holiday party. These drinks are sure to impress, and now you have one less thing to worry about. Plus, just one cocktail is sure take the holiday edge off.

Dude, these Christmas cocktails are so lit. – Santa

Now let’s get this tree and yourself LIT!

Recipes:

White Christmas Negroni 

This play off of a White Negroni gets a little more festive for the holiday season. A White Negroni uses flowery Lillet blanc instead of of sweet vermouth, and we substituted Aperol for Campari in this recipe. (You probably have some Aperol leftover from the totalitarian reign of the spritz this summer.) ANYWAY…

Overall, this recipe is a bit sweeter, lighter, and more citrusy than the classic Negroni. The Lillet offers the citrus notes and lighter color, and the Aperol brings a sweeter finish to the drink compared to Campari.

The gin:

Our Christmas sprit of choice is Treaty Oak Distilling’s Waterloo Old Yaupon Gin. An Old Tom style gin, this spirit features honey produced from wild yaupon flowers, which adds sweetness and vegetal notes. The botanical blend includes Yaupon Holly (so Christmasy, right?), juniper, Makrut lime, anise, orris root, and of course honey. This gin definitely embodies all the flavors of the holidays, making the perfect Christmas cocktail.

Let’s get to mixing!

• 1 1/2 oz. Waterloo Old Yaupon Gin
• 3/4 oz. Lillet blanc
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
  • Pour over ice in a lowball glass, stir, and garnish with rosemary and fresh cranberries.
  • Want to get creative and really impress your guests? Freeze the rosemary and cranberries into large ice blocks.

Jingle Tonic

G&T, G&T, jingle all the way! If you are new to the cocktail game and all of the above scared you, don’t worry! We have a simple, but classic recipe that is stress free and sure to impress any holiday drop ins. This festive gin and tonic is easy to make, but has a festive feel that is perfect for your next Christmas party. Your guests will appreciate the extra touch.

The gin:

For this cocktail we are using Treaty Oak Distilling’s Waterloo No. 9 Gin. While this spirit looks more like your standard gin than the Old Yaupon selection, it is anything but. I would say this is one of the most dynamic and unique gins I have ever tasted. While paying homage to traditional dry gins with ingredients like juniper, coriander, and anise, Waterloo No.9 builds in Texas Hill Country flavor with pecans, lavender, lemon, and grapefruit zest. There is a wide range of flavors, and I guarantee that it will step up your classic G&T.

Let’s get to drinking!

• 1 1/2 oz. Waterloo No. 9 Gin (or make it a double)
• Tonic (This measure is all up to you!)
  • Pour over ice in a highball glass, top with tonic, stir, and garnish with rosemary and fresh cranberries. And, that’s it!

Hope you dudes have a great holiday season! Make sure to impress those guys when they come over to your holiday party. Share these recipes if you like them. And, remember to always drink responsibly.

To check out more about Treaty Oak Distilling, click here.