The Twelve Days of Cocktails: Holiday Edition
Celebrating a Milestone With TWELVE Recipes
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Friends ~
The holidays are upon us so I’ll get straight the juicy, spiritous part of this overstuffed holiday cocktail newsletter.
This year, I hit a major milestone - a dozen cocktail books in print, one for every single one of the twelve days of Christmas. To celebrate, below you will find a recipe from each of my books, ranging from the Breakfast Martini in 2016’s The New Cocktail Hour to my latest, the Berry-More from Forbidden Cocktails published this spring.
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday, and I hope you find ample time for delightful cocktail hours using these recipes. As always, thank you for all the love and support.
Best Wishes,
André
QUICK NEWS: Editor Picks
In an exciting turn of events, Cowboy Cocktails and Forbidden Cocktails are Amazon editor picks this holiday season. The books are on different presses, Quarto and Running Press/Hachette respectively. This is a big deal, and places the books in the company of Anthony Bourdain and Martha Stewart and Dr. Seuss and Agatha Christie. See the recommended lists here: Best Books for Holiday Reading and Gifting and here: Cookbooks & Books for Foodies
Five of my books are on bestseller lists this holiday - all because of readers and imbibers like you! Thank you.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF COCKTAILS
BOOK #1. THE NEW COCKTAIL HOUR
Breakfast Martini
Salvatore Calabrese’s famed martini employs jam from the fridge. This is the perfect holiday drink to accompany a party or to enjoy with leftovers. And while Calabrese’s creation probably isn’t normally consumed at breakfast very often, what better time of year to wake up to a classic cocktail?
You have gin? You have marmalade? You have a cocktail. This famous combination, created by the “maestro” Salvatore Calabrese, uses a classic breakfast staple to ingenious effect. While The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) also has a Marmalade Cocktail, Calabrese maintains that he was inspired by his English wife Sally’s morning toast and jam. He snatched the jar when she was eating at the bar, and the rest is history. This drink has since been an inspiration to bartenders and home enthusiasts everywhere, who also discover astonishing ingredients and inspiration from trips to the fridge.
2 ounces (60 ml) gin (Plymouth, Barr Hill, or Tanqueray)
1/2 ounce (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce (15 ml) Cointreau
11/2 teaspoons orange marmalade
Orange twist, for garnish
Shake ingredients and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the orange twist on the rim of the glass
Excerpted from The New Cocktail Hour by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington. Copyright © 2016. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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BOOK #2. MOVIE NIGHT MENUS
Art of Choke
Vegetal and interesting, this modern classic is perfect around the holidays. It aids digestion, and helps cut through all the sweetness and fats consumed this time of year.
This dark, slightly bitter drink, developed by Kyle Davidson at Chicago’s Violet Hour cocktail bar, is Hitchcock ready. Cynar is an Italian digestif made from artichokes, hence the name “Art of Choke.” Consider this a stomach soother if horror makes you tense.
2 small mint sprigs, divided
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce Cynar
1/4 ounce green Chartreuse
⅛ ounce fresh lime juice
⅛ ounce rich Demerara syrup (2:1 Demerara sugar and warm water)
Gently muddle mint leaves from one sprig in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add the
other ingredients. Add ice to the mixing glass and stir. Strain over fresh ice into a
chilled rocks glass. Garnish with mint.
Excerpted from Movie Night Menus by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington. Copyright © 2016. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Book #3. BOOZE & VINYL
Whiskey Smash
Booze & Vinyl now has more than 300,000 copies in print and has been translated into multiple languages. This book launched a wild ride, one that continues with Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2, the Booze & Vinyl Mix-and-Match Game, A Booze and Vinyl Christmas, and the forthcoming Booze & Vinyl Country (Fall ‘25). What better pairing for the Ramones than a Whiskey Smash?!
WHISKEY SMASH
An old drink with a punk rock name! This nineteenth century cooler is boozy yet still mighty refreshing. Originally prepared with “fruits in season,” it can be made year-round with lemons. Think of it as a Mint Julep with a citrus edge.
2 ounces bourbon
1⁄2 ounce simple syrup
Half a lemon, cut into four pieces
4 mint leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Crushed ice
Muddle the mint leaves with simple syrup and lemon in a cocktail glass or shaker. Add bourbon and pour the mixture into a rocks glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and garnish with mint.
Excerpted from Booze & Vinyl by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington. Copyright © 2018. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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BOOK #4. BOOZE CRUISE
Roasted Chestnut Old Fashioned
I will always remember my time in Kyiv before the holidays (and before the worst of the war with Russia) as one of my greatest travel experiences. I have been wanting to go back ever since to see the city in spring, resplendent with chestnut tree blossoms. This is one of the great Old Fashioned variations — I make it every year around the holidays.
Kyiv is known as the Chestnut City because so many of the trees line its streets. By some estimates, there are over two million of them in Ukraine’s capital. If you visit in spring, the trees’ white-pink flowers are resplendent. As both a symbol and a readily available ingredient, the nuts frequently make their way into cocktails. Their sweet and earthy flavor, more similar to a sweet potato than a nut, make for one of the world’s great Old Fashioneds.
1⁄4 ounce chestnut simple syrup (recipe below)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey
Orange peel, for garnish
In a rocks glass, combine simple syrup and bitters. Add ice and whiskey, and stir. Express oil from the orange peel over the drink by twisting it, and then place it in the glass.
FOR THE CHESTNUT SIMPLE SYRUP
Heat oven to 425°F. Using a knife, score 1 cup chestnuts (about eight) with an “x” on one side.
This is important to do so the nuts do not explode. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until skin is dark brown and peeling back at the score marks. Let cool for a few minutes, and remove outer shell and inner skin. It is easiest to do this while the nuts are still hot. Chop chestnuts roughly and add to a sealable container with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Shake and rest mixture in a refrigerator overnight or up to 72 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and keep in a refrigerator for up to a week.
Excerpted from Booze Cruise by André Darlington. Copyright © 2021. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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BOOK #5. GOTHAM CITY COCKTAILS
Talons Out
It is still wild to me that I wrote the book for Batman — and that DC Comics let me create a fictional drink universe for Gotham City. Talons Out is a great example of how deep the fiction went - a drink that is alternatively called a Parliament (because it honors the Court of Owls).
The Court of Owls is a secretive criminal society that is believed to have existed in Gotham City since the town was a fledgling colony. The group is infamous for indoctrinating new members and forcing them to become assassins known as the Talons. This cocktail is often associated with the group and combines two early colonial ingredients -- rum and curaçao. Curaçao was a wildly popular in Gotham City’s early years, a gift from Dutch settlers. Because a group of owls is called a “parliament,” you will sometimes also see this alternative name for the drink on menus.
2 ounces rum (such as Mount Gay or Pussers)
1 ounce orange curaçao
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce club soda
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add club soda and garnish with nutmeg.
Excerpted from Gotham City Cocktails by André Darlington. Copyright DC Comics © 2021. Available from Insight Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
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BOOK #6. JOHN WAYNE: THE OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BOOK
Stagecoach
Working on the John Wayne cocktail book was so much fun. Duke Morrison was quite an imbiber, and his movies are some of the greatest ever made. John Ford’s Stagecoach changed Wayne’s career forever. The eponymous cocktail I created for the movie is mighty fine around the holidays.
Director John Ford’s 1939 film Stagecoach made young Duke Morrison the famous actor we know today. From the opening scene of Wayne as the Ringo Kid, we know that something has changed: A star is born. The role catapulted Wayne to the top of the box office, and, within a couple of years, he made Dark Command (1940) for Raoul Walsh, The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) for Henry Hathaway, and Seven Sinners(1940) for Tay Garnett. A masterpiece of American Cinema, Stagecoach serves as inspiration for this epic, travel-worthy cocktail.
2 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce sloe gin
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange peel, for garnish
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Excerpted from John Wayne: The Official Cocktail Book by André Darlington. Copyright © 2022. Available from Insight Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
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Book #7. BOOZE & VINYL VOL. 2
Stout Flip
Sometimes a Stout Flip is all you need to cheer you up on a cold day. It is a frothy delight - perfect for listening to great jazz music on the turntable.
What an incredible gift to be able to create a second volume of Booze & Vinyl - I dare say it may even be better than the first!
While Ella’s voice is pure, Armstrong accompanies her with his husky rasp. His voice reminds us of the venerable Stout Flip, a favorite of dark beer drinkers and rum-heads. Note that if this drink is too bitter for you, just add another 1⁄4 ounce of simple syrup.
3 ounces stout beer
2 ounces aged rum
1⁄2 ounce simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Shake beer, rum, simple syrup, and bitters without ice (dry shake). Shake again with ice and strain into a pint glass. Garnish with nutmeg.
Excerpted from Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2 by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington. Copyright © 2022. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Book #8. BAR MENU
Antrim Cocktail
Bar Menu was my chance to write the craft cocktail bar food book I’d been collecting in my head over the years at my parties and around the world in my travels. In 2019, I became the first cocktail writer to circumnavigate the globe since Charles H. Baker Jr. — so of course I had to put in a couple nods to the drinks in his book A Gentleman’s Companion. If you are looking for an inspiring holiday party cocktail food book - this is it.
Famed drinks writer Charles H. Baker Jr. circumnavigated the globe between the two World Wars. He wrote about it in The Gentleman’s Companion, a funny, erudite book detailing his many travels, including to the Far East. At the time, the Philippines were a hotbed for good cocktailing, and Baker frequently mentions bartender Monk Antrim at the Manila Hotel. Walter “Monk” Antrim’s signature cocktail from the late 1920sis a great accompaniment to grilled meats. I follow NYC bartender Selma Slabiak in adding orange bitters to the original so as to give the drink additional focus. Note that spirituous drinks are typically stirred and not shaken, but the original instructions lead to great results. Note that if you would like fresher flavor, use ruby port.
1 ounce cognac
1 ounce tawny port
1⁄4 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Excerpted from Bar Menu by André Darlington. Copyright © 2022. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Book #9. THE UNOFFICIAL BIG LEBOWSKI COCKTAIL BOOK
The Pomeranian
This is likely the most hilarious book I’ll ever write. This project was a true labor of love and the playful illustrations by Jennifer Hines are so, so good. I chose this drink because the holidays are pomegranate season in the US — and this drink is a crowd pleaser at any gathering.
Despite being divorced from his wife, Cynthia, for five years, Walter still takes care of her Pomeranian while she vacations with her boyfriend. It is an arrangement that confuses everyone except Walter. He loves Cynthia, and the Pomeranian can stay in its pet carrier while he bowls. Additionally, he does not have to rent it shoes or buy it a beer, and it doesn’t take anyone’s turn. No problemo! Descended from mighty sled dogs, Pomeranians have a big-dog personality in a miniature body—just like this cocktail, which packs an outsize punch.
I NGRE D I E N T S
2 ounces applejack
11/2 ounces pomegranate juice
3 ounces club soda
Dash Angostura bitters
D I R EC T IONS
Combine the applejack, pomegranate juice, club soda, and bitters in a rocks glass with ice.
Dude Fact
The dog in the film isn’t a Pomeranian at all but a Yorkshire terrier.
Excerpted from The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book by André Darlington. Copyright © 2023. Available from Quarto.
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Book #10. A BOOZE & VINYL CHRISTMAS
Winter Wonderland
A Booze & Vinyl Christmas was my opportunity to showcase cold weather/holiday cocktails - think creamy drinks, warm drinks, and glitter. There are a few tropical concoctions thrown in as well. Johnny Mathis is a singer with wide appeal who features an upbeat vibe that goes perfectly with cocktail hour. This lime, chocolate, and coconut number is one of my favorites from the book.
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? They’re ringing for cocktail time. Conspire while you dream by the fire with this snow-rimmed (coconut) drink that will immediately transport you to the holidays. Originally, the song “Winter Wonderland” was written with a romantic theme, but it was adapted to be a more children-friendly tune in 1947. Thankfully, Mathis connects both versions—plus he adds a verse and a chorus. More wonderland!
Lime, for rimming the glass
Shredded coconut, for garnish
11 ⁄2 ounces vanilla vodka
1 ounce white chocolate liqueur
1 ounce cream
Slightly wet the rim of a martini glass with lime juice (rub with a cut wedge) and turn in shredded coconut to coat. Shake vodka, chocolate liqueur, and cream with ice and strain into the prepared glass.
Excerpted from A Booze & Vinyl Christmas by André Darlington. Copyright © 2023. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Book #11. COWBOY COCKTAILS
Velvet Couch
Cowboy Cocktails is one of the most interesting projects I’ve ever worked on; there is so much history in this book. I traveled to San Antonio to conduct research on the early cattle trails and consulted umpteen resources to get an accurate-as-possible picture of what early Western cocktails were really like. Contrary to the popular conception of cowboys drinking whiskey neat, they enjoyed cocktails - that were sweet!
A cowboy’s bedroll was his one earthly possession and it journeyed along the trail with him in the accompanying chuck wagon. Civil War-era, army-issued bedrolls could weigh sixty pounds or more, and were filled with rain gear, food, dirty laundry, and extra spurs. The joke, of course, is that lying on the dusty roll on the rocky ground was “no velvet couch.” This drink is both plush and white as new snow. Gin on the range after the Civil War would likely have been Genever or Old Tom, but any style will work in this cocktail.
2 ounces Genever
½ ounce dry curaçao
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
3 dashes orange bitters, for garnish
Shake the Genever, curaçao, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white vigorously with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with orange bitters.
Excerpted from Cowboy Cocktails by André Darlington. Copyright © 2024. Available from Quarto.
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Book #12. FORBIDDEN COCKTAILS
The Berry-More
Will I ever again get a project as fascinating as cocktail pairings for Pre-Code Hollywood films? Time will tell. This book is the biggest project I’ve done since The New Cocktail Hour — hundreds of hours of movie watching, researching, and recipe testing went into creating what became a remarkable package. I got lost for days choosing the archival images from TCM to accompany the films. Creating books like this is why I write.
The brothers Barrymore, along with sister Ethel, were the third generation of a legendary acting family from Philadelphia. The three siblings only appeared in one movie together, 1932’s Rasputin and the Empress, but the two brothers costarred in four other films, including Night Flight and Grand Hotel. This ode to the Barrymore family is based on a once-popular post-prandial concoction called café au kirsch. The three raspberries represent the siblings.
1 ounce brandy
3/4 ounce kirschwasser
3/4 ounce raspberry syrup (recipe below)
3/4 ounce espresso
1 egg white
3 raspberries, for garnish
Shake brandy, kirschwasser, raspberry syrup, espresso, and egg white vigorously with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with raspberries.
For the Raspberry Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, add sugar, and stir to combine. Add raspberries, and mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Let mixture macerate 1 hour and strain into a sealable jar. Raspberry syrup will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Excerpted from Forbidden Cocktails by André Darlington. Copyright © 2024. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Congratulations on your illustrious career as a cocktail writer of 12 books—amazing accomplishment! I love the review with twelve signature cocktails to mark the occasion. Kudos to your photographers, editors, and presses too.