We just love Carey Jones and John McCarthy’s super fun take on cocktails. The combos we made were just delicious and we can’t wait to try out more!
RUN RUN RUDOLPH
This creamy Eggnog has the classic flavors of an Irish coffee. We recommend Tullamore D.E.W. as the whiskey and the excellent cold brew liqueur Mr. Black. Santa definitely would appreciate one.
3 ounces chilled Eggnog base of choice (recipe below)
1 ounce Irish whiskey
½ ounce coffee liqueur
Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
In a rocks glass, combine the ingredients and stir gently. Garnish with the grated nutmeg.
For 6 drinks, combine 18 to 20 ounces of chilled base, 6 ounces Irish whiskey, and 3 ounces coffee liqueur. Pour into rocks glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
EGG NOG
A winter staple and indispensable at holiday gatherings, Eggnog serves as a yearly tradition for many. It’s easy enough to buy some at the store, but once you make your own and realize how simple the process can be, you won’t go back. Thanks to various stabilizers, store-bought Eggnogs can drink thick and gloppy, settling heavily in your stomach. Homemade Eggnog tastes lighter, more drinkable, and just, well, better. So how do you make Eggnog? If you really want to impress your guests— and you’re going to make it right before you serve it— you separate fresh eggs. You then whip the egg whites in a food processor until they form soft, frothy peaks and fold them into the richer, yolky base. The result is a sophisticated Eggnog with an uncommonly light texture.
HOLLY JOLLY
Whereas some cocktails drink frosty and autumnal, this one goes all in on winter. Festive and celebratory, the cranberry, ginger, and orange recall a holiday relish or chutney. Dark rum anchors the cocktail, with bitters, nutmeg, and ginger beer providing seasonal spice. Use whatever orange liqueur you have, but Grand Marnier tastes awfully nice, especially during the holidays.
1½ ounces dark rum
¾ ounce 100% cranberry juice
½ ounce orange liqueur
½ ounce Raw Sugar Syrup
¼ ounce lime juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1½ ounces ginger beer
1 lime wedge for garnish
Nutmeg for garnish
For one drink, combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, except the ginger beer. Fill the shaker with ice and seal it. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and double strain into a mule mug or Collins glass filled with ice. Top with the ginger beer and stir gently and briefly. Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass and drop it in. Also garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
For 6 drinks, combine 9 ounces dark rum, 4½ ounces cranberry juice, 3 ounces orange liqueur, 3 ounces raw sugar syrup, 1½ ounces lime juice, and 18 dashes (½ ounce) Angostura bitters. Add ice and stir until well-chilled. Add 9 ounces ginger beer and stir again gently and briefly. Don’t forget the fresh grated nutmeg to garnish each glass.
Excerpted from Every Cocktail Has a Twist by Carey Jones and John McCarthy, copyright © 2023, photography copyright © 2023 by Rachel Weill, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
