Tory & I always post our Christmas Cocktail the year after we make it. Why? Because it allows us to take pictures when we are actually enjoying the cocktail instead of premaking and staging it. This year, with COVID19 changing the way many of us are able to celebrate the holidays, preparing this post and looking at the pictures we took, including our toast, it reminds me of better times to come. Of times when we can all be together in person again!
So this year, however you are celebrating Christmas and the other holidays of this season, and with whomever you are celebrating – let’s raise a glass to everyone we’ll be celebrating with next year and who we have celebrated with in prior years!
Our cocktail this year is a Big Batch Boulevardier. It’s similar to a Negroni or a Manhattan made with Campari, sweet Vermouth and Rye Whiskey. We chose this cocktail this year because I had gifted Tory How to Cocktail from America’s Test Kitchen (#CommissionsEarned) for her birthday the month before and we wanted to use that book to find a cocktail this year. We selected this cocktail because we all like whiskey and also because it was meant to make in a big batch, meaning we could make it earlier in the day, continue on with our other Christmas traditions like slushes and games at the neighbors, and not be scrambling to mix cocktails when we all got back and other guests came over for dinner.
Turns out this cocktail was a hit and I think might have been my aunts favorite Christmas cocktail that we’ve mixed up!
Here’s what you need:
Not pictured are cranberries – we used them for garnish with the orange peel to add a festive holiday twist to the drink. Plus my mom had extras she didn’t need for the muffins!
There really isn’t much to making this drink, in fact I think the hardest part is peeling the orange peel into strips to make the garnish. All you do is mix rye whiskey, Campari, sweet vermouth and water in a pitcher and chill until you are ready to enjoy.
To make the orange twists just use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove long strips of orange peel. We threaded it onto a toothpick with a cranberry.
Notice the condensation on the pitcher –it’s right out of the fridge, and with the water mixed in it means you don’t need to serve it with ice.
Cheers!
- 12 ounces rye whiskey
- 8 ounces Campari
- 8 ounces sweet vermouth
- 8 ounces water
- Orange twists
- Cranberries
- Combine the whiskey, Campari, vermouth and water in a serving pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours until well chilled.
- Stir cocktail prior to serving to recombine. Garnish with an orange twist and cranberries.
Oh how I look forward to celebrating with my favorite people again! Fun memories! Mom