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Prost!
By Aly Walansky — Written on Dec 07, 2018
Think fruity cocktails are limited to frozen drinks with umbrellas while sitting by the pool? No way! While fruity drinks are very popular in the summer months, we need our fruits and vegetables all year long, right?
These fruity winter cocktails are found at spots around the country that are fresh and full of fruit but still have a wintery feel. And they'll be perfect for the warm-hearted but chilly weather holiday season.
1. Den After Dark
Sycamore Den's Den After Dark cocktail has a balance of fresh lime and tangerine with a very deep dark clove syrup, perfect for the winter months. The spice flavor contributed by the clove and citrus is heightened by the herbs and spices in the Jägermeister. It's made with Jägermeister, vodka, fresh tangerine juice, fresh lime juice, housemade orange curaçao, and housemade clove syrup.
2. Southern Spice
Hilton New Orleans Riverside’s bar and lounge, Public Belt, creates creamy decadence in a glass with its Southern Spice. The cocktail combines Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum, butterscotch schnapps, Baileys, and pumpkin spice, topped with whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and gingersnap rim.
3. Cinnamon Crunch
At STK Los Angeles, the Cinnamon Crunch cocktail is the sweetest Christmas treat made with everyone's favorite holiday flavors like cranberry, cinnamon and cherry.
4. Alpine Hippie Juice
At MiniBar Hollywood in Los Angeles, this drink is made with Zirbrenz Pine Liqueur, Clear Creek Cassis, lime juice and soda water. The stone pine liqueur used in this drink is made from freshly picked fruit of the Arolla Stone Pine, found high in the Swiss Alps.
5. "Fall" Into Brooklyn
This winter cocktail is made with Templeton Rye, Vya sweet, dry vermouth, black walnut bitters, baked apple spice bitters, cidered apples and garnished with a fresh cherry, and can be found at Chez Melange in Redondo Beach, CA.
6. Belle Epoque
In San Diego, Madison on Park has creative hand-crafted cocktails like the Belle Epoque, made with Cutwater Hibiscus Vodka, pomegranate nectar, lemon and Prosecco, and is a variation of the martini that is floral, dry and refreshing.
7. Passion & Bubbles
At San Diego's Herb & Wood, the cocktail program showcases herbs and clean flavors, highlighting the brightness of the menu using equally fresh and seasonal ingredients. The Passion & Bubbles is crafted with vodka, passionfruit liqueur, creme de cacao, lemon and Prosecco.
8. Blackberry Thyme
Located in Carmel Valley’s Pacific Highlands Ranch, Amici is a neighborhood-focused Italian restaurant that has crafted the Blackberry Thyme, perfect for cold winter nights. The cocktail is made with Chambord Da Luca, Prosecco, blackberries, thyme and a brown sugar rim.
9. Spiced Apple Cider Margarita
Located in Chicago, Barrio is a highly sought-after Mexican restaurant. The Spiced Apple Cider Margarita's main ingredients are Casamigos Reposado mixed with St. George Pear liqueur and apple juice to give the margarita a sweet flavor. Then, sticking to a classic margarita, the drink includes a rim garnish made of cinnamon and sugar, garnished with a cinnamon stick.
10. Quincy With The Good Pear
At Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, Kevin Beary, Beverage Director, says, "Fall and winter can be a tricky time for making seasonal tiki cocktails as many tropical fruits are out of season. Once quince comes into season in the fall, we poach them, which provides a unique flavor that complements rum nicely."
11. Hogs Breath Mule
This cocktail is made with pineapple jalapeño-infused tequila, muddled ginger, lime, ginger beer, creating a fruity and refreshing cocktail with a little kick of spice to warm you up. It can be found New York City at JAX B-B-Q.
12. Big Bubba
The Big Bubba cocktail at Swig & Swine in Charleston, SC is made with Virgil Kaine Ginger Bourbon, ginger beer, fresh pineapple juice and fresh basil. The ginger-infused bourbon, the perfect spiced bourbon for winter, and ginger beer perfectly compliment the fruitiness of the pineapple juice.
13. Dream Maker
At Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach, The Dream Maker cocktail builds upon the magic of the holidays while celebrating the beauty of South Florida in winter. Boasting a unique blend of tequila, St. Germain and Grand Marnier, the cocktail is brimming with blackberries and balanced with a splash of lime juice and agave syrup. Garnished with a slice of orange, the dreamy cocktail is the perfect fruity twist on a winter cocktail.
14. Boracray
At Genever, a women-owned and run gin bar in LA’s Historic Filipinotown, the Boracay cocktail will shine some tropical sun on your winter evenings. It’s a perfectly crushable drink whose fruit-forward ingredients include Hayman’s Sloe Gin, Aperol, Clear Creek Loganberry Liqueur, calamansi (a Filipino winter citrus), and pineapple cordial.
15. Tiny Bubbles
Tiny Bubbles cocktail at JWB Prime Steak and Seafood at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in South Florida is a pleasing blend of cherry and lemon. This cocktail features Fee Brother’s Cherry Bitters, fresh lemon juice and Monin Pure Cane Syrup, combined with Grey Goose Cherry Noir and Cherry Heering Liqueur. It is finished off with a float of brut champagne in a chilled classic coupe glass.
16. The Winter Warmer
Warm your bones from the frigid temperatures this winter with the Winter Warmer from Joseph’s NYC. This cocktail is made with Bourbon, Tawny Port, fresh orange juice and orange bitters. Served on the rocks, and a great sipper, this cocktail will be sure to keep you toasty on even the coldest days.
17. The Passion on Fire
Bourbon mingles with sweet fruit juices of lime and passion fruit while a kick of ginger spices up this cocktail, also from Joseph’s NYC. This cocktail will be sure to warm you up on even the most frigid winter nights.
18. Island Girl
At Nashville Underground in Nashville, this cocktail is made with Blue Chair Bay coconut rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, sprite, and an orange garnish. It's perfect for all year-round, but you may find it more comforting in the winter months.
19. Mega Yule Mule
Forget reindeer! Get in the Christmas spirit this year with a festive mule or two. Santa Baby Christmas Bar pops up every year in Chicago to serve over-the-top, holiday-themed twists on all your favorite cocktails. The Mega Yule Mule is made with Pinnacle vodka, ginger beer, cranberry juice, lime juice, mint, and topped off with a peppermint stick for a festive take on the classic Moscow Mule.
20. Holiday Cobbler
The only hotel directly connected to O’Hare’s domestic terminals through underground walkways, Hilton Chicago O’Hare is featuring a Holiday Cobbler cocktail made with Sandman 10 Port, Remi Martin, and Triple Sec, garnished with lemon, lime, pineapple and mint for a deliciously refreshing winter treat.
21. The Grinch
The Grinch couldn’t steal Frosty’s minty Vodka drink even if he tried. Signature Whipped Vodka mixed with Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao infused with a dash of Heavy Cream and garnished with Whipped Cream & Holiday Sprinkles on top, this festive drink will put even the biggest Grinch in the holiday spirit.
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her at alywalansky@gmail.com.