Stir Up Some Fun This Season with Festive Cocktail Recipes from Hilton

The Winter Old Fashioned is a guest favorite this year at The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. We talked to Jonah Tidyman, a bartender from the hotel’s historic Sazerac Bar about the inspiration behind the drink, and tips for how you can turn your favorite drink into a holiday drink. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Sazerac Rye
• 0.5 oz homemade apple-clove syrup
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• 3 dashes cranberry bitters
• orange peel 
• cinnamon stick 

Directions:

1. Wipe inside of a rocks glass with an expressed orange peel.  
2. Fill glass with all ingredients, then pour fresh ice on top of the mixture.
3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

What is the inspiration for the Winter Old Fashioned? 

Jonah: The Winter Old Fashioned is a way to celebrate the spirit and flavors of the season, by creating a fresh take on a classic cocktail.

What tips do you have for turning someone’s favorite drink into a holiday version of that drink?

Jonah: Just be creative and have fun! Using seasonal ingredients can turn a standard recipe into your own delicious holiday concoction. 

What flavors or garnishes can you add to make a drink holiday or winter-themed?

Jonah: Fresh cranberries or a cinnamon stick really make a cocktail pop — adding not only the flavors and aromas that you associate with a winter holiday but the colors as well. You can also tie a bow on the glass!

Is there a more nostalgic combo than milk and cookies?  How about chocolate and marshmallows?  Turn these classic treats into cocktails with the recipes for Adult Milk & Cookies and Adult S’Mores from Mira Solo Bar at Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino.

Ingredients:

• ½ oz vanilla vodka
• ¾ oz cold brew concentrate
• ¾ oz coffee liquor
• ¾ oz Irish cream liquor 
• ½ oz half & half

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake and strain into a martini glass.
3. Garnish with a rolled wafer cookie.

• 1 ½ oz vodka
• ¾ oz Irish cream liquor
• ½ oz espresso
• ½ oz toasted marshmallow syrup
• ½ oz dark chocolate sauce
• ½ oz half & half

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

A guest favorite at the award-winning Bull & Bear at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, the Holiday Cider Lowball combines classic winter flavors like cinnamon and apple cider with delicious homemade vanilla syrup.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Michter’s Single Barrel Bourbon
• 1 oz unfiltered apple cider
• ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ¼ oz. barrel-aged vanilla syrup
• ¼ oz. Benedictine
• two dashes cinnamon
• red apple slice
• cinnamon stick

Directions:

1. In a mixing glass, add the bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, vanilla syrup and Benedictine.
2. Add ice and shake or stir, as desired, for 30 seconds. 
3. Using a lowball or rocks glass, add fresh ice and strain mixed ingredients into the glass. 
4. Garnish with a slice of red apple, a dash or two of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick.

For the Vanilla Syrup:
Ingredients: 

• water
• sugar
• vanilla beans

Directions:

1. Add equal parts water and sugar to a saucepan.
2. Add a few vanilla beans to the solution, dissolve, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Set aside to cool.

As highlighted in the 2022 Hilton Trends Report, tequila’s popularity is soaring, and it’s expected to be one of the hottest spirits in 2022. Raise a glass and toast to the New Year with this refreshing and festive cocktail from Hilton Orlando where tequila is the star. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Blanco Tequila 
• 0.5 oz lime juice 
• 0.5 oz Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
• 2.5-3 oz Ginger Beer
• lime wedge or blackberries 

Directions:

1. Mix tequila, lime juice and crème de cassis in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add ice to a lowball glass, strain and pour in mixed ingredients.
3. Top with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with a lime wedge or blackberries.

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday brunch cocktail, look no further! This cocktail from executive chef Mario Garcia at Hilton Chicago features fabulous flavors including tomato-infused tequila, charred shishito pepper, grapefruit juice and more. Prep a batch of the infused tequila ahead of time for easy mixing!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz tomato-infused tequila
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 oz grapefruit juice
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• 2 oz club soda
• 1 shishito pepper (charred, whole, for garnish)
• 1 stem of fresh mint for garnish
• kosher salt

Directions:

1. Pour kosher salt into a flat plate and rub the rim of a highball glass with a lime or grapefruit wedge; dip the rim in the salt. 
2. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice and sugar in a glass and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 
3. Pour into a salted glass, and add the tomato-infused tequila.
4. Add ice to your liking.
5. Top with club soda and garnish with charred shishito pepper and fresh mint.

For the Tomato-Infused Tequila:
Ingredients:

• 16 oz fresh heirloom or yellow tomatoes
• 12 oz tequila silver

Directions:

1. Chop tomatoes, and place in a bowl and season with a pinch of kosher salt for at least 30 minutes.
2. Transfer tomatoes and juice from the bowl into a food processor, add the tequila and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. 
3. Line a mesh sieve with a cheesecloth or large coffee filter and pour tomato mixture into it. Let drip into a container overnight. 
4. Discard solids and reserve the tomato-infused tequila.