25 Days of Drinkmas 2022

We started observing the 25 Days of Drinkmas in 2020, a year that called for a booze advent calendar if ever a year called for a booze advent calendar.

We repeated the event in 2021, another year that absolutely warranted nightly cocktails for 3+ weeks straight, but it was cut short by some unexpected holiday travel.

And here we are in 2022. I’m trying to keep this light and fun, but this season started challenging me at about 10:00 a.m. on December 1st and shows no signs of letting up. But at least there will be fancy cocktails.

Day the First – IT’S BE-GIN-NING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE DRINKMAS

Inspired largely by the leftover Thanksgiving sage in my refrigerator

2 oz London dry gin
1 oz pomegranate juice
2-3 large sage leaves (or equivalent of tiny leaves, and depending on how much you like sage, I used 3)
1/4 oz simple syrup
3-4 dashes cardamom bitters
2 oz club soda

In a small container, muddle the sage with the simple syrup and bitters. When it’s good and smashed, strain into a cocktail shaker with ice, add gin and pomegranate juice, shake well. Pour into a rocks glass over ice, add club soda and stir gently to combine. Garnish with an orange slice.

Day the Second – I’M DREAMING OF A RYE CHRISTMAS

2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz Galliano
1/2 oz honey liqueur
3-4 dashes lemon bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, serve in a martini glass garnished with maraschino cherries.

Day the Third – COOKIES FOR SANTA II

My original Cookies For Santa recipe called for a biscotti liqueur that has become all but impossible to find. Thankfully, now there is Dough Ball.

2 oz Dough Ball whiskey
2 oz chocolate vodka
1 oz salted caramel cream liqueur (I use Dorda, but there are others and I’m sure they will be equally delicious)
3-4 dashes chocolate bitters
1 tsp semisweet chocolate, made small

Combine liquid ingredients and serve over ice in a rocks glass, garnished with 1 tsp of some tiny form of semisweet chocolate; shavings, coarsely chopped pieces, or mini chips if you have them handy.

Day the Fourth – AWAY IN A MANGO

Fairly tame if made with nonalcoholic ginger beer. If you want to use the hard stuff, consider reducing the vodka to 1 oz. Or not.

1 oz peach schnapps
2 oz vodka
4 oz mango juice
3-4 dashes lavender bitters
6 oz ginger beer

Combine first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, pour into a hurricane glass, add ginger beer, stir gently to combine. Garnish with that dried mango I swear I had in the cabinet that is definitely not pineapple.

Day the Fifth – GRUß RUM KRAMPUS

This is not the cocktail I originally planned to make because I was tired and forgot what would have been a key ingredient in the cocktail I planned to make. It was not without its charms though. It’s kind of the beverage equivalent of standing next to an open fire that’s starting to die out and get very smoky.

2 oz spiced rum
2 oz dry red wine (I used a zinfandel; cab or merlot would work well too)
1 tsp dark molasses (the darker the better)
1-2 dashes liquid smoke (taste after 1 and add another if you want to)
2-3 dashes Scrappy’s fire tincture

Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Serve in small glass or ceramic mugs, garnished with a fresh or dried orange slice. I used dried because I love the way it soaks up the drink, but fresh will also be delicious and add a touch of sweetness.

Day the Sixth – SILVER BELL

2 oz silver tequila
1 oz apple schnapps
1/4 oz lime juice
4 oz lemon-lime soda

Combine all ingredients and serve in a highball glass over ice garnished with a lime wedge.

Day the Seventh – EVERY TIME A BELL RINGS AN ANGEL GETS A DRINK

Don’t be shy with the lavender bitters, they really make all the difference.

1/2 oz grape vodka
1/2 oz Hpnotiq
4-5 dashes lavender bitters
3ish oz dry prosecco, chilled (a split will make 2 cocktails)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with an ice cube. Shake well, pour into champagne flutes, and top with prosecco. Garnish with a lemon slice twisted to look like angel wings that you can’t see as well as I’d like in this photo but that I assure you were absolutely there.

Day the Eighth – SON OF A NUTCRACKER

This tastes an awful lot like cream soda. That will get you drunk.

1 oz Skrewball whiskey
1/2 oz coconut schnapps
1/2 oz amaretto
3 oz club soda, chilled

Combine all ingredients, serve over ice in a rocks glass garnished with maraschino cherries.

Day the Ninth – TIDINGS OF COMFORT & ROY

A rather filthy Roy Rogers.

2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz marasca syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
4-5 dashes cardamom bitters
2 oz cola

Combine first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well. Pour into a rocks glass with ice, add cola, stir gently to combine, and garnish with maraschino cherries and a wedge of lime.

Day the Tenth – VISIONS FROM SUGARPLUMS

1 oz apple schnapps
1 oz absinthe
2 oz plum wine (I use Choya because it has boozy plums in the bottle that are delicious and perfect for garnishes)
3-4 dashes lemon bitters
3 oz club soda

Combine first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and pour into a large wine glass with more ice, add club soda and stir gently to combine. Garnish with boozy plums.

Day the Eleventh

On the 11th Day of Drinkmas, my dear friend gave to me, a set of really pretty iridescent glasses and a Drinks Of The World mixer set, so instead of creating an original cocktail, we used our pretty new glasses and some Drinks Of The World mixers because some days you just have to let your friends take care of you.

Day the Twelfth – SO LONG AS WE HAVE DRINKS TO CLASP

2 oz Barenjager Honey & Bourbon*
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz orange juice
4-5 dashes orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and serve in a martini glass garnished with maraschino cherries.

(*this isn’t as everywhere as it used to be, so if you can’t find it, you can substitute 1 1/2 oz bourbon and 1/2 oz honey liqueur)

Day the Thirteenth – A CHRISTMAS CAROL ANNE

Named for my sister-in-law Carol Anne who sent us homemade hot chocolate bombs

1 can (13.6 oz) full-fat coconut milk
2 oz cinnamon schnapps
2 oz brandy
2 hot chocolate bombs (if you don’t have a sister-in-law who sends you homemade, store bought is fine)

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot chocolate bombs are melted and all ingredients are combined. Serve in your favorite mugs and top with whipped cream.

Day the Fourteenth – WITH EVERY CHRISTMAS CARD I RYE(TE)

This tastes like a butterscotch Manhattan. Like I always imagined scotch would taste when I was a kid and I heard the word “scotch”.

2 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz whipped cream schnapps
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz triple sec
4-5 dashes orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and serve in a martini glass garnished with an orange slice.

Day the Fifteenth – DRINK DRINK FAST AS YOU CAN

My original intention was to create a cocktail version of lebkuchen but it turned out tasting more like gingerbread so I will attempt lebkuchen next year.

2 oz American blended whiskey (I used Kessler, there are others that are interchangeable)
1/2 oz Glogg concentrate (I like Saturnus, and it’s easy to find)
1/2 oz amaretto
2-3 dashes cardamom bitters
4 oz ginger beer

Combine first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and pour into a highball glass over more ice. Add ginger beer, stir gently to combine, and garnish with a tiny gingerbread cookie (or a large gingerbread cookie, I don’t judge)

Day the Sixteenth – MELE KAHLUA-KIMAKA

2 oz Kahlua
2 oz coconut rum
4 oz pineapple juice
3 oz club soda

Combine all ingredients in a hurricane glass with ice, stir gently & garnish with fresh or candied pineapple.

Day the Seventeenth – THE LITTLE DRAMMER BUIE

2 oz Drambuie
1 oz amaretto
1 oz apple whiskey (I used Jim Beam Apple, there are others that are interchangeable)
1/2 oz lemon juice
4-5 dashes lemon bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and serve in a martini glass garnished with a lemon slice.

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