If your idea of a chic holiday gathering looks like something plucked from a Victorian novel, you’re not alone — everyone seems to be all about the vintage vibe this year. After all, it’s easy to be swept up in the romantic spirit of the season, looking to those of yore for inspiration. If you’re hosting a festive soirée and want to immerse your guests in the nostalgia of the merriest time of year, why not whip up a retro cocktail to solidify this sense of splendor?
While Old World decor can certainly set the tone for a retro chic party, taking it a step further by incorporating historic tipples is a clever way to surprise and delight your guests. For Michael Scribner (the beverage director at Downtown L.A. Proper), serving an old-school cocktail like the eggnog-infused New York flip can feel like time travel. “It transports you, your guests, and all of your tastebuds back to a bygone era of simplicity and wonder.”
Ahead, TZR taps leading mixologists across the United States for their go-to throwback cocktail recipes that embody a vintage-inspired holiday. Expect warming notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, plus plenty of flavorful spirits to keep the celebrations going for the magical weeks ahead.
The Lion’s Tail
For those who live in climates that are warm during the holidays, getting into a festive spirit requires a bit of creativity and imagination. “In Los Angeles, the weather never really reflects the holiday season, so I like to make cocktails that are still light and refreshing but invoke the flavors of the holiday,” Mírate Beverage Director Max Reis says, pointing to a sour variation called the lion’s tail as one of his favorites that fits into that box (and one that first appeared in print in 1937 in the Café Royal Cocktail Book).
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1/2 ounce allspice dram
- 3/4 ounce lemon
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 lemon wedge (squeezed and shaken)
- Sour glass
- Grated nutmeg
Directions
Reis advises to assemble your ingredients into a shaker, then drop the squeezed lemon wedge in the shaker. Shake hard and fine strain into a sour glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Glögg
This winter treasure is a traditional Nordic drink with origins dating back to the early 1600s. “My grandmother’s family is from Sweden, and she used to make glögg every year,” says Gertrude’s co-owner Rachel Jackson, who adds that what makes this the perfect holiday drink is that it’s “warming, both in temperature and flavor, it can serve a crowd of people, and you don’t need to think too hard about it.”
Ingredients
- Half gallon of wine
- 1 1/2 cups of brandy or cognac
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- Base of slivered almonds, raisins, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks
Note: Makes about 19 servings
Directions
Jackson points out that every family has its own version of glögg, with her grandmother’s “boozy fortified version” employing a jug of Carlo Rossi and cheap brandy. “We have since updated our ‘recipe’ slightly — recipe in quotation marks as it really comes down to what’s in your pantry and what flavors you like — to include slightly better wine and nicer cognac.” To make, put the wine and brandy in a pot with sugar, silvered almonds, raisins, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks, and keep it warm all night long.
New York Flip
There are certain flavors that embody the holiday season, from baking spice notes to toasted nuts. For Scribner, this time of year is synonymous with eggnog, making the New York flip a go-to of his. “It marries a traditional flip with an eggnog by adding some heavy cream and by using port to both sweeten and booze it up, so you really get that holiday spirit for the cold weather and long nights,” he says. Flips date back hundreds of years, but Scribner points out that Jerry Thomas (“the godfather of bartending”) brought them to the bar with his 1862 bartenders guide. The New York flip brings out the Yuletide cheer in Scribner. “It makes me want to light a fire, wear an ascot, and play The Nutcracker Suite in the background,” he says.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
- 1 oounce ruby port
- 3/4 ounce heavy cream
- 1 whole egg
- Grated nutmeg on top
Notes: Serve in a coupe or a Nick and Nora glass.
Directions
Scribner’s take on the New York flip varies from the original by using exclusively ruby port instead of tawny port and simple syrup. (“You’ll find it richer and stronger than the original; try swapping the ruby port for Malmsey Madeira for a lighter and nuttier profile.”) To make, combine the bourbon, port, cream, and egg into a shaker without ice and dry shake for 10 to 20 seconds. Add ice, shake hard for about five seconds, then strain up into a coupe or Nick and Nora glass. (“If throwing a sizable party, and you’d rather not throw out your shoulder from all the dry shaking, scale up the measurements for multiple cocktails and combine in a blender. Pulse it until frothy and smooth, then shake with ice. It’ll save a lot of work, potential mess, and gives you more time to enjoy your own tipple.”) Finish with grated nutmeg on top.
Martini
The martini found its beginnings in the 1800s and has gone through many variations and revivals along the way, remaining the choice cocktail for elegant characters ranging from James Bond and Don Draper to Holly Golightly and Lucille Bluth. “I think it’s irrefutable that a martini is the holiday cocktail,” Jackson says. For the festive season, she suggests prepping several different garnishes for guests to choose from. “Lemon peels, onions, pickles, olives, blue cheese olives? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure cocktail, and everyone is happy.
Ingredients
- 22 ounces gin
- 4 ounces dry Vermouth
- 6 ounces water
- Garnish with lemon peels, onions, pickles, olives, and blue cheese olives
Notes: Makes about a liter.
Directions
Jackson recommends prepping your martinis ahead of time so you won’t have to fuss the day of your holiday gathering. “You can just make a batch, freeze it, and not have to fret. We do 22 ounces of gin, 4 ounces of dry vermouth, and 6 ounces of water, which gives you a liter.”
Bobby’s Manhattan
Bemelmans Bar has been a New York Institution since opening in 1947, with its cocktails luring in tourists and locals alike for decades. One such tipple is Bobby’s Manhattan. “With its warm red hue, it’s a fantastic drink to enjoy during the festive season,” head bartender Luis Serrano says. The drink gets its name from Bobby Short, who was an iconic performer during the 1950s in Café Carlyle who enjoyed his Manhattans made with rum. “When you sip this cocktail, you get that sense of legend and nostalgia we all crave during this magical season.”
Ingredients
- 2.05 ounces rum
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 3 cherry Herring
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- 2 dashes of angostura bitters
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled glass.
Sazerac
With its rich, spiced flavors and festive associations with New Orleans, the Sazerac (which dates back to the 1830s) makes for an excellent holiday cocktail. “Its balanced, sophisticated taste pairs beautifully with holiday meals and gatherings, while its warming blend of rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, and a hint of absinthe is perfect for colder weather,” says Su Roka, who is a mixologist at Founders Club in Seattle (a cognac-focused bar within the iconic Fairmont Olympic Hotel). Roka points to the Sazerac’s aromatic profile of cinnamon, clove, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg as offering a cozy quality to the drink, and the touch of citrus and Demerara adds smoothness. “Plus, it’s simple to make for parties, stays undiluted without ice, and lets you relax and enjoy the occasion with your guests.”
Ingredients
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 1 bar spoon of Demerara (2:1 ratio of Demerara to water, to make the syrup)
- 1 ounce Pierre Ferrand Reserve Double Cask Cognac
- 1 ounce Michter’s Rye Whiskey
- Absinthe spray
Directions
Spray a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe and set it aside. Add the bitters and Demerara liquid sugar into a cold shaker. Stir in the remaining ingredients (with no ice, no strain) and pour into the glass. Rim the glass with lemon peel and cut a thin lemon “N” peel for garnish.
