Mark Loehrke Times correspondent
While the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be exhilarating, it can also get to be a bit much. The string of lights that won't stay lit, the endless line at the post office, the packed mall parking lot, the gift list that never seems to get shorter -- these are a few of most people's least favorite things.
But with a season so fleeting and precious, it's important not to let these annoyances prevent us from fully appreciating a source of joy during the holidays -- the opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. And whether that takes the form of a lavish yuletide party at home or a quiet gathering at a nearby bar or restaurant, a warm evening with pleasant company and a few well-chosen cocktails can reignite that holiday spirit.
Here are a few ideas to help you uncork:
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Hobart, Chesterton, Valparaiso
General manager Rick Green says drinks such as the Aperol Spritz or Chocolate-Coffee Martini are popular year-round, but they seem to hit just right during the holiday season. The Grinch, meanwhile, ties directly to Christmas - and this drink is enough to make anyone's heart grow a couple sizes (as symbolized by the strawberry heart that adorns the glass).
The Grinch Cocktail
Ingredients
2 ounces Midori melon liqueur
4 ounces white rum
Lemon-lime soda
Strawberry
Directions
Fill a rocks glass (rimmed with red sprinkles, if you wish) with ice and add Midori and white rum, then top with lemon-lime soda. Cut a large strawberry into a heart shape and put a pick through it to suspend it atop the glass.
Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
3 ounces prosecco
2 ounces Aperol
Club soda
Orange slice
Directions
Add chilled prosecco, Aperol and club soda to a stemmed wine or champagne glass, then garnish with an orange slice.
Chocolate-Coffee Martini
Ingredients
3 ounces vanilla vodka
3 ounces coffee liqueur
3/4 ounce milk chocolate liqueur
White chocolate bark
Directions
Rim a martini glass with crushed white chocolate bark. In a shaker with ice add the vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur and chocolate liqueur and shake. Pour into the martini glass and enjoy.
White Rhino Bar & Grill
Dyer
According to Ryan Glowacki, tasty beverages are just as important as tasty food during holiday celebrations. That's why the co-owner of White Rhino Bar & Grill and his staff go out of their way to make sure the cocktail menu always has a couple of surprises at this time of year.
"No matter your choice of cocktail or mocktail, a well-crafted beverage while you share laughter, stories and the joy of the season with friends and family adds the perfect touch to every gathering," Glowacki says.
Sugar Cookie Martini
Ingredients
1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
1.5 ounces Baileys Irish Cream
1 ounce amaretto
Directions
Rim a martini glass with a quick dip in Baileys (or vanilla frosting if you're feeling extra decadent) and roll it in a dish of candy sprinkles. Add ice, Baileys, vanilla vodka and amaretto to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into the prepared glass.
Cranberry Mimosa
Ingredients
4 ounces prosecco
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2 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Fresh or frozen cranberries
Directions
Rim a champagne flute by rubbing it with a lemon wedge and rolling it in sugar. Add the cranberry juice and lemon juice to the glass and then top with prosecco. Garnish with cranberries. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the prosecco with 2 ounces each of apple cider and club soda.
Crimson Mule Mocktail
Ingredients
3 ounces lemonade
3 ounces ginger beer
1 ounce grenadine
Directions
Add ice to a copper mug followed by lemonade and grenadine. Stir to combine, then top with the ginger beer and gently stir. Get creative with garnishing this cocktail: Herbs such as basil or rosemary, cranberries, a candy cane or even the simple and traditional mule garnish of a lime or mint.
Bridges' Scoreboard Restaurant & Sports Bar
Griffith
Who doesn't love a sweet treat at the holidays? And at Bridges', that sweet treat comes in a glass, courtesy of owner Scott Bridges and his elves.
Christmas Cookie Martini
Ingredients
2 ounces vanilla vodka
1 ounce butterscotch schnapps
1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream
Splash of Rumchata
Directions
Mix ingredients in a shaker, pour into a martini glass and garnish with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Social 45 Craft Kitchen & Bar
Frankfort
Marketing manager Lexy Bouziotis says the staff at Social 45 loves to get festive with the restaurant's cocktail menu during the holiday season.
"We take pride in creating crafted cocktails that locals and visitors enjoy and want to come back for more," she says.
To that end, the restaurant has partnered with local coffee shop Grounded Coffee Bar to create an espresso martini, adding a holiday twist of peppermint and mocha. Its holiday Collins is a fruity cocktail that gets a seasonal boost from the sage, making it a great option throughout the winter.
Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
Ingredients
1.5 ounces peppermint vodka
1 ounce chocolate liquor
1 ounce heavy cream
1 ounce Ground Cold Brew Concentrate
Directions
Mix and garnish with a peppermint stick, whipped cream and crushed candy canes.
Raspberry & Sage Collins
Ingredients
1.5 ounces raspberry gin
3/4 ounce raspberry sage syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces premium tonic water
Lemon wheel for garnish
Directions
Mix and pour into Collins glass with the lemon wheel balanced on the rim.
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