What, you haven’t sworn off drinking as a New Year’s resolution? We still swear that when the weather is dreary outside, there is nothing better to warm you than a nice winter cocktail (and perhaps a big bowl of chili — our favorite recipe follows).

Enjoy these cocktails as you dream of spring!

Winter Rose
created by Nick Mautone
2 oz. Haikara Yuzu or Haikara Momo Sake
½ oz. rum
1 oz. lime juice
dash of simple syrup
dash of rose water
dash of lavender bitters
ginger ale for topping
fresh cranberries or orange peel (for garnish)

Add all ingredients, except ginger ale, to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Next, strain into rocks glass. Top with ginger ale and garnish.

Apricot Toddy
1 1/4 oz. Bailoni Apricot Liqueur
¾ oz. lemon juice
2 barspoons honey
2 ¾ oz. hot water

Mix preheated Bailoni Apricot Liqueur with lemon juice and honey in heat resistant glass and stir. Fill up with hot water. Garnish with lemon pierced with cloves and a cinnamon stick.

Drambuie’s Mulled Wine
8 parts Drambuie
1 bottle (750 ml) Cabernet Sauvignon
2 parts honey
1 spearmint-peppermint tea bag
peel of ½ grapefruit
peel of 1 orange
2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
½ tsp. whole juniper berries
½ tsp. whole allspice berries ½ tsp. whole peppercorns

With a mortar and pestle grind the berries and pepper corns and add to a large pot. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute. Strain and serve. If not hot enough, bring back to a simmer. Serve hot.

Magnus P.I.
created by Steven Teaver, The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail
1 1/2 oz. Highland Park Magnus
1/2 oz. Douglas Fir Eau de Vie
1/2 oz. burned simple syrup
2 cups sugar
3 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake and strain into a Collins glass over ice. Garnish as desired.

To make the burned simple syrup:

Melt 2 cups of sugar on low in a sauce pan. When the sugar is a dark honey color and consistency; add 1 cup of water (slowly). This seizes the melted sugar, essentially turning it into a hard candy. Add 2 additional cups of water and return the pot to medium heat and slowly stir until the seized sugar dissolves.

Mexican Mary
2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Blanco tequila
6 oz. Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
½ oz. fresh lime juice
2 dashes Maggi Seasoning Sauce
1/8 tsp. dry chipotle powder
pinch of dry oregano
salt rim using Manny’s Salt (pasilla and guajillo chiles with a touch of hibiscus flower)

Add all ingredients (besides salt) to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a Mexican style grill shrimp kabob with tomatoes, Fresno chile, Mexican zucchini, and an onion.

Winter Whisperer
1 1/2 oz. Smirnoff Peppermint Twist
3/4 oz. pomegranate syrup
4 oz. Pama pomegranate liqueur
4 oz. sugar
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
8 mint leaves
2 oz. club soda

Make the pomegranate syrup by mixing the POM and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Muddle mint with syrup, then and add lemon juice and Smirnoff Peppermint Twist. Fill with ice and shake. Strain over ice in a rocks glass and top with club soda.

Laphroaig ‘Tis the Season
by Chicago mixologist Benjamin Schiller
2 oz. Laphroaig Select
3/4 oz. vermouth
1/4 oz. walnut liqueur
¼ oz. allspice liqueur
grated nutmeg

Combine Laphroaig, vermouth, and walnut liqueur in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Meanwhile, rinse a coupe glass with allspice liqueur, and then empty any excess liquid. Strain the cocktail into the glass, and grate nutmeg over the cocktail; then serve!

Café ala Mexicana
by Jaime Salas, National Milagro Ambassador
1 1/2 oz. Milagro Añejo
¾ oz. Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
4 oz. fresh brewed coffee
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 oz. heavy cream

Build in a clear mug or other drink vessel suitable for hot beverages. Top with whipped cream and chile flakes. Garnish with two coffee beans before serving.

Brockmans Fiery Side
2 oz. Brockmans Gin
1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup
ginger beer
1/4 oz. cherry brandy

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes, add the gin and cinnamon syrup; then top with ginger beer. Drizzle the cherry brandy over the top. Garnish with a stick of cinnamon and a cherry.

1602 Alexander
courtesy of Henry’s Hotel Bar at Harbor View Hotel
1 ½ oz. Copper and Kings brandy
½ oz. dark crème de cacao
1 ½ oz. lavender and clove infused honey milk
dark chocolate, grated

Shake all ingredients very well with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated dark chocolate.

To make the lavender and clove infused honey milk:
½ cup dried lavender
½ cup cloves
¾ quart milk
¼ quart honey syrup (1:1 honey/water)

Combine all ingredients in a quart container. Shake and allow to sit for at least 48 hours. Strain out solids and re-bottle.

Strongbow Slow Cooked Pork and Apple Chili
3 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 large pieces, fat trimmed.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 dried New Mexico chilies, stemmed and seeded
1 dried chipotle chile, stemmed and seeded
1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large Spanish onion, diced
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
8 medium cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
12 ounce bottle Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 firm red apples, cored and diced
two 15 oz. cans dark kidney beans, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
hot sauce to taste
steamed rice

Optional fresh toppings: sliced jalapeño, cilantro, and apple.

Blot pork dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add pork and cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn pork and brown opposite side. Transfer pork to slow cooker.

In a small saucepan, add chicken stock all dried chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until chilies are softened about 15 minutes. Transfer to blender and add tomato paste, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend to a smooth paste. Scrape paste into slow cooker with pork.

Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic to slow cooker, arranging them on and around the pork. Pour crushed tomatoes on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider and cornstarch. Pour into slow cooker. Gently stir in kidney beans if using. Cover and cook on low until pork is fall-apart tender, about 6 hours.

Remove pork from sauce and shred using 2 forks. Add diced apples to sauce, Return pulled pork to slow cooker, stir gently, and season with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce for additional heat, if desired. Let flavors meld and additional 30 minutes in the crock pot and serve with steamed rice.

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