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www.cheersonline.com 39 November / December 2014 • in sips that are both locally and seasonally focused. The Asian Pear Martini ($12) combines Breckenridge vodka, fresh pear juice, and citrus with ginger syrup and St. George Spiced Pear liqueur; The Hotckiss ($13) combines CapRock Organic vodka, freshly squeezed Colorado apple juice and citrus, topped with a cinnamon-apple foam; and the Pumpkin Old Fashioned ($10) mixes Breckenridge bourbon, Grand Marnier, maple syrup and pumpkin purée, served up with an orange twist. "Crafting cocktails should be designed around the best products that are available to you in the current season," says St. Julien beverage and entertainment manager Bryan Amaro. "What is fresh, local and accessible is what bartenders tend to gravitate to." SEASONAL SIPS FOR WARM LOCALES Of course, not all venues are located in climates that turn cold during the holidays. So how do warm-weather spots incorporate holiday elements into menus? It's a balancing act, says Daven Wardynski, executive chef for the nine dining concepts at the 404-room Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort on Florida's Amelia Island. "I'm a farm boy from Michigan, with very strong feelings about the four seasons. I'm challenged to blend Michigan with the fl avors of the beach," says Wardynski, a frequent forager. He sources local ingredients like briny sea beans, which grow rampantly; aloe vera, which offers a tequila-like fl avor and a starchy okra texture, and winter citrus like Meyer lemons and Satsuma oranges. His surroundings inspired seasonal dishes like seared Pompano Beach swordfi sh with miso, lemon and mango, which has a fennel aioli spiced with cinnamon, star anise and mulled apple cider. A chilled ginger carrot soup is blended with creamy coconut, fresh Florida oranges and cilantro from The Sprouting Project, the hotel's new aquaponic greenhouse, organic garden, beehives and smokehouse. The Plant City blueberry salad, made with wild arugula, local goat cheese and fl axseed crunch, is topped with honey- pine vinaigrette from the Omni's hive-procured galberry honey infused with native sand pine needles. Those needles, reminiscent of freshly cut Christmas trees, also fi nd their way into cakes, mulled cider and to rim cocktail glasses. As far as the drinks go, director of food and beverage Chris Walling hedges his bets. "You've got to play both fi elds—be prepared for the cold days, and then pool days, and have a good mix of drinks that appeal to all palates." He added some small-batch brown sipping spirits to the lobby bar. Walling is mindful of appealing to guests fl ying in from the Northeast and other cold climates, who might be interested in brown spirits and heavier fl avors. He often plays with classic recipes, however, tweaking a Hot Toddy, for example, by using añejo or reposado tequila to make it more modern. Paramount to the resort's holiday cocktail program this year is a selection of house-infused suckers. Guests can pick from 10 fl avors—from clove to honey—to accompany any of the cocktails. For instance, the Cranberry Amelia ($10) mixes Herradura Omni reposado tequila with cranberry juice, lime agave and cloves, topped with Champagne and recommended with a cranberry sucker. One of Walling's favorite childhood holiday memories was grabbing sweet, boozy cherries from his parents' glasses as they two-stepped at a Christmas party. "Since those days, a frothy Whiskey Alexander has been my nostalgic link to holidays past." The resort's My Favorite Whiskey Alexander blends Jack Daniels Single Barrel Omni Tennessee sipping whiskey with dark crème de cacao and house-made, vanilla-bean ice cream. It's whipped in a blender and garnished with grated nutmeg and served with a nutmeg sucker. Memories like those, conjured up by unforgettable fl avors and aromas, are what the holidays are all about. Guests tend to linger longer this time of year, sipping and savoring, so a good balance on the menu of the familiar and the innovative will offer wide appeal. As Pope says, "the cold and the holidays call for warmth, comfort and conviviality more than challenge and adventure per se. It's about festivity surrounding old ties and new ones." Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits and lifestyle writer and wine educator in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website, www.kellymagyarics.com, or on Twitter or Instagram @kmagyarics.. SPIRITS OF THE SEASON YULETIDE MARTINI - 2 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin - 2 tsp. Cranberry sauce - ¼ oz. Dry Curaçao - ¼ oz. Cinnamon syrup - Dash fi ve-spice bitters (such as Bar Keep) Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Martini glass. Tacy Rowland of Bol in Vail, CO, created this recipe.