Holiday Cocktails
I adore the holiday season! There’s nothing like spending quality time with your loved ones, celebrating each other, laugh your face off and fill your belly up! And if your family is anything like mine, we also enjoy a good little cocktail, or two! So I though I’d share with you some of our go-to drinks of the season!
“This actually is my mom’s and my favorite holiday happy hour cocktail!”
Quebecois 75
A French Canadian twist to the classic FRENCH 75, a super simple cocktail that requires few ingredients and is perfect for the celebratory toast of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Or for any other occasion, really. This actually is my mom’s and my favorite holiday happy hour cocktail!
INGREDIENTS :
2 oz of gin. My family enjoys Bombay Sapphire or the Quebecois gin, Ungava. There are so many amazing gins these days!
1/2 oz of lemon juice.
1/2 oz of maple syrup.
2 oz of sparkling wine. Cavas are perfect for this! I love Champagne but find it too pricey for mixed drinks.
Pomegranate seeds. Optional but delicious! Pomegranates are in season right now, plus, they bring antioxidants to the party!
* If you would like to make this a “mocktail”, simply use non-alcoholic sparkling wine. As for the gin, you can substitute it with The Spirit of Gin, a non-alcoholic alternative created by The Free Spirits Company!
DIRECTIONS :
Place 2-3 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add the gin, lemon and maple syrup to it.
Shake shake shake it!
Pour it in your favorite cocktail glass. I love the old fashion champagne coupes. They are so chic!
Top with the sparkling wine.
Garnish with a spoonful of pomegranate seeds.
Cheers, Sip and Enjoy!
“This latte is totally in season, delicious, not too sweet, and can obviously be enjoyed whiskey free.”
Whiskey Pumpkin Spice Latte
Yes that’s right, and it is delectable! Perfectly enjoyable on Christmas morning while opening presents or the morning of January 1st to celebrate the new year with a boom! This latte is totally in season, delicious, not too sweet, and can obviously be enjoyed whiskey free.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE LATTE :
1/2 cup of strong espresso.
1 1/2 tbsp of pumpkin spice puree. Can be adjusted to taste.
1/2 cup of frothed milk. I enjoy using oat milk for a creamy, dairy free option.
Maple syrup to taste.
1 oz of Whiskey.
A dash of cinnamon.
*If you are not a coffee drinker, you can switch out the coffee for black tea. I love Pique Tea! Their Fermented Pu’er Black Tea is a great option for this drink. It is also full of probiotics and perfect for your gut health! Enjoy 5% off when using the code “KIMKLEAN”.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE LATTE :
In a large mug, mix the espresso, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and whiskey together.
Froth your warmed milk and incorporate it to the coffee/pumpkin mixture.
Add a dash of cinnamon on top.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE PUREE :
2 cups of pureed squash. I love using Buttercup Squash for this. It’s flesh is sweet and gets very soft. Butternut Squash is also a great option.
A pinch of salt.
1/4 tsp of black pepper.
1/4 tsp of clove.
1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
1/2 tsp of nutmeg.
1/2 tsp of turmeric.
1/2 tsp of ginger.
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.
1 tbsp of maple syrup.
*All of these spices are anti-inflammatory and help support a healthy immune system.
DIRECTIONS FOR HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE PUREE :
Preheat the oven at 400ºF.
Cut the squash in half. Watch out for your fingers! Squashes are tough to cut through. Do NOT try to cut the stem, simply cut around it with a knife and pull the squash open with your hands.
Remove the seeds and stringy flesh with a spoon.
Season the inside of the squash with a pinch of salt.
Put a piece of parchemin paper on a baking sheet and place the both halves, flesh down.
Bake for 45-60 min, until the flesh is soft and easily scoopable.
Put the soft flesh in a blender and mix until it becomes a smooth puree.
Transfer 2 cups of the puree into a bowl and incorporate the rest of the ingredients et voilà!
Enjoy in good company!
PRO TIP!!
Freeze individual portions of your pumpkin spice puree using an ice cube tray. That way, you can make the pleasure last longer and only use what you need that morning for your lattes.
Cheers to you and your family and friends. May this holiday season be filled with love and joy, bliss and laughter.
Love & Light
Kim
