Winterize your Gin Cocktail

Your brain knows the season, but the martini doesn’t know it. Right now, your brain may be craving holiday-themed drinks and treats. This usually refers to cocktails that include hot toddies and dark spirits with lots of spice, eggs nog, and the addition of candy canes.

It’s not difficult to drink Gin. Gin’s delicate, juniper-and botanical-heavy flavor profile makes it so unique. However, heat, spices, and candy can easily obscure or overpower this profile. There are many ways that gin enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite spirit without having to sacrifice the holiday spirit.

It would help if you got into cranberries.

Cranberries are like holidays. Cranberries look like the holidays. To capitalize on their festive appearance, freeze them and put them into your martini glasses. You can make your crans more substance-rich by picking them or fermenting them in honey to make a simple martini.

To make a simple cocktail, you can use cranberry syrup (1/2 ounces of Gin, one tablespoon of Cranberry Sauce, 3 ounces of Sparkling Wine) or add sparkling cranberry juice to Gin (such as Martinelli’s).

Celebrate the citrus season

It used to be something I thought was strange that such a vibrant, bright fruit would be in season during winter. But that’s when we need citrus fruits and their vitamin C. Make a French 75 to explore the wide varieties of tangerines and satsumas and all the hybrids. If you don’t like wasting the peels, substitute or add lemon juice from one of these gems.

Give a gentle, respectful toddy.

Gin toddies can be tricky. Some heat can help open the Gin and allow its botanicals to waft up to your nostrils. However, it can also obliterate delicate floral notes. You want to taste the Gin without losing any of its flavors. Make sure it has a lot of junipers or a fair amount of spruce. Tanqueray is a good choice. It is easy to make a gin-toddy. It’s been covered before. But to recap:

Your martini will be darkened if you add some darkness.

Although spice and smoke don’t sound like Christmas, they can make you feel warm and cozy. You can make a martini by adding a piece of wood, cinnamon bark, or star anise pod to the glass. Or you can use smoky Scotch to rinse it.

You can also add warmth to your cold-weather drinks with bitters and amaro. You can keep it simple and add some Angostura, orange bitters, or pecan bitters to your martini or other favorite gin cocktails. Alternately, you can substitute dry vermouth with something darker and sweeter or add an amaro seasoned with many baking spices.