Taylor is an expert on festive drinks. For the second year in a row, The Liquor Store has transformed into a holiday wonderland thanks to the Miracle Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar program. His cocktails are guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.
Use whole spices.
Think cardamom, peppercorn, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Crack and grind them with a mortar and pestle before toasting as a base for your syrups.
Now is the time to bust out some of the more fun and interesting liqueurs. Don't be afraid to use Irish Creams, Curacao, Kahlua and Rumple Minze as complimentary spirits for the base alcohols.
When in doubt, you can go heavier on the sugar.
With a lot of the pungent, powerful flavors coming through with the holiday spices, you will need to use plenty of sweeteners to balance out the cocktails.
A slow cooker is your best friend.
Whether it's a spiked hot cocoa, a holiday sangria, or a hot buttered rum, keeping a warm and pre-batched cocktail will be a crowd pleaser when people need to first brush off the cold winter air.
As with any fully stocked home bar and cocktail menu, the name of the game is balance.
Understand that some guests may not be into holiday drinks or spices despite the time of year and it is important to keep things like basic beers, wines and liquors on hand.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Merry Christmas!
For more information about The Liquor Store at 2655 Broad Ave., visit thebroadliquorstore.com.
