5, 4, 3, 2...10 cocktails to sip as you count down the hours to 2023

Home bartenders, if you want to customize classic cocktails, Missouri makers are a wonderful source of inspiration. Take this Boulevardier-style stirred drink: By infusing dry rum with roasted cocoa nibs from Askinosie Chocolate and mixing it with J. Rieger & Co. Caffè Amaro, I’ve livened up the drinking experience. The flavor of this cocktail is then rounded out with a rich banana liqueur and two types of bitters.

Hacienda Boulevard

Serves | 1 |

Cocoa Nib-Infused Rum (Yields 8 oz)

• 4 Tbsp Askinosie Chocolate roasted cocoa nibs
• 8 oz dry rum

Hacienda Boulevard

• 1½ oz cocoa nib-infused rum (recipe follows)
• ½ oz J. Rieger & Co. Caffè Amaro
• ½ oz banana liqueur
  
• 1 dash Angostura aromatic bitters
• 1 dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
• banana chip, for garnish

| Preparation – Cocoa Nib-Infused Rum | In an airtight container, add both ingredients; stir vigorously or close container and shake. Allow to infuse, at least 24 hours. Strain out cocoa nibs before use.

| Preparation – Hacienda Boulevard | Add all ingredients, except garnish, to a mixing glass with ice; stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with banana chip.

Inspired by a low-ABV cocktail known as “The Vatican,” this herbal concoction has a little something for everyone. Sweet, sour, bitter and herbal all at once, the recipe makes a short drink, but you can easily add soda water for a longer-lasting, highball-style cocktail. Suze, a heavy-hitting bitter gentian liqueur, mixes with Génépy Le Chamois, a floral alpine liqueur, and blanc vermouth, which adds sweet herbal notes. Lemon, simple syrup and a basil leaf round out this bright, refreshing trip to The Garden of Eden.

The Garden of Eden

Serves | 1 |

• ½ oz Suze
• ½ oz Génépy Le Chamois (or Green Chartreuse)
• 1 oz blanc vermouth (such as Dolin)
• 1 oz simple syrup
• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 1 small basil leaf

| Preparation | Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice; shake vigorously until diluted and ice-cold, up to 20 seconds. Using both a hawthorne and a mesh strainer to catch basil particles, strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with more basil and a lemon wheel.

Dating back to the early '80s, the Espresso Martini has seen its share of fame. And though it peaked in the '90s, its revival is underway. As a simple cocktail, it demands the finest ingredients, and while strongly brewed coffee or espresso will work, a better option is to contact local coffee purveyors and ask to buy their cold-brew concentrate.

Vodka is the traditional spirit for Martinis, but you can mix things up with rum, tequila or mezcal. A splash of amaro adds an herbal element to this recipe – and don’t forget the bitters.

No Cap Snow Cap

Serves | 1 |

• 1½ oz vodka
• ¾ oz coffee liqueur
• ¼ oz Branca Menta
• 1 oz cold-brew concentrate
• 1 bar spoon granulated sugar
• 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters
• coffee beans, for garnish
• fresh mint, for garnish

| Preparation | Add all ingredients, except garnishes, to a shaker tin with ice; shake vigorously until mixture is diluted and chilled (this should result in a frothy, milky look). Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with coffee beans and fresh mint. Enjoy.

This fun Christmas-themed Mai Tai lowers the acidity a bit to allow the persimmon notes and smooth mouthfeel from the cinnamon oat-orgeat to shine. The cocktail is fruity, slightly on the sweeter side, and festive.

Make The Yule Tai Gay

Makes | 1 cocktail | 

Cinnamon-Oat Orgeat

• 1 cup Giffard Orgeat Syrup
• 1 cup Oatly Barista Edition Oat Milk
• 1 cinnamon stick

Make the Yule Tai Gay

• 1.5 oz Plantation 3 Star
• .5 oz Apologue Persimmon Liqueur
• .5 oz Cinnamon-Oat Orgeat (recipe follows)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice

| Preparation - Cinnamon-Oat Orgeat | Blend orgeat and oat milk together. Add 1 cinnamon stick and blend again; strain to catch any larger particles that remain. Store for 1 week in refrigerator.

| Preparation - Make the Yule Tai Gay | Place all ingredients into shaker tin with ice and shake hard. Pour contents into a rocks glass and garnish with mint. 

A vacation in a glass, this gin-infused granita features a spot-on green tea simple syrup that you can make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to party. The recipe makes enough for two batches of granita – because you’ll definitely want a second round.

You can also keep the ratios in this recipe the same, but experiment with whatever citrus juice or seltzer you like.

Citrus-Green Tea Gin Granita

Serves | 4 to 6 |

Green Tea Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 bags green tea

Citrus-Green Tea Gin Granita

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon or lime juice (or a mixture of both)
• 1 12-oz can grapefruit or other citrus seltzer
• ½ cup Japanese gin
• ¾ cup green tea simple syrup (recipe follows)
• 1 medium lemon or lime, cut in thin slices, to serve

| Preparation – Green Tea Simple Syrup | Add water and sugar to a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat; whisk until sugar has dissolved completely. Bring mixture to a boil and then remove from heat. Add tea bags and let steep, 10 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from tea bags and discard. Set syrup aside to cool.

| Preparation – Citrus-Green Tea Gin Granita | In a medium bowl, whisk juice, seltzer, gin and cooled syrup together until combined. Pour mixture into a metal loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil; freeze, 2 hours. Remove and scrape with a fork to break up. Cover and freeze again, 1 hour. Repeat process until granita is set, 4 to 6 hours in total.

| To Serve | Scrape granita again with a fork to “fluff.” Scoop into tumblers or stemmed glasses and garnish with citrus rounds. Serve immediately.

Butterfly pea flower is a mixologist’s dream. When exposed to citrus, the color changes from a deep blue to a bright purple. Lightly floral, naturally vibrant and easily introduced to cocktails, you’ve likely seen it in a drink that’s gone viral. This cocktail is floral but also tart, featuring tequila, orgeat, a specialty floral liqueur from Tattersall Distilling, a simple butterfly pea flower infusion and fresh lime juice. Building the cocktail in a glass over a large ice cube creates an otherworldly presentation.

Blue Ruin

Serves | 1 |

Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup (Yields 10 oz)

• 1¼ cups water
• 4 Tbsp dried butterfly pea flowers
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Blue Ruin

• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 oz tequila
• ¾ oz butterfly pea flower syrup (recipe follows)
• ¼ oz Tattersall Crème de Fleur
• ¼ oz orgeat
• edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

| Preparation – Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup| In a small saucepan set over high heat, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add dried butterfly pea flowers to water; steep until cooled. Strain, pressing liquid from steeped flowers, and then discard solids. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Transfer syrup to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

| Preparation –Blue Ruin | In a large coupe glass, add 1 large ice cube and lime juice to chill. In a shaker tin, add tequila, butterfly pea flower syrup, Crème de Fleur and orgeat over ice; shake vigorously until chilled and diluted. Slowly strain mixture into coupe glass (the lime juice will create an ombré effect). Garnish with edible flowers, if desired.

NOTE: The ombré effect in this cocktail is gorgeous, but remember to lightly stir the mixture before drinking.

This cocktail is simple, floral and refreshing. Using a citrus-friendly gin is the trick to making this work.

Gin & Tonic, Holiday Style

• 1.5 oz Tanqueray or Hendricks Gin
• .5 oz POM pomegranate juice
• Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic, to top cocktail

Add gin and pomegranate juice to highball glass and top with chilled tonic. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprig.

Meet aquafaba, the viscous liquid in a can of chickpeas that’s gained acclaim for its ability to mimic egg whites in a variety of applications, including meringues and marshmallows. It’s also possible to substitute aquafaba in any egg-based sour cocktail for a silky, frothy vegan variation. This riff on the Brown Derby cocktail uses an easily made cordial from pomelo – grapefruit’s sweeter, oversized cousin – along with your favorite rye whiskey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to set off your taste buds.

Salted Pomelo Sour

Serves | 1 |

Pomelo Cordial (Yields approximately 8 ounces)

• juice of 1 heavy pomelo (approximately 8 oz), strained of pulp
• 1 cup white sugar

Salted Pomelo Sour

• 2 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz aquafaba
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ oz pomelo cordial (recipe follows)
• 1 pinch salt
• Angostura aromatic bitters, for garnish

| Preparation – Pomelo Cordial | Add both ingredients to a saucepan and heat on low, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, bottle and refrigerate for up to one week.

| Preparation – Salted Pomelo Sour | Add whiskey, aquafaba, lemon juice, cordial and salt to a shaker tin; shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Add 1 scoop of ice to shaker and shake for another 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass or your favorite rocks glass. Garnish with a few dashes of bitters and drink up.

Buddha's Hand is a strangely-shaped member of the citrus family, named after the way its "fingers" resemble hands in prayer. It contains no pulp, seed or juice, and its sweet rind can be used for candying, dressings/sauces, baked goods and drinks. In Japan, the fruit is a popular gift for the New Year as a token of good fortune, and in China, it is put on display for good luck.

In short, it is the perfect ingredient to help start the new year in this mocktail recipe. 

Lucky Spritz

Makes | 1 cocktail | 

Fine sugar will work best for the oleo, but it isn't a big deal if you don't have it. Any extra Buddha's Hand peels are edible and can be candied, if you'd like.

Buddha's Hand Citron Oleo Saccharum

• 1 fresh Buddha's Hand 
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Cocktail

• 1 oz Seedlip Grove
• ½ oz Seedlip Garden 
• ¾ oz Buddha's Hand Citron Oleo Saccharum (recipe above)
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• Eins Zwei Zero Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Riesling, to top cocktails

| Preparation - Buddha's Hand Oleo | Completely zest one Buddha's Hand citron. You should end up with at least 1 cup of citrus peels. Place 1 cup of the peels into a bowl cover with half a cup of white granulated sugar.  

Gently toss peels and sugar with your hand until the peels are evenly coated with sugar. Cover bowl and let sit for at least 4 hours. There should be a decent amount of liquid from the mixture; it will smell amazing. Strain mixture and discard or reuse the peels.

| Preparation - Lucky Spritz | Pour first four ingredients into a flute, top with the nonalcoholic sparkling Riesling. Garnish with lemon twist. 

CBD drinks are nothing new to the cocktail scene. Usually nonalcoholic and varying in flavors, they can make for great cocktail mixers with or without a spirit involved. This simple highball cocktail combines a watermelon-lemongrass sparkling CBD water, an overnight infusion of pineapple rum and flavors from a classic tropical cocktail with honey, lime and peach, all garnished with plenty of fresh mint.

Tropic CBD Highball

Serves | 1 |

Honey Syrup

• 4 oz hot water
• 4 oz honey

Pineapple-Infused Rum

• 1 very ripe pineapple
• 1 750ml bottle white rum

Cocktail

• ½ oz honey syrup (recipe follows)
• 1 oz pineapple-infused rum (recipe follows)
• ½ oz peach liqueur
• ¼ oz lime juice
• 4 dashes orange bitters
• 4 to 6 oz Wellbeing MelonGrass CBD sparkling water

| Preparation – Honey Syrup | In a small bowl, combine hot water and honey; stir to combine. Transfer to a bottle and refrigerate.

| Preparation – Pineapple-Infused Rum | Remove skin and core from a very ripe pineapple and place in an airtight container. Add rum; agitate vigorously with a wooden spoon until the pineapple has broken down a bit. Allow to sit at room temperature overnight, or up to a week for maximum flavor, then strain.

| To Serve | Combine first five ingredients in a 12-ounce highball glass. Fill glass with ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with an oversized bouquet of fresh mint and pineapple.