22 AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER 15 2008
C O C K T A I L S
If you’re throwing a festive bash this holiday season, make sure your cocktail menu stands
out with drinks that will impress all your guests — even the nondrinkers in the house.
Mixologist NatalieBovis-Nelsen, a.k.a. the LiquidMuse (www.theliquidmuse.com), provides
healthy concoctions delicious enough to suit everyone’s tastes inher book
Preggatinis:Mix-
ology for theMom-to-Be
($17, GlobePequot Press), whichhits shelves thismonth. “It’s nice
to have nonalcoholic options for peoplewho prefer to have a tasty, beautiful, sexy-looking
drink [without] alcohol in it,” Bovis-Nelsen says. Check out these three seasonal selections,
perfect for those guestswho are looking for liquorless libations. (And for those of youwho
aren’t, don’tworry.We offer tasty spiked versions too!)
—HaleyShapley
DrinksAllAround
PumpkinPiePreggatini
2
graham crackers
1
ounce FeeBrothers Spice
Cordial Syrup
2
ouncesmilk
1
1
/
2
ounces sweetened
condensedmilk
1
heaping tablespoon
cannedpumpkin
Whipped cream
Grindgraham crackers intofine crumbs in a food
processor. Pour onto a small plate. On a separate
plate, pour a small amount of the spiced cordial
syrup. Dip the rim of themartini glass into the
syrup and then into the graham cracker crumbs,
and set aside. Vigorously shakemilk, sweetened
condensedmilk, remaining spiced cordial syrup,
andpumpkin in amixingglasswith ice. Slowly
strain into amartini glass, and then topwith a
dollop ofwhipped cream.
Spike It:
Replace two ounces ofmilkwith two
ounces of agedbrandy.
Pants onFire
1
ounce passion fruit puree
3
ounces pineapple juice
1
ounce guavanectar
1
ounce chili-infused
simple syrup
*
1
Thai chili
Pour passion fruit puree, pineapple juice, guava
nectar, and chili syrup* into amixingglass. Shake
with ice. Strain into a chilledmartini glass. Garnish
with theThai chili on a toothpick on the side of
the glass.
*
Chili syrup: Pour one cupof sugar and
1
/
2
cupof
water intoa small saucepan, alongwithoneThai
chili. Bring toaboil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat
and let simmer for a fewminutes. Let cool. Remove
chili, and then store syrup ina jar in the refrigerator.
Spike It:
Place three or four Thai chilies into a
bottle of vodka. Let sit for at least oneweek. (The
spiritwill absorb the flavor and spice from the
pods— the longer it sits, the hotter itwill get.)
Shake one ounce of the fiery vodkawith the juices
and chili-infused simple syrup.
Recipes reprinted from
Preggatinis
(©2009) byNatalie
Bovis-Nelsen. PublishedbyGPP, Guilford, CT.
Cosmom
3
ounces cranberry juice
1
/
2
ouncemandarinorange juice
1
ounce lime juice
1
/
2
ounce orange-flavored syrup
1
limewedge
Shake juices and syrupwith ice. Strain into amar-
tini glass. Garnishwith a limewedge.
Spike It:
Reduce cranberry juice to two ounces.
Replacemandarin orange juicewith 1
1
/
2
ounces of
mandarin orange vodka. Replace orange-flavored
syrupwithCointreau or other triple sec.
