Landmark Presents: Beverages Full of Holiday Cheer
The Coziest Cocktails of the Season
Raise your camp mug! It’s time for cocktails that sparkle with the season. We’re sharing two of our favorite cozy cocktails that are perfect for your upcoming party or a quiet evening around the campfire.
Winter Sangria
Few drinks say Christmas quite like sangria. It’s the ideal cocktail for cold evenings spent with friends. Fill your pitcher and pour a glass for all your favorite people!
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of red wine (we prefer a California zinfandel)
- 1 bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider
- ⅓ cup of Grand Marnier
- ⅓ cup of applejack (this can be substituted with apple brandy)
- 3 Valencia oranges freshly squeezed (you’ll want 1 cup of juice)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 apple cored and sliced (preferably Granny Smith apples since they’re lightly sweet and tart)
- 1 green pear cored and sliced
- 1 orange cut into suprèmes (we prefer navel oranges since they’re seedless and extra flavorful)
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup cranberries
- ½ cup grapefruit sliced thinly into rounds
In a pitcher, combine the wine, orange juice, and liqueur. Stir the goodness together! Then carefully add the cinnamon sticks and fruit. Gently stir your sangria once more and then cover the pitcher before chilling for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
Serve your Winter Sangria over ice and top with a splash of Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider for some festive fizz. You can also grab some of your leftover cranberries for a garnish that says, “I really know how to Christmas and cocktail!”
Cozy Camping Cider
Few things compare to a camp mug brimming with cider around the campfire! We love this cider because it’s bursting with seasonal flavors without being too much. Freshly grated nutmeg adds a touch of earthiness to the sweet apples and your brandy, bourbon, or rum of choice!
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon of apple cider, preferably fresh (the darker the cider the better)
- 1 Tbsp. allspice berries
- 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- Optional brandy, bourbon, or spiced rum (splash as much or as little as you like!)
Grab a large pot and add the allspice berries, freshly grated nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Then scoop the seeds from one vanilla bean split lengthwise. Add the vanilla bean to the pot along with the empty pod. Then add your cider. Bring the pot of spiced cider to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour.
After your cider has simmered, strain the cider through a sieve into a second pot or heat-proof punch bowl. Remove and discard any solids caught in the sieve. Ladle your cider into camp mugs (like this Smokey Bear enamel mug.) Splash in some brandy, bourbon, or spiced rum. Sip, savor, and take in the season!
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