Long Island Spirits, a craft distillery in Baiting Hollow prized for its vodka made from locally grown ingredients, is getting into the spirit with a new cocktail lineup. Starting Black Friday, visitors can get a first taste of all things sweet, spicy and delicious. I caught up with Long Island Spirits owner and founder Richard Stabile to learn about some of the popular flavor combinations to sip during the holiday season.
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Santa’s Old Fashioned
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A notable fireplace companion, this classic American holiday cocktail is “enhanced by the wonderful subtle sweetness of the Rough Rider Straight Bourbon mingling with the maple flavors as citrus notes pleasantly present themselves.” Stir one up and throw another log on the fire.
Ingredients
2oz Rough Rider Straight Bourbon Whisky
1oz maple syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Garnish with Luxardo cherries and orange peel.
Getting Blitzen
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This seasonal sip packs a generous punch. Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye is combined with moro blood oranges, which are at their peak this time of year. “When their sweet citrusy flavor combines with the Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye it offers a surprising layered sweet and slightly spicy balance.”
Ingredients
2 oz Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye
2 oz blood orange soda
1/2 oz agave syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
Dash of aromatic bitters
Garnish with orange peel and sprig of thyme.
The Naughty Gingerman
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When tasting the Rough Rider Big Stick Rye at 121 proof, many are surprised to taste far more flavor than the heat of the spirit. “The delightful flavors of the ginger and Big Stick provide a holiday party on your palate.”
Ingredients
2 oz Rough Rider Big Stick Cask Strength Rye
1/2 oz grenadine
Top with Ginger Beer. Rim glass with crushed gingersnap and caramel.
Peppermint Mocha
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Decadent espresso and chocolatey cream come together to form a holiday dessert in a glass. “If you were ever stranded on the Island of Misfit Toys, this is the cocktail that would make the hours pass quickly.”
Ingredients
2 oz Ristretto Espresso Vodka
1/2 oz half & half
1 oz peppermint simple syrup
Dash of chocolate syrup
Shake well with ice until frothy. Pour into glass and top with whip cream and chocolate syrup.
Mistletoe Kiss
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Grab your sweetheart and pucker up. Cranberries, rosemary and lemon are combined with an array of botanicals in “our Deepwells Gin that brightly reveal themselves on the creamy backdrop of the unique potato base of the gin.”
Ingredients
2 oz Deepwells Botanical Dry Gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
Fresh cranberries, muddled
Club soda
Garnish with rosemary sprig.
Ho-Ho-Hot Toddy
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This cocktail is the epitome of Christmas in a glass. The heady warmth of the Pine Barrens, honey and elderflower combine with the lemon and cloves “to create a magical holiday flavor with a lengthy finish.”
Ingredients
2 oz Pine Barrens Single Malt Whisky
1-2 tbsp honey
1 oz elderflower
Top with hot water. Garnish with lemon with cloves.