With or without alcohol, great batch cocktails are the key to a seamless holiday party, keeping you and your guests imbibing without slowing things down to mix a new drink for each person. In an exclusive with Daily Meal, Molly Horn, the Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator at Total Wine & More , said that while there are other festive options, she likes to start with the world of ciders. "There are a few really easy ways to serve spiked cider either chilled or warm," she said, offering up the ingredients for a sparkling caramel apple punch.
A plain sparkling cider, plus a salted caramel whiskey like Ensign Red and a cider bourbon like King's Creek will give you a bubbly sweet winter punch with a serious whiskey kick. For a warm, non-alcoholic cocktail, Horn recommends a classic mulled cider, starting with "stewing farmstead cider — the rich, full-bodied kind." Tie seasonal spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice together in a cheesecloth, and steep them in the cider for half an hour before removing.
If you want to spike it anyway, that's also easy. Horn recommends brandy, ideally calvados, an apple-pear brandy. "The orchard fruit flavors and oak notes of vanilla and caramel will work perfectly to add a bright and festive element.
" Non-cider options for easy holiday batch cocktails If you're not a big fan of cider, Total Wine's Molly Horn says not to fret, there are other options out there that have the added benefit of leaning on items you may already have at ho.