What better way to celebrate the holidays than with some festive cocktails? Leo Robitschek — the bar director of NoMad Bar, Hilary Duff and Katie Holmes’ favorite NYC hot spot, and the co-author of The NoMad Cookbook — shared some of his favorite holiday cocktail recipes with Us Weekly.
Mott & Mulberry
Robitschek says his chilled “ode to mulled cider” packs plenty of seasonal spices: “You get cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg.”
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Ingredients:
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup*
3/4 oz Honey Crisp apple cider
1 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 oz rye whiskey
3 slices red apple
Directions:
1. In a shaker, combine all ingredients except apples. Add ice and shake.
2. Strain over 1/4-inch ice cubes into a double rocks glass.
3. Garnish with apple. Serves 1.
*For simple syrup: In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Cool.
Fig & Thistle
Figgy pudding is the pro’s favorite sweet. He mixed preserves with tequila to create a wintry margarita.
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Ingredients:
1 dash Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters
1/2 oz fig preserves
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz tequila
Lemon slice
Cinnamon stick
Directions:
1. In a shaker, combine all ingredients except lemon and cinnamon. Add ice and shake.
2. Strain over ice into a double rocks glass.
3. Garnish with lemon and cinnamon. Serves 1.
Egg Nog
Get cracking early on the nog, says Robitschek: “It picks up more of the spices as it sits in the fridge.”
Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated
8 oz sugar
16 oz cream
32 oz milk
2 oz Frangelico
4 oz Scotch whiskey
6 oz bourbon
6 oz cognac
6 oz rum
1 whole nutmeg
Directions:
1. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two large bowls.
2. Add 6 oz of the sugar to the yolks and whisk or blend in a mixer until the yolks turn pale yellow and thicken.
3. Whisk or blend in the cream, milk, Frangelico, whiskey, bourbon, cognac, and rum.
4. Grate the nutmeg over the top and whisk until combined.
5. Add the remaining 2 oz of sugar to the whites and whisk or blend until stiff peaks form. Slowly whisk into the yolk mixture.
6. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, pour into a single rocks glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 15.
