Where does the time go? Hard as it is to believe the holidays are once again right around the corner. Soon families and friends will be gathering to give thanks for the year past, to reaffirm bonds and to look forward to the new year to come. There’s nothing like a great holiday party (or two, or three) to cap off the year and nothing like some holiday-specific cocktails served in custom barware to lubricate the gears of holiday cheer.

Break Out the Martini Glasses and Copper Mugs!

The holidays will soon be here so let’s not waste any time. Break out the cocktail glasses, martini glasses and custom copper cups, fill them with any of the following holiday cocktails and raise ‘em high to health and happiness!

Spiked Apple Cider

Apples and the holidays go together like snow and Christmas. So it’s only right that we start our list of holiday cocktails with this traditional favorite. Spiked apple cider is about as American as a holiday cocktail can get so make sure you keep this recipe on hand right through New Year’s Eve.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of apple cider
• 1 cup apple brandy
• 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (bottled will do in a pinch)
• Apple slices for garnish

Directions:

Chill 6 cocktail glasses beforehand in the refrigerator. Fill your cocktail shaker halfway with crushed ice. Add all the liquid ingredients and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Pour through a strainer into the chilled glasses. Garnish with apple slice.

The Yule Mule

One of the many great things about the Moscow Mule is its versatility. Today there are dozens of variations of this classic cocktail that cover every geographic region and most major holidays. Our personal favorite is the Yule Mule, also known in some circles as the Holiday Mule, or the Cranberry Mule. Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz your favorite vodka
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1 bottle ginger beer
• Fresh cranberries
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Copper Moscow mule mug

Directions:

Pour the vodka and cranberry juice into the copper mug. Fill the mug with ice and top it up with ginger beer. Pour the lime juice on top and stir gently. Pour fresh cranberries on top and garnish with a lime wedge.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

Apples may be a natural match for the holidays but pumpkin isn't far behind, and sure enough, some ingenious mixologist has found a way to meld pumpkins, spirits and martini glasses. The result is the Pumpkin Pie Martini. Here's how you make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz pumpkin spice liqueur
• 1/2 oz kahlua
• 1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps (yes, there is such a thing)
• 1/2 oz half-and-half
• Crushed graham cracker
• Cinnamon stick to garnish

Directions:

Rim large martini glass with crushed graham crackers. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then add all the liquids. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Pour through a strainer into the martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Hot Peppermint Delight

Peppermint is another traditional holiday flavor that has fallen somewhat out of favor, but has found new life in this ingenious and tantalizing holiday cocktail. You might have to dig through your barware a bit to find the necessary Irish coffee mugs, (and if you can’t you can always get all the customized glassware you want from Paykoc), but we think you’ll find this holiday cocktail worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz peppermint schnapps
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz grenadine
• Whipped cream
• Peppermint rod

Directions:

Pour the vodka, peppermint schnapps and grenadine into the Irish coffee mug. Add hot water to fill the mug about 3/4 of the way. Stir gently. Add whipped cream to the top, then drizzle some grenadine over the whipped cream for color and add the peppermint rod.

Cranberry Hot Toddy

Our #5 holiday cocktail is a twist on the classic mulled apple cider. While most are not aware of it, December is cranberry harvest time, which makes this a very timely cocktail indeed. Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz cranberry vodka
• 1 pint cranberry juice
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 3 tsp honey
• Angostura bitters
• Whole cranberries
• Cinnamon powder
• Cinnamon stick

Directions:

Heat all the ingredients except the vodka in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat just before it starts to boil. Let the mixture stand for a minute, then add the vodka and stir gently. After dispensing add a few whole cranberries and a cinnamon stick to each cocktail glass.

Homemade Eggnog

As is the case with most of our holiday cocktails our final one leans heavily on tradition. This is a tried and true eggnog recipe that you can serve as-is to the kids and spike to your heart's content for the adults. Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients:

• 6 lg eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Whipped cream

Directions:

Combine the eggs, yolks, salt and sugar in a saucepan and whisk thoroughly. Add milk slowly while whisking. Set heat to low and cook slowly while stirring frequently. Heat until it’s thick enough to coat the back of your stirring spoon. Strain mixture to remove chunks of cooked egg, then add vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled with whipped cream and nutmeg on top. Spike it with whatever your adult guests have a hankering for.

Remember, for all your wholesale barware needs visit the Paykoc online store. Happy Holidays!