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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/598044
www.cheersonline.com 28 • November/December 2015 Barren Hill owner Erin Wallace collaborated on the beer with a friend who also happens to be an Episcopal priest. Although beertails are often thought of as summer drinks, like the Shandy, they can be just as appealing during the winter months, says Wallace. The Gingerbread Jesus Flip in particular is fitting for the space because "Barren Hill is housed in a Colonial-era inn," she notes. "It lends well to winter, holidays and has multiple fireplaces." As the weather cools and the holidays approach, "we focus on what's in season and flavors and ingredients that call out wintertime," says beverage director Julia McElroy of the 304-seat Grand Isle Restaurant in New Orleans. She mixes Patron Incendio Chocolate- Chili tequila, "the perfect balance of sweet and spicy," with the Canebreak Wheat Ale for the Negro y Oro hoptail ($12). FLIPPING OUT While the original, Colonial-times Flip cocktail used beer, along with rum, sugar and eggs, many modern versions incorporate unique spirits and flavors. For instance, a Pumpkin Flip created by the Food Network's Geoffrey Zakarian uses bourbon, maple syrup, caramel, pumpkin puree, egg white and baking spices. Josh Hunt, bartender at The Waterboy in Sacramento, CA, recently created a Sweet Potato Flip with Corbin Cash (a new sweet potato liqueur), Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, maple syrup and a whole egg. At Ada Street restaurant in Chicago, bar manager Scott Koehl has created the Fireside Flip cocktail, with Punt E Mes red vermouth, Campari, Beefeater gin, a whole egg, and orange bitters, garnished with fresh nutmeg. The herbal Punt E Mes and freshly grated nutmeg add a special festive touch, Koehl says, while the whole egg gives the cocktail body—perfect for cold-weather sipping. ROSEMARY, BABY The Mediterranean restaurant Parallel 38 in Charlottesville, VA, typically divides drinks into four categories: Energize, Refresh, Calm and Comfort. The aptly named Holiday Revival Tonic ($10) mixes a charred satsuma cinnamon- infused Belle Isle 100 Moonshine with rosemary honey and Q Tonic, garnished with candied rosemary. The drink is a refreshing pick-me-up, says Parallel 38 co- owner Justin Ross. "The holiday season is fun and festive, but can also be a stressful and exhausting time for many people." Rosemary is indeed a reviving, stimulating herb, also reminiscent of those fragrant evergreens decorating homes in December. Ray Anguiano, head bartender at the 91-seat Chicago restaurant Atwood, says that rosemary is a winner in drinks this time of year. "The key to a holiday cocktail is to find seasonal ingredients that are common throughout holiday activities," Anguiano says. His Rosmarinus (the Latin name for the herb) cocktail incorporates muddled rosemary, Botanist gin, cranberry and lime juice, which is then topped with ginger beer and a rosemary sprig. "I'm bringing out the wonderful fragrance and flavor that rosemary can accentuate in this cocktail," he explains. HOT STUFF When it's cold outside, nothing warms like a heated cocktail. Parallel 38 offers a rich and boozy Hot Buttered Rum ($11). The warming Sweater Weather cocktail at Graze in Madison, WI, incoporates cardamom-infused Cognac, orange liqueur, lemon, maple syrup and hot water. The Advocaat cocktail at Et Voila! in Washington, D.C., uses the creamy Dutch spirit Advocaat with light rum, Cointreau and lime juice, topped with Lambic peach Belgian beer. "THE KEY TO A HOLIDAY COCKTAIL IS TO FIND SEASONAL INGREDIENTS THAT ARE COMMON THROUGHOUT HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES." — Ray Anguiano, head bartender at the 91-seat Chicago restaurant Atwood