Essentia Water partnered with Apartment Bartender to create a variety of fun, creative holiday cocktails that are super easy to make at home.
The cocktails include a riff on a Tom Collins (“The Essentia(l) Spritz”), a Vanilla Coffee Old Fashioned (“The Overachiever”), and a classic twist on 2020’s biggest winter trend, “The Supercharged Hot Toddy Bar”–each of which also features Essentia Water, the #1 alkaline water on the market that will help you stay hydrated, and Essentia’s Premium Ice.
Tom Collins aka The Essentia(l) Spritz
Ingredients:
- 2 oz – clear spirit of choice, like gin or vodka
- Brewed Green Tea as Non-Alcoholic option
- 1 oz – Lemon juice
- 3/4 oz – Spiced-cranberry syrup
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup Essentia water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2-3 Cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole clove (optional)
- 2 star anise (optional)
- 2 oz – soda water (or sparkling wine)
Spiced-cranberry Syrup Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients except sugar to a light simmer until spices start to release aromas and cranberries start to split. Add sugar and stir to dissolve (no need to bring to a boil). Set aside and let cool. Strain into a glass jar and save in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Prep Steps:
Combine all ingredients, except for the soda water, into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain the drink into a Collins glass over ice, and top with soda water. Gently stir to combine and garnish with speared cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
Vanilla Coffee Old Fashioned aka The Overachiever
Ingredients:
- 2 oz – Bourbon of choice
- 1/2 oz – Vanilla syrup
- (can sometimes find pre-made / pre-batched vanilla syrup from Monin)
- 2-3 Vanilla pods (vanilla extract as a last resort)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Essentia water
- 1 oz fresh espresso (brewed with Essentia Water)
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Vanilla Syrup Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a light simmer until vanilla starts to release aroma. Stir to dissolve sugar (no need to bring to a boil). Set aside and let cool. Strain into a glass jar and save in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Prep Steps:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass, and stir with ice. Strain the drink into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
The Supercharged Hot Toddy Bar
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Aged spirit of choice (whiskey, aged rum, reposado tequila, cognac, etc.)
- 0.5 oz Honey for classic Hot Toddy OR Spiced-Cranberry Syrup for Cranberry Hot Toddy OR Vanilla Syrup for Vanilla Hot Toddy
- For spiced-cranberry syrup:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup Essentia water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2-3 Cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole clove (optional)
- 2 star anise (optional)
- For vanilla syrup:
- (can sometimes find pre-made / pre-batched vanilla syrup from Monin)
- 2-3 Vanilla pods (vanilla extract as a last resort)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Essentia water
- For spiced-cranberry syrup:
- 3-4 oz Hot Water
- 0.5 oz Lemon Juice
Spice-cranberry Syrup Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients except sugar to a light simmer until spices start to release aromas and cranberries start to split. Add sugar and stir to dissolve (no need to bring to a boil). Set aside and let cool. Strain into a glass jar and save in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Vanilla Syrup Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a light simmer until vanilla starts to release aroma. Stir to dissolve sugar (no need to bring to a boil). Set aside and let cool. Strain into a glass jar and save in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Prep Steps:
On a stove, heat one cup of water (to a very light simmer is fine, you don’t want the water to be too hot). Once the water is hot, combine the aged spirit, syrup, and lemon juice into a glass mug. Top with 4-5 ounces of hot water, and stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon wheel, cinnamon stick, or speared cranberries.
Key takeaways from Elliott Clark a.k.a Apartment Bartender
- “Ice is the most underrated ingredient in a cocktail. When using poor quality ice (like cloudy, freezer ice), as it melts, it not only dilutes the drink at a faster pace, but it can also negatively affect the flavor profile of the cocktail. Why mix with premium booze if you’re not pairing it with premium ice? Essentia is my choice when making ‘premium ice.’ Its clean, smooth taste allows the true flavors of the cocktail to come through and be enjoyed” says Apartment Bartender, Elliott Clark.
- Along with premium ice, premium water will also elevate the taste of your cocktail when used to create syrups and to brew coffee. Syrups made with Essentia Water will add an additional depth of flavor to your simple cocktail.
- Premium ice lasts as long as you keep them in the freezer, they don’t expire.
- Hot Toddy’s are a big winter 2020/2021 cocktail trend. Essentia’s Supercharged Hot Toddy Bar gives you the option of 3 easy Hot Toddy recipes. The warm drink is perfect for a cold winter night, but also light in flavor.
- Always offer a non-alcoholic version for your guests – it’s a great way to stay inclusive and great ingredients create great tasting non-alcoholic cocktails.
