If you need a little motivation to get your fa-la-la spirit on, Léon 1909 head bartender Griffin Coxen has got a little liquid assistance in mind.
What we love about this tall sipper is that it’s more on the refreshing side — something that can be a little hard to find in the cooler months, when boozy, stirred, up cocktails become more the popular method.
Here, brown spirits are indeed at the base, but while you might mistake that red hue for a thoughtless dump of cranberry juice, think again: Coxen teased out this seasonal hue via the crimson color of Braulio Amaro, a light, bright Alpine liqueur with seasonally appropriate notes of clove, cola, juniper and liquorice, along with a little red wine float. If that last bit sounds like a familiar finagling, you’d be right.
“A New York sour provided the base inspiration for the drink,” says Coxen. “We loved the combination of flavors but wanted something with a slightly lower ABV that could capture that winter-y feel, hence the addition of Braulio Amaro. The drink tastes light and refreshing, but still manages to capture that cozy, winter feeling.”
We’ll sing to that.
The Tipsy Caroler
Ingredients
- 3 oz red wine
- 1 oz Michter's bourbon
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz Braulio Amaro
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig sage
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 lemon wheel
Directions
- Combine all liquid ingredients in an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake well until combined and very cold, about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with a sprit of thyme, sage and rosemary and a lemon wheel. Cheers!
