Sip, Savor, and Celebrate: Local Holiday Cocktails to Toast the Season
When it comes to cocktails—whether it’s a cozy cocktail party, a sparkling holiday soirée, or a festive feast—there’s always an air of fun and celebration. This season, the mixologists of Windsor Essex are stirring up the spirit of the holidays with locally inspired creations that capture the warmth and flavour of our region. From festive twists on classic favourites to inventive new pours featuring local ingredients and spirits, these hand-crafted libations are sure to add some cheer to your celebrations.
Recreate your favourite holiday sips from the region’s top mixologists and bring a taste of Windsor Essex to your home bar:
Blind Owl – Rye Not?
Featuring: Lot 40 100% rye or Canadian Club 100%
- shake/double strain/sugar rimmed stemmed glass
- 2oz Lot 40 100% rye or Canadian Club 100%
- 0.75oz Cointreau orange liqueur
- 0.75oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.25oz hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico)
Erie St. Gastropub – Windsor Sour
Featuring: J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe Rye Whisky and Muscedere Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Glass: Stemless Martini
Ingredients
- 2.0oz J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe Rye Whiskey
- .75oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 0.75oz Simple Syrup (50/50 hot water to sugar)
- 0.5oz of Muscedere – Cabernet Franc
Direction
- Add ice to bartender’s shaker tin.
- Add whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup to shaker
- Shake till tin is cold
- Strain into glass
- Float the red wine on top of the cocktail using a spoon
Funky Chow Kitchen – Gin-gle Matcha
Featuring: Wolfhead Distillery River’s End Gin
- 1.25oz Wolfhead gin
- .25oz lilet blanc
- .75 lime juice
- .75 matcha syrup
- .75oz Cassis
Combine above ingredients except the Cassis in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice.
In a collins glass, add .75oz of Cassis to the bottom. Fill with ice. Pour shaken contents carefully over a spoon for the layering effect. Garnish with a skewered cherry.
For the Matcha syrup: combine 30g matcha powder with 100mL hot water and whisk vigorously. Separately, combine 500mL of hot water with an equal measurement of sugar and stir until liquid. Combine both solutions.
Maiden Lane Wine & Sprits – The Bizness by Mark Dutka
Featuring: Lot No. 40 Dark Oak Canadian Rye Whisky
- Lot No.40 Dark Oak Canadian Rye Whisky (1.5oz)
- Ferrand Dry Curaçao (.5oz)
- China China Liqueur (.5oz)
- Lemon Bitters (2 to 3 drops)
- Freshly grated cinnamon
- Lemon twist garnish
Fill a mixing glass or shaker tin with ice. Add liquid ingredients and stir for approximately 20 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Grate a cinnamon stick on top. Using a vegetable peeler, make a lemon twist by cutting a thin strip of lemon peel with as little pith as possible. Hold it over the drink and squeeze gently to express the citrus oils onto the surface. Drop the peel into the cocktail or rest it on the edge of the glass.
Wolfhead Distillery – Old Fashioned
Featuring: Wolfhead Premium Whisky
The Wolfhead Old Fashioned is the #1 cocktail in the restaurant!
In a rocks glass, add:
- 1/2 oz cherry syrup
- 3 dashes of bitters
- 2oz of Whisky
- add ice and top with Ginger ale
- Garnish with a slice of orange
For more of our favourite cocktail and dining establishments head to dineyqg.ca and visit bestofwindsoressex.ca for past Art of a Cocktail winners and finalists.
