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www.cheersonline.com 31 November/December 2016 • Decadent holiday libations at Bismarck, ND-based HSL Hos- pitality include I Say Pecan, You Say Pecan (top), a made-to- order eggnog riff, with toasted pecan-infused rum, allspice dram, a whole egg, coconut milk and bitters; and the Winter Warmer, with chicory, and Mexican chocolate, Dolin Genepy Des Alpes, rye, gin and a wild berry syrup. PHOTO CREDIT: LUNA CREEK PHOTO CREDIT: LUNA CREEK Dec. 13 through Christmas Eve, and includes drinks such as the Wassail Ya'll, with rum, oranges, guava, apples, raisins and hibiscus syrup. The holidays are all about the "spirits" of the season, Pendleton says, "and our talented cocktail team at the Roost Bar offers a new merriment-inducing cocktail each day." Miracle on Seventh Street, a pop-up holiday bar at Washington D.C.'s Mockingbird Hill, has a cocktail called Gretchen, Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen. Named for a quote from the 2004 fi lm Mean Girls (said during a Christmas concert), the drink is made with moscatel sherry, dry Curacao, spiced cranberry syrup and sparkling wine and served in a frosted glass. (For more on the pop-up bar, see sidebar "Another Miracle on Seventh Street" on page 32.) DAZZLE THEM WITH DECADENT ENTREES Corporate holiday party hosts are looking to thank their employees for a job well done all year, and may be more open to higher-end dishes than during other times of the year. So Collins advises promoting your unique and spurlge-worthy offerings, such as seafood towers, fresh oyster shucking stations and even a mermaid or merman to serve up shrimp cocktail and crab legs. The Palm builds on that, with holiday menu fare such as fi let mignon topped with a Cognac lobster cream sauce, and Chilean sea bass tapenade with tomato saffron broth. Blue Bridge Hospitality, which operates 11 concepts in the San Diego area, has several holiday offerings, including seared foie gras with grapes, maple-braised persimmon and pomegranate-spiced brioche. The team at BLT Steak starts discussing holiday menus in the summer, and fi nalizes them by October. Since kabocha squash is a trending ingredient, BLT Steak is using it in a risotto along with saffron, pumpkin seeds and pecorino cheese. Getting the holiday menu out early enables the restaurants to share via email blasts and across media channels, Nelson says. It can also add last-minute dishes and promote them via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. OFFER HOSTS AND GIFT-GIVERS INCENTIVES TO DRUM UP POST-HOLIDAY BUSINESS Seasonal incentives can spur guests to return after the The Palm's holiday party menus include higher-end options such Chilean sea bass tapenade with tomato saffron broth.