Wishing you happy holidays and a healthy new year!

May 2012 bring you days filled with love and laughter!

We are in full swing of the holiday’s and what better to talk about than what you will be serving your guests at the bar! So who’s coming over – family, friends, co-workers or a blending of your worlds? No fear – the best way to get a party started is with interesting, creative (seasonal) and beautiful looking drinks. Now I’m no cocktail guru (I’ll leave that up to the experts like my friends at Dress The Drink or Pour Masters Bartending)
but I do know a thing or two about creating Sensational Events.
I’ve also include a mocktail for the DD (designated driver and pregnant friends).

Here’s some amazing recipes I’ve discovered and others have shared with me. Now granted I haven’t had the chance to try them all so you will have to experiment and let me know which was your favorite! I’ve also included the “Pecan Pie Martini” in the Guilty Pleasures section on the sidebar plus a link to all the other Guilty Pleasure recipes. It’s the season of sharing so post your favorite holiday cocktail as a comment so everybody can enjoy!

1st row left to right: Merry Cranberry Margaritas, Jingle Juice and Key Lime Pie Martini
2nd row left to right: Maple Mocktail, Candy Cane Martini and Butterscotch Coffee
3rd row left to right: Sugar Cookie Martini, Colombian Connection and Eggnog Martini.

Holiday Inspired Cocktails

Merry Cranberry Margaritas
by My Recipes

1 1/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, divided
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau
3 cups coarsely crushed ice

Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into a shallow bowl. Pour 3 tbsp. sugar onto a plate. Dip rims of 4 to 6 wide mouthed glasses (6 to 8 oz., suitable for margaritas) into juice, then sugar. Set glasses aside.
Reserve 12 cranberries. In a blender, whirl the remaining cranberries, cranberry juice, and sugar, the lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and ice until smooth and slushy. If necessary, blend in 2 batches, then mix together. Divide among glasses and garnish with reserved berries, skewered on toothpicks. Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Jingle Juice
by My Recipes

5 cups orange juice
1 cup vodka
1/3 cup orange liqueur
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

Garnishes: fruit-flavored candy cane sticks, cherries with stems, orange and lemon slices

Stir together orange juice and next 4 ingredients; serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.
Spritzer: Omit vodka and orange liqueur. Add 2 cups chilled lemon-lime soft drink. Proceed as directed. Note: If you don’t have orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec, substitute an equal amount of orange juice.

Key Lime Pie Martini
by Emeril Lagasse

Graham cracker crumbs, for rimming the glass
2 lime wedges
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) vanilla flavored vodka
1/4 cup (2 ounces) key lime liqueur (recommended: KeKe Beach Key Lime Liqueur)
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Ice cubes

Chill the glass for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Combine the vanilla vodka, key lime liqueur, pineapple juice, and cream in a shaker. Fill the shaker half full with ice and shake until well blended. Pour into prepared martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately. Pour the graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish. Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a martini glass and roll the edge in the graham cracker crumbs.

Maple Mocktail
(non alcoholic drink)

1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup apple juice
1 cup sparkling water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
maple sugar (to garnish)
8 cinnamon sticks (to garnish)

Mix the 5 first ingredients. Dim rim of each tall glasses in the maple sugar. Pour the drinks in the glasses. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Candy Cane Martini

1 1/4 ounces vanilla vodka
1 1/4 ounces white crème de cacao
3/4 ounce peppermint schnapps
Garnish: peppermint candy

Combine vanilla vodka, white creme de cacao, and peppermint schnapps in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with peppermint candy.

Butterscotch Coffee

1 ounce butterscotch schnapps
1 ounce Irish cream
Hot Coffee
Whipped cream
Nutmeg

Pour the liqueurs into a coffee cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with hot coffee.
Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Sugar Cookie Martini

2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
2 oz. Bailey Irish Cream
2 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
2 oz. Whipping Cream
2 oz. Milk
Sugar cookies to crumble for rimming

Combine ingredients in a martini shaker with ice. To be a bit more decadent, dip the edges of your martini glass in chocolate or Carmel syrup then rim with the sugar cookie crumble. Shake martini and pour. YUM

Colombian Connection
By The Mint, a handcrafted cocktail – voted BEST Cocktails by AZ Foothills

Ingredients
1oz Patron XO
1oz Absolut Vanilla
1oz Baileys Irish Cream
1oz Half & Half

Drizzle chocolate syrup across the bulb from side to side until desired look is achieved.
Mix & shake and strain into a chocolate drizzle martini glass.

Eggnog Martini

1 1/2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce spiced rum
1/2 ounce vanilla vodka
3 ounces store bought eggnog
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Garnish: Crushed graham crackers and cinnamon stick

Dip the rim of a martini glass in water and then into the crushed graham crackers.
Combine dark rum, spiced rum, vodka with eggnog and simple syrup in an ice-filled martini shaker. Shake well, strain and pour into a prepared glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves 1.

Sensational Events is a distinct full-service event planning and production company that creates one-of-a-kind experiences for discerning individuals and companies. Based in sunny Arizona, our event planning team serves Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, Tucson and surrounding areas. Since 2001, Sensational Events has been a leader in the industry by focusing on experience and innovation, not formula and routine.
Our event planning team provides turn-key personalized coordination in all its divisions;
parties, mitzvahs, corporate, weddings and destination events.

We invite you to contact us today to see how we can turn your event into a SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE!
Call 602-696-4646 or email us at events@sensationalevents.com.