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Spirited but
Sophisticated Creative cocktail recipes for seasonal entertaining BY STACIE STANDIFER
I
like my cocktails very much like my home’s holiday décor – somewhat festive with subtle and gracious nods to the season, but far from over the top. As I’ve gotten older, it seems that sophistication typically comes in a less obvious package. The days of crazy colored concoctions and labor-intensive creations are no longer on my radar. This change to less-is-more stems from a particular cocktail disaster when I hosted my first holiday party in my newly acquired residence in Richland House. I wanted every detail to be perfect and took great pains to think of clever ways to put the Christmas spirit into every facet of the celebration. Regretfully, I followed a trendy national magazine editor’s advice to serve martinis with crushed candy canes along the rims. They looked lovely for about five minutes, but for the remainder of the night, guests picked candy pieces off of their sweaters and suede. I found myself pulling it out of furniture and rugs for the next five weeks as well. Lesson learned.
Now, I am more concerned with things that are natural — not-forced and certainly not sticky. It’s about keeping things casually elegant and embracing the season as well as those around me, which usually involves libations. Just as we are using seasonal ingredients in our cooking today, we should follow suit with the types of cocktails we create. Embracing flavors and utilizing cranberries, earthy winter spices and other in-season citruses, makes every sip a bit of a celebration. Whether you’re hosting a group of friends for a weekend game or planning to cozy up in front of the fire, we’ve got a few ideas to up your mixology game for the long nights ahead. From light options to keep calories in check such as our Spirited Spritz to our holiday twist on the margarita— these offerings will never disappoint.
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