Local distilleries share their secrets to merry-making seasonal cocktails

Compiled by Kristen Kuchar

While choosing an at-home cocktail for this year’s holiday celebrations, be sure to add some local flair to your lineup. Classic eggnog or mulled wine are ok, but check out these holiday-inspired cocktails from distilleries around the Centennial State.

Pumpkin Darlin’ – Mythology Distillery

2 oz Mythology The Foragers Gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz fall spice syrup*
2 bar spoons pumpkin butter
1 egg white

Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin without ice and shake well. Add ice and shake again. Double strain contents into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with ground cinnamon on top.

*Fall spice syrup: Bring 2 cups water to a simmer and whisk in 1½ cups sugar until dissolved. Add 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 Tbsp cloves, 2 star anise and an orange peel, and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes before straining.

Red Skies at Night – Denver Distillery

2 oz Denver Distillery Navy Strength spiced rum
¾ oz Peach Street amaro
½ oz Leopold Bros maraschino liqueur
½ oz cinnamon-infused maple syrup
2 dashes Strongwater walnut bitters
2 dashes Strongwater orange bitters

Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a cherry and orange peel.

The Snowman – Abbott and Wallace

1 ½ oz Lusca spiced rum
2 oz carrot juice
½ oz honey
1 oz cream
2 dashes walnut bitters

Add rum, carrot juice, honey and cream to a shaker and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Add bitters and garnish with marshmallow.

Miracle on Osage St. – The Family Jones

1 oz Juniper Jones gin
1 oz Luxardo liqueur & rosemary simple
¾ oz egg white
½ oz lime
¼ oz Aperitif Jones (house-made aperitif)
¼ Jones House Blanc (or Lillet Blanc Aperitif)
2 dashes of juniper & cranberry tincture
Garnish: Rosemary sprig and Peychaud’s bitters swirl

Combine all ingredients in tin. Shake well. Double fine strain in a cold coupe glass. Garnish as instructed.

Yuletide Paloma – Branch & Barrel Distilling

2 oz Las Lagrimas Smoked Agave Spirit
2 oz grapefruit juice
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz agave spirit
Muddled sage

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and serve.

New Year’s Eve Espresso Martini – Laws Whiskey House

2 oz Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz espresso
½ oz coffee liqueur
¼ oz simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a shaker. Add ice. Vigorously shake to combine. Double strain into a coupe, garnish with three espresso beans and serve.

Winter Citrus Negroni – The Block Distilling Co.

1 oz The Block Distilling Co Winter Gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz mandarin-infused Campari (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice for 10-15 seconds. Strain into chilled double rocks glass with ice. Garnish with eucalyptus.

To infuse Campari, peel two mandarins for one 750ml bottle, let the peels infuse for 24 hours. Strain and store in bottle.

Boozy Peppermint Hot Cocoa – Telluride Distilling

10 oz hot chocolate
2 oz Chairlift Warmer peppermint schnapps
Large dollop of marshmallow fluff
Sprinkle cookies and cream crushed candy bar on top

Add peppermint schnapps to prepared hot chocolate. Top with a large dollop of marshmallow fluff, cookies and candy.