3 Holiday Cocktail Recipes from West Restaurant’s David Wolowidnyk

BCLiving Holiday Sparkle

Ingredients:

• 16 oz fresh mandarin orange juice (strained) 
• 12 oz gin
• 12 oz fresh lemon juice
• 8 oz ginger jasmine green tea syrup (see recipe)
• 1 bottle (750 ml) sparkling wine

Instructions:

1. Add all of the ingredients, except the sparkling wine, to a large vessel with ice (3 L pitcher or punch bowl) and stir until cold.
2. Pour 3.5 oz of mixture into a champagne glass and top with sparkling wine.

After step one, cocktail can be strained into sealed bottles and refrigerated for up to eight weeks. Serves 16.

Ginger Jasmine Green Tea Syrup

Ingredients:

• 400 ml water
• 3 jasmine green tea bags or 3 tsp loose-leaf tea
• 8 thinly sliced coins of peeled ginger

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat.
2.  Add jasmine green tea and ginger and steep for 8-10 minutes.
3. Strain the tea to remove solids and measure the remaining volume.
4. Combine one part tea with two parts sugar in a pot and simmer until dissolved.
5. Transfer to a sealed glass bottle when cooled and refrigerate. Keeps for up to six months. 

Espresso Nog

Ingredients:

• 700 ml sugar
• 7 fresh eggs, separated
• 900 ml dark rum infused with
• 1 cup of espresso beans (see recipe)
• 1.25 liters heavy cream
• 1.25 liters homogenized milk

Instructions:

1. Beat yolks well with a whisk or electric mixer then gradually add sugar until fully emulsified.
2. Stir constantly while slowly adding the infused rum and then add the milk and cream.
3. Beat the egg whites into a stiff froth and fold into the mixture.
4. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Keeps for up to eight weeks. Serves 32.

Espresso Rum Infusion

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250 ml) espresso beans
• 900 ml rum

Instructions:

1. Add espresso beans to a 1 L Mason jar and add 750 ml rum.
2. Seal tightly and place into a pot of simmering water for 40 minutes (water level should meet the level of rum in the jar).
3. Remove jar from simmering water and let cool before opening. Strain to remove espresso beans and combine with the remaining 150 ml rum.