Best Cocktail Recipes For Dinner Parties

Pairing food with cocktails is just as delicious and enjoyable as pairing food with wine or beer. When you pair with cocktails, you have more flavor pairing options to explore. Try pairing your main dish with a cocktail at your next dinner party or brunch. It makes your dining experience that much better.

Apple Of My Islay

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces scotch
• ¹⁄₄ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *apple simple syrup
• 1 ounce IPA beer
• *Apple simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 apple, sliced

Directions

1. Add the scotch, lemon juice, and apple syrup to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a small rocks glass and top with beer.
3. Garnish with an apple wedge.

Little Boy Blue

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 2 ounces *blueberry simple syrup
• Stout to top
• *Blueberry simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ¹⁄₂ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Add the bourbon and blueberry syrup to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a small rocks glass.
3. Top with stout. Garnish with blueberries.

Cornucopia Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces bourbon
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *wine simple syrup
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Dash of allspice bitters
• *Wine simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup red wine

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Brunswick Sour

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces rum
• ¹⁄₂ ounce triple sec
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce red wine

Directions

1. Add the rum, triple sec, and lime juice to a rocks glass.
2. Fill with ice and stir. Top with red wine.

 

Ginger Rogers

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces gin
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce ginger simple syrup (see chapter 2 for recipe)
• Wheat beer to top

Directions

1. Add the gin, lemon juice, and ginger syrup to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass.
3. Top off with the wheat beer. Garnish with a piece of ginger.

 

Harvest Moon

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces gin
• 1 ounce Lillet
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *saffron honey simple syrup
• Dash of orange bitters
• *Saffron honey simple syrup
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup water
  • ¹⁄₂ teaspoon saffron threads

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

Ichabod Crane

Ingredients

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces Reposado tequila
• 1 ounce *pumpkin simple syrup
• ¹⁄₂ ounce vanilla simple syrup
• *Pumpkin simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ¹⁄₂ cup pumpkin puree
  • Dash of cinnamon

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

 

Beet Around The Christmas Tree

Ingredients

• 2 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce fresh beet juice
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ³⁄₄ ounce vanilla simple syrup
• Soda to top

Directions

1. Add everything but the soda to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain over ice into an old fashioned glass.
3. Top with soda and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

 

Tips How To Make Simple Syrup

1. Measure out equal parts water and sugar (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar) in a pot. If creating a flavored syrup, also add the flavoring ingredients to the pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring to prevent scorching.
3. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
5. Use a sieve to strain out any solid pieces of spices or flavoring (e.g., vanilla beans) and bottle the syrup. The syrup will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator