Holiday Punch for Parties

Need something to serve at your Christmas Party? Try one of these...

Pomegranate-Champagne PunchThis pretty punch makes a dazzling centerpiece for a holiday party.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 750-ml bottles chilled brut Champagne
• 1 1/2 cups white rum
• 1 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fresh mint leaves
• 1 ice block
• 
  

Preparation

• Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool syrup completely.
• Combine Champagne, rum, and pomegranate juice in punch bowl. Add enough syrup to sweeten to taste. Mix in lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, and mint leaves. Add ice block to bowl.
  
  
  
  

  How to Make an Ice Block for Punch

  Avoid using small ice cubes in a punch bowl—they'll melt quickly, leaving your drink watery and weak. The best way to make ice for party punch is to make a big block.

  Fill a metal bowl or Bundt pan with water; freeze overnight. Let defrost just long enough to loosen the ice from its mold. (from Bon Appetit)

  

  Anniversary Punch

  ...also Bon Appetit...

  Originally published in June 1964, this recipe made a comeback with our 50th anniversay issue in 2006. A timeless classic, it features fesh lime, Champagne, and Sauternes.
  

  Ingredients

  • 1 package (15-ounce) frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed
  • 2 teaspoons grated lime peel
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 750-ml bottle Pinot Noir
  • 1 750-ml bottle Sauternes
  • 1 750-ml bottle dry Champagne

  Preparation

  • Combine strawberries, lime peel, and lime juice in saucepan. Simmer together 10 minutes; put through food mill or sieve. Cool. Pour fruit mixture over block of ice in punch bowl. Add wines just before serving. Garnish with whole strawberries or lime slices, if desired.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

Candy Canes, The Grinch & Jamaican Reindeer?

Candy Cane Cocktail

This is another simple recipe, but always a crowd-pleaser during the holidays. You can even increase the ingredients and make a punch for your holiday party.

• 1 oz Vanilla Rum
• 1 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
• 1 oz Peppermint Schnapps

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into glass and garnish with a candy cane, or rim the glass with crushed candy canes. You can even put a peppermint candy in each glass for an added garnish!

Grinch

Have you had enough of everything and anything holiday? Tired of the crowds, traffic and tireless Christmas music? Have a Grinch! But sorry, you are still being festive because it’s green.

• 2 oz Midori
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1 tsp. simple syrup (You can purchase this at a store, or make your own following the instructions in the above recipes. The basic principal to follow is to use 1 part sugar to 1 part water. Boil water, dissolve sugar into boiling water stirring until sugar is completely dissolved, cool. For a richer simple syrup, use more sugar).

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into martini glass and garnish with a cherry.

Jamaican Reindeer

Who wouldn’t want to be in Jamaica instead of dealing with the freezing, cold temperatures of winter? This drink will warm you up but also incorporates the most popular drink consumed during the holidays: Eggnog.

• 1 oz Amber Rum
• 1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
• 4 oz Eggnog

Preparation: Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into an old fashioned glass, sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Give the Gift of Altamura Wines

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

The deep inky purple is stunning; the nose of blueberry, cassis and ripe plum is unmistakably Napa Valley Cabernet at its best. This opulent wine is elegant and expansive with a tapestry of juice fruit. The soft tannins seamlessly carry these layers of flavor and texture through the long finish and refuse to leave the palate. This really is a great Cabernet! 

94 Points Wine Spectator

Altamura Sangiovese 2008

Altamura makes perhaps the finest Sangiovese in California and if you are new to the varietal it will please even the most die-hard fans of Cabernet, Syrah or Zinfandel.

94 Points Robert Parker:  "The 2008 Sangiovese shows plenty of varietal character in its expressive red cherries, licorice and tobacco but with Napa Valley warmth and shape. The wine’s volume and depth should allow it to drink beautifully for a number of years. This is an impressive California Sangiovese, something I can’t say too often...This is an interesting, still somewhat under-the-radar, small producer with all dry-farmed vineyards and obviously impeccable winemaking."

JC Cellars 'The Impostor"

Something you should try!!

JC Cellars "The Impostor" Red Blend 2009 Tasting Notes

"Opaque black purple color with aromas of grilled meats, blackberries, raspberries and touches of black cherries with wisps of Herbs de Provence and roasted coffee. Full bodied and concentrated. Blackberry and raspberry jam ooze from this wine. But
then all the wild side starts to show, with Asian spices, smoke meats, cedar and fruit leather finish." -Winery Notes

Blend: Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier.

JC Cellars "The Impostor" Red Blend 2009 Reviews

"Exotic and altogether distinctive, with aromas of smoky black cherry and asian spice that lead to rich, lush flavors of huckleberry and date bread. Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Vigonier. Drink now through 2017." - 91, Wine Spectator

2 Rum Ball Recipes

Yes....Rum Balls 

Rum Balls

YIELD: 20 large balls

PREP TIME: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup spiced rum

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Drizzle in vanilla, corn syrup and rum.
2. Scoop scoop and shape into 1 inch balls or larger. I used about 4 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture per ball which equaled 2 level scoops from the small cookie scoop.
3. Roll Rum Balls in additional confectioners' sugar, cocoa, sprinkles or whatever strikes your fancy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days to develop the flavor.

NOTES:

- If you chose to roll your Rum Balls in confectioners; sugar, you may need to re-coat them before serving.

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THE RECIPE: THE BEST RUM BALL

Makes 24, total time 45 minutes

pinch of finely ground sea salt
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (double if not adding the nuts)
1 cup of roasted almond crumbs (1 1/2 cups if starting with raw whole almonds, see below)
3 ounces of milk chocolate
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of heavy cream
3 tbsp of dark rum 
pinch of cayenne (not too much, we don’t want heat, we are just adding it to punch the flavours with the sea salt as these are always served cold)
1/4 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg
1 tbsp of corn syrup

4 tbsp of icing sugar or cocoa powder for coating the outsides of the Rum Balls

To roast the almonds, add about 1 1/2 cups of raw almonds to a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees. When they are done the inside will be a darker brown, but the outside should not have burnt.

Place the cooled almonds in your food processor and buzz them until the size of large bread crumbs. Careful you do not buzz them too much or they will make a paste.

Combine the almonds, graham cracker crumbs and sea salt in a mixing bowl.

In a sauce pan, melt the chocolate and butter over very low heat while stirring. Remove the pan from the heat just before it is melted and continue stirring until completely melted.

Stir in the cream, rum, corn syrup, cayenne and nutmeg.

Add the chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Place the mixture in the fridge for about ten minutes if it is too mucky to form balls.

Using your hands roll balls about the 3/4 of an inch high. Roll the ball in a dish of either cocoa powder or icing sugar.

Place in the freezer and enjoy directly out of freezer! These will get better with time if you can wait long enough.

Something hot for a cold night

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1 oz. Espresso Coffee Liqueur
0.5 oz. Cavalino
6 oz. Hot Cocoa
6 Whipped Cream
1 pinch(es) Cinnamon

Combine the  Espresso Coffee Liqueur and the Cavalino Tequila in a hot beverage glass.

Pour hot cocoa over the top.

Stir to combine.

Add whipped cream topping (optional).

Garnish with ground cinnamon or ground chile and a cinnamon stick (optional).

Heated Affair

2 oz. Cavalino Anejo Tequila
6 oz. Apple Cider
Heavy Cream
Add tequila and hot apple cider to small, warm wine glass. Float heavy cream. Grate fresh nutmeg over cream.

White-Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Coconut and Rum

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon rum

Directions

1. Warm milk, coconut milk, and cream in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add chocolate, and whisk until melted and combined. Continue to warm mixture until thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in rum.

Chocolate Vodka...try this

I have been asked many times what to do with chocolate vodka.... here are some recipes:

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe Chocolate Vodka Strawberries Combine ingredients in a blender, and blend well. Pour into a chilled daiquiri/margarita glass, garnish with a chocolate covered strawberry, and serve.

Fudge Slide Recipe Irish Cream Chocolate Vodka Coffee Liqueur Pour each ingredient into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Chocolate Martini (iii) Recipe Chocolate Vodka White Creme de Cacao Garnish: cocoa powder and grated chocolate Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass that has been rimmed with cocoa powder. Garnish with the grated chocolate. Note: Pour slowly to avoid getting the cocoa powder from the rim of the glass into the drink. If you are really crafty, rim the chilled glass with chocolate sauce and place the glass into the freezer until you are ready to serve the drink.

Cherry Cordial Recipe Chocolate Vodka Cherry Liqueur Pour in Shot Glass