5 Holiday Cocktail Recipes From Portland Bars

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Kirsten Nicolaisen, GoLocalPDX Content Manager

Looking for creative and boozy concoctions to spice up a holiday party? Well look no further.

Four Portland restauranteurs have provided GoLocalPDX with cocktail recipes sure to warm up even the coldest winter nights.

'Santa's Little Helper' from The Fireside

3 oz. cold whole milk
1 oz. Plantation 5-Year rum
0.25 oz. St. Elizabeth allspice liqueur
0.125 oz. house Nocino
0.125 oz. rich Demerara syrup

Build ingredients into cordial glass and top with fresh grated nutmeg. Serve alongside snicker doodle cookies.

“Milk punch hales from the 1600-1700s and is a cousin to the holiday classic, Eggnog. Warming winter spices, fuller flavors, and being reminiscent of eggnog make it a holiday staple!”

-Sue Erickson, Bar Manager

'Turkish Flip' from Mediterranean Exploration Company

2 oz. Cognac
0.25 oz. Rich Turkish Spiced Syrup
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Whole Egg

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for 20-30 seconds. Add ice and shake to chill. Top with star anise and freshly grated nutmeg.

Turkish Spiced Syrup
2 Cups Demerara Sugar
1 Cup water
8 Cardamom pods
1 Vanilla Bean

Bring sugar and water to a simmer and stir to combine. Crack cardamom pods and split vanilla bean. Add spices and cover. Let steep for 1 hour and strain through cheese cloth.

“It’s our nod to nog!”

-Kasey Mills, Executive chef and co-owner

'Tay-Tay Iced Tea' from Smallwares

0.75 oz. Rye Whiskey
0.75 oz. Pimms
0.5 oz. Smith and Cross Rum
0.25 oz. Luxardo
3 dashes of orange bitters

Stir; serve with a large cube of ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

“The Tay-Tay Iced Tea is nice and boozy so it is warming on a cold rainy day”

-Johanna Ware, Owner

'Stumptown Express' from Departure

Russell’s Reserve
Stumptown Cold Brew
Domaine de Canton
Honey syrup
Whiskey barrel-aged bitters
Peychaud’s bitters

“This concoction, queued up with ginger liqueur and bourbon keeps you warm on the inside during the holiday season. Joth Ricci’s famous Stumptown Cold Brew and our house farmed Bee Local honey add depth and complexity that are sure to keep you up wrapping presents fireside.”

-Ray Stencel, Senior Restaurant Manager

'Cranhattan' from North Light

2.5 oz. Angels Envy Rye
0.5 oz. Stone Barn Brandyworks Cranberry Liqueur
0.25 oz. Velvet Falernum
0.25 oz. Late-Bottled Vintage Port
3 dashes housemade orange bitters

Garnished with a housemade cranberry gummy

“In the fall I lean towards whiskey in general, so a Manhattan style cocktail is perfect. The clove, ginger, and toasted almonds bring out the structure of the cranberry.”

-Chris Bollenbacher, Bar Manager

Related Slideshow: Oregon’s Seven Best Winter Warmer Ales

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Ill Tempered Gnome

Ill Tempered Gnome has the deep tone of the brown ale that it is. There is nothing ill-tempered about this beer besides the name. Oakshire, still in the shadow of its Eugene neighbor/brewery Ninkasi (almost literally being just blocks apart), produces the best winter beer in the state outside of Bend.

ABV: 6.8%

Photo Courtesy of Oakshire Brewery

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Double Mountain Fa La La

There’s just something about Double Mountain, a Hood River Brewery founded by Full Sail alumni. They refuse to follow convention and continue to create one of the most consistently good and underrated beer products in Oregon. Their winter seasonal Fa La La La La is a big malty hop bomb. Try it in their reusable 16.9 ounce bottle – that’ll give you an excuse to visit the brewery to get your deposit back and enjoy even more of their product lines.

ABV: 7.6%

Photo Courtesty of Hood River Brewery

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Deschutes Jubelale

In its 27th year, “Jubel” reigns as the king of Oregon’s winter beers, if not all seasonal beers. It is a dark, malty ale that, like many seasonal beers, varies ever so slightly from year to year. A clever public relations blitz around the label art each year precedes its release and creates a buzz long before the released product can give you one.

ABV: 6.7%

Photo Courtesy of Deschutes Brewery

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10 Barrel Pray for Snow

While I picked up a six pack the night before this month’s anticipated blizzard, it did not work and there is no such beer as Pray for a Little Ice. Let’s hope AB/Inbev’s (Budweiser) recent purchase of Bend based 10 Barrel doesn’t impact the high quality of this beer in future years.

ABV: 7.6%

Photo Courtesty of 10 Barrel Brewery

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Sleigh’r Doüble Alt Ale

Cutely named to sound like metal band Slayer, there is nothing else cute about this deep dark double alt ale. Brewed in a more traditional German style, don’t let the festive label fool you. This one will leave your with a ringing noggin if you aren’t careful. Ninkasi’s Total Domination IPA is their best known product. The Sleigh’r is decidedly better.

ABV: 7.2%

Photo Courtesy of Ninkasi Brewery

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Abominable Winter

Hopwork's "Abom," as it is known for short, is by style an IPA (albeit a dark one). This Portland brewery known for its love of sustainable practices as much as beer itself, shines through all seasons. Its winter beer makes the cut for a variety of reasons, including its availability in environmentally friendly “pounder” 16 ounce can (that happens to fit perfectly in the pocket of a ski jacket for use in case of a long chair lift ride).

ABV: 7.3%

Photo Courtesty of Hopworks

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Widmer Brrr

Widmer manages to make the hops shine in their winter seasonal, Brrr. Brrr, a red ale is of the lighter hued winter beers. Widmer has long proved that having corporate overlords as business partners doesn’t stop the production of a great product. Brrr boasts perhaps the coolest release party of any Oregon beer, taking over Grand Central Bowl annually for “The Big Chill” which features art, photo booths, bowling and of course BEER!.

ABV: 7.2%

Photo Couresty of Widmer Brewery