Festive Holiday Drinks
This Month’s Recipes: Aged Egg Nog - Rusty Rooster
Looking for something a little different to serve at your holiday party this year? While wine and beer are always classic, it’s quite fun to offer something unexpected to your friends and family, especially as a welcoming cocktail. A couple of suggestions from our chefs will have you looking at different options, and mixing things up! Cheers!
From Chef James Eckerdt: Aged Egg Nog
With the holiday season upon us, I always marvel at the wide variety of traditions I see around me. My wife and I (and also a chef), have started a tradition if our own. We start new traditions.
Aged eggnog has become a new holiday tradition in my house but it takes a lot of forethought and planning if you’re going to enjoy this nog in its most delicious form on Christmas this year.
This recipe is for next years egg nog, but thankfully, the minimum amount of aging time is 2 weeks and in a pinch can be drunk fresh (though I don’t recommend it).
This recipe has A LOT of booze in it but it’s necessary to prevent bacterial growth as it matures and prevents spoilage. After aging it 2 weeks you’ll notice the nog has become much mellower and the flavors have blended. The first time we made it in our home half the fun was tasting it once a month to see how it changed!
Serve cold or at room temp, I like mine with a single ice cube or in a hot cup of coffee on a rainy Oregon winter morning.
From Chef Shana Larsen: The Rusty Rooster
One of my favorite, festive drinks for the holiday season is nicknamed “The Rusty Rooster” in our family. The “recipe” is pretty simple.
How did this drink come about? For my mom’s 65 birthday I hosted a multi-course, in-home dinner party for her and her friends. I was looking for a special drink in order to start the party. She is not a fan of carbonation, so a Champagne or Prosecco toast wouldn’t work well. She is not a bourbon or whiskey fan, and I also wanted something to easily transition into our wine-paired dinner courses. This fit the bill perfectly!
Suggested by Erin Palmer of the Wine Cellar in Portland, it was a true hit! The color is a beautiful red rust (hence the name) and the flavors perfect for fall and winter entertaining. Not too sweet, but strong enough to make you take notice! It’s certainly one of our favorite, different drinks of choice and would make for a wonderful accompaniment at any holiday party.
(Source Note: If you have trouble finding a white port or red vermouth at your local grocery store, go to your local wine shop or contact Erin at the Wine Cellar in Portland (portlandwinecellar.com), or check your local wine shop. Erin usually has at least one brand and will be glad to help you!)
As always, I welcome your feedback… how you liked the recipes listed here, what recipes you’d like to see for future newsletters, or things you are curious about. Connect with us online too!
Bon Appetit!
Chef Shana
Ready, Set, Eat!