Easy Cocktails, Perfect for the Holiday Season

After everything that’s happened so far in 2020, I’d say we all deserve a drink!

Seasonal ingredients like apples and cranberries are perfect for making delicious cocktails. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites here. And don’t worry — they’re easy for beginner mixologists!

Each recipe makes one cocktail. Of course you can stray from the measurements to create drinks catered to your taste.

Apple Cider Sipper

I took inspiration for this one from a drink offered at the restaurant I work at. It’s sweet, refreshing, and fun to make — I love an opportunity to use the shaker!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp. simple syrup

apple slices

1.5 ounces gin

cinnamon

brown sugar

ice

Instructions:

• Dip the rim of your glass into water. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl, then dip the glass into the mixture so it sticks to the rim.

• Add gin, apple cider, lemon juice, and simple syrup to your shaker. Add ice and shake!

• Cut the apple into thin slices, or matchsticks. Fill your glass with ice and apples.

• Pour the contents of the shaker and enjoy!

Hot Toddy

The perfect drink to warm up with on a chilly night! There are many variations of this cocktail out there, but here’s my take on the old classic.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces bourbon or whiskey — your choice

1.25 cup apple cider

1 tbsp. maple syrup

black tea (optional)

lemon juice

cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick if you’re feeling fancy)

Instructions:

• Heat apple cider in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup for 1.5 to 2 minutes.

• Pour your liquor of choice into a mug. Add hot cider. Stir in maple syrup.

• Squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Add a lemon slice and a dash of cinnamon, or a cinnamon stick for garnish.

• Get cozy, and enjoy!

Tip: If 1.25 cup of cider is too heavy for your liking, another option is to use 1 cup of hot cider, and 1/4 cup hot black tea. This will also keep the drink hotter for longer.

Autumn White Sangria

This one is the easiest to create because there is really no wrong way to do it! A little creativity, and you can make a beautiful and refreshing sangria. Have a large wine glass ready!

Ingredients:

prosecco

white wine of your choice

Possible Add-Ins:

apples

pears

cranberries

grapes

cherries

oranges

pomegranate seeds

figs

apple cider

club soda

ginger ale

cranberry juice

peach Schnapps

rosé

cinnamon sticks

anise pods

And the list goes on forever…

Instructions:

• Chill your prosecco and wine of choice.

• Cut your selected fruits. You can freeze them if you want to eliminate the need for ice.

• Fill a large wine glass about half way with prosecco.

• The rest is up to you! Seriously, just go crazy with it.

[I topped mine with Riesling, ginger ale, a little peach Schnapps, apple cider and cranberry juice. Then I added apple slices and cranberries. Super sweet and delicious!]

• Stir and enjoy!

I hope you give these easy recipes a try and I can't wait to hear what you think! Post your recreations on Instagram with the hashtag #Aprilscocktails

With love,

Sabrina