Egg Nog (Non-Alcoholic)

For those non-drinkers this holiday season, thank goodness for Egg Nog. The spices and richness go a long way to creating a holiday feel with just simple eggs, sugar and milk. While vanilla and almond extract have some alcohol in them, only a quarter tsp. of each is pretty much a negligible portion.

There's something amazing about a made-to-order Egg Nog, one that makes a single glass with only freshest ingredients. Whipped cream and nutmeg on top seem especially indulgent--which is the point, really.

• 1 whole egg
• 8 oz. milk
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract. 
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• freshly grated nutmeg
• whipped cream

Add one well beaten egg to a shaker with sugar, extracts and milk. Add ice and shake vigorously for a minute. Strain into a mug and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Add a whipped cream top garnish. 

Black Maria

Black Maria is a Caribbean Black Russian made with rum, coffee liqueur and real coffee. As such it feels a little more special than the garden variety Black Russian.

Cruzan white rum is labeled "aged rum" only as if to point out that their rum has a respectable aged flavor. Use it instead of Bacardi Superior if you want to be able to distinguish between the coffee drink with vodka and the one made with rum.

• 2 oz. white rum (Cruzan used)
• 2 oz. coffee liqueur (homemade used)
• 4 oz. cold black coffee
• 1 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a brandy snifter. Add cracked ice. 

Black Russian

The Black Russian is a classic of the 1950s, when Kahlua first hit the scene. It's more famous brother, the White Russian, came along at the same time, at the height of the red scare. It was seen as a way to drink more Kahlua by spacing the sugary coffee liqueur out with neutral spirits. It still caused plenty of headaches the next day, but you still had half a bottle of Kahlua left. And it tastes pretty good without the cream of the White Russian, so there's still a strong demand for this drink.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua

 Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. 

Claret Cup

Claret is a rich red wine that can be made into a punch with the addition of liquors, fruits and soda. There's a good bit of liquor in this punch all around: the recipe calls for a pitcher that serves four people. I used Copper and Kings brandy, Vitae orange liqueur, and Airfield Cabernet for the spirits.

Add orange slices and mint leaves to each individual glass and top with soda, don't try to mix the soda into the punch where it will go flat. 

• 16 oz. of Claret or Cabernet wine
• 2 oz. brandy or cognac (Copper and Kings brandy used)
• 1 oz. Cointreau (Vitae orange liqueur used)
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 8 oz. sparkling water
• mint sprigs
• orange slices

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with ice and stir (leaving out the sparkling water is recommended, though.) Garnish with fruit and mint and serve in wine glasses. 

Coffee Flip

If you can "Flip" anything, why not coffee, and port and cognac all at once. That's the idea behind the Coffee Flip. These creamy drinks taste mostly of spirits and nutmeg, but you pretty much only notice the coffee in this one. In fact, the directions produce enough Flip for two glasses, so feel free to use less coffee (2 1/2 oz.) if you are drinking alone.

• 2 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. ruby port
• 5 oz. cold coffee
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• freshly ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender with ice. Blend until slushy and pour into a chilled wine glass. Dust nutmeg on top. 

Tintoretto

I was very pleased with this simple drink made with some hard-to-find ingredients. Jacopo Tintoretto was an Italian painter known for a depiction of "The Last Supper." He may have been called Ill Furioso, but this drink is tame.

It is made with Poire Williams (a French pear cognac) and blended Anjou pear. Sparkling wine tops it off and makes it extra boozy.

• 2 oz. Poire Williams
• 1/4 cup Anjou pear pealed and diced
• sparkling wine

Blend pear in a food processor and pour it into a chilled wine glass. Add Poire Williams and sparkling wine and stir.

Stinger & Vodka Stinger

I don't know why I hadn't considered these for a double post, but it makes sense. The original Stinger is two parts Cognac and one white creme de menthe. It is far better than expected, even when you only have peppermint schnapps. The mint just cools the whole drink down and leaves you feeling more refreshed than a cognac on the rocks.

The Vodka Stinger is pretty self explanatory: two parts vodka to one part creme de menthe. For some reason it is served up, rather than on the rocks. The same serving is suggested for the most unusual of this family, the Tequila Stinger.

•  2 oz. base spirit (Cognac for the original Stinger and vodka for the Vodka Stinger)
• 1 oz. white creme de menthe (peppermint schnapps is a fine substititue)

Shake all ingredients and pour into an Old Fashioned glass (for the Stinger) or strain into a cocktail glass (Vodka Stinger.)