Flashback - A Little Holiday Cheer

I tried to find a new holiday cocktail to make for this year, but I didn't have time to get all the ingredients! So we'll have to make do with this post from 2011. It's still a favorite of mine. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

We're hosting Christmas dinner at our house this year, so I'm planning on drinking - a lot. I always like to serve a Christmas Cocktail - you know, something festive, but not full of expensive ingredients or weird infusions. A couple of years ago I found a fun drink called "North Pole Dancer" that was kind of a kicked up Cosmopolitan. I tried to find it again this year and....well, don't Google North Pole Dancer. I'm just sayin'.

Since cocktails are my favorite part of any holiday gathering, I don't want to just serve the typical selection of beer and a good bottle of wine or two. Why not break out the hard stuff so everybody can have a good time?! I thought about serving "The Grinch," which I assumed was named after Grant's usual demeanor during the holidays, but hey, he's actually been in a pretty good mood this year.

So I decided on The Poinsettia, which features champagne, quite possibly the most perfect beverage on the planet. Well, that and boxed wine (yes, I am that classy). Plus, it's pretty easy to make.

So let's mix one up!

The Poinsettia

1 oz. Triple Sec
3 oz. cranberry juice
3 oz. champagne

Now, the recipe said to make this drink in a fluted champage glass, and believe me, I tried. But there was no way in hell that 7oz. of liquid was going to fit in a champagne glass. So my girlfriend and my sister made the executive decision to make these drinks in a regular wine glass. Not nearly as swanky, but the bigger the drink, the better, we decided.

First, measure out 1 oz. of triple sec into each glass. (Yikes, that glass on the right looks kind of scuzzy...hope my sister got that one. hahahahahaha)

Add 3oz. of cranberry juice into each glass and stir.

Top off each drink with 3 oz. champagne.

Ta-da!! Don't they look Christmasy?

This is a very tasty cocktail. It was slightly - but not undrinkably - sweet, but nice and fizzy from the champagne. We did top ours off with a little more champagne to cut the sweetness, and well, to make sure we drank all of the champagne. That's just how we roll. A splendid adult beverage all the way around.

So after that exhaustive research, I'm sure my guests will happily enjoy The Poinsettia before our Prime Rib dinner on Christmas. Especially my sister. Who will be drinking at my house. Again.  

Here's to Christmas Cheer!!