A Holiday Cocktail Lesson with America’s Test Kitchen

By Molly Ford · 12/13/2019

Temps have plunged, Christmas songs are flooding the airwaves, and it’s dark at 4 p.m. That can only mean one thing: It’s almost time for holiday cocktails. We’ve decided to shake up our drink repertoire this season, which is why TFL’s Molly Ford caught up with Joe Gitter, senior editor and test cook at America’s Test Kitchen, for a cocktail-making lesson. Joe worked on ATK’s newly released book How to Cocktail. Check out the recipes below and head to Instagram to watch Joe teach Molly how to make a Holiday Punch and a Whiskey Sour. Cheers!

Whiskey Sour
Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces rye
1 ounce egg white
½ ounce simple syrup*
½ ounce lemon juice
Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Add rye, egg white, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker and vigorously shake until mixture is foamy, 30 to 45 seconds. Fill shaker with ice, then shake mixture until fully combined and well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain cocktail into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cherries and serve.

*Simple Syrup
Makes about 8 ounces

¾ cup sugar
5 ounces warm water
 
Whisk sugar and warm water together in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes, before transferring to an airtight container.

CREDIT: America’s Test Kitchen

Holiday Punch
Makes 16 cocktails

3 (750 ml) bottles dry sparkling wine, such as prosecco or cava, chilled
12 ounces white grape juice, chilled
6 ounces Fruits of the Forest Liqueur*
6 ounces orange liqueur
5 ounces (1 cup) blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries
5 ounces (1 cup) strawberries, hulled and quartered
½ cup fresh mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Serve in chilled old-fashioned glasses or punch cups.
 
*Fruits of the Forest Liqueur
Makes about 16 ounces

12 ounces vodka
4 ounces simple syrup (see above)
1 ounce freeze-dried blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries
½ ounce freeze-dried strawberries

Place blackberries, strawberries, and vodka in a pint-size glass jar. Cover tightly and shake to combine. Store jar in a cool, dark place for 1 week, shaking mixture once every other day.

Set a fine-mesh strainer in a medium bowl and line with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Strain vodka mixture through prepared strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return infused vodka to a clean jar and add simple syrup. Cover and gently shake to combine. (Fruits of the Forest Liqueur can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Shake gently before using.)

CREDIT: America’s Test Kitchen

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