Kaelah's Cocktail Hour : Hipster Holiday Drinks

Back in early December I was commissioned by a brand to create 2 holiday-inspired cocktails for a campaign they were launching (American Greetings/CardStore's Hipster Christmas). Mike and I attempted making all sorts of things but it was hard coming up with new concoctions because to be honest, I don't really enjoy drinking all that much. I think quitting my bartending job 3+ months ago did me in. I'm not the type of person who likes to drink at home (ever, really. Less maybe half a beer here or an attempt at a glass of wine there haha). I prefer drinking in social situations and those are few and far between with a 4 year old + home renovations. Anyway -- We'd mix something up and then I'd just have to rely on him to tell me if it was any good or not. Plus I hate eggnog (and by hate I mean I've never tried it but it just grosses me out... Probably not a good way to start a cocktail post!) 

Desire to drink aside, I know that I like St-Germain + champagne thanks to my sweet friends Merissa and Kayce. When we moved to East Nashville they brought over a bottle of each and we sat on the front porch socializing for a few hours. It was delicious. I decided to run with that and zest it up just a smidge with some blue curacao. It already had some lemon zest in it, so the blue curacao just gave it a dash more citrus, plus a pretty color! I mean, who wouldn't want to clank those pretty drinks around?! We then garnished it with a raspberry because raspberries are delicious. It totally makes sense right? Seriously, this drink is thebomb.com. It maybe even rivals my love for New Old Ladies (and I mean, c'mon, I have a tattoo for that one...)
Chambray Champagne

1 oz St-Germain
Fill Champagne
Tiny splash Blue Curacao
Add lemon zest
Garnish with raspberry

This next one is the one where I had to rely on Mike's palate. It looks so delicious and pretty, but I just can't get past the thick eggnog texture personally. Luckily so many of my family and friends love eggnog so this one ended up being a real hit around the house on Christmas Eve. I'll just let the recipe do the talking!
LumberJill

1 oz Jim Beam (or bourbon of your choosing!)
.5 oz Disaronno (or any amaretto liqueur)
Fill Eggnog
Top with whipped cream
Sprinkle with chocolate shavings
Garnish with cinnamon stick

Overall I'm super happy with how the drinks turned out, and even more so about the photos. We shot these around 1am in our living room right before our deadline. Sometimes the 11th hour does us well. 

While these were branded as Christmas cocktails, they're truly perfect for any occasion. The LumberJill is a classic winter drink in my opinion, and the Chambray Champagne is perfect for any occasion or season. You can easily swap out the blue curacao for another type of flavored liqueur for a different color or effect. You could even drive it all the way home with some Razzmatazz!

Thanks for entertaining my cocktail posts! Sometimes I miss being a bartender and then I snap out of it haha ;)

23 comments:

  1. gorgeous photos and the drinks sound so delicious!

    www.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com

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  2. This drinks look AND sound yummy!

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  3. "because raspberries are delicious" haha this post is wonderful! both drinks sound great. the first time i ever had eggnog was when a former bf of mine got an eggnog milkshake and i just said "this tastes like wallpaper paste". i never had it again until i tried "silk"nog a few years ago. the real thing also still grosses me out too much to try but if you are ever feeling up to it, maybe the fake thing is for you, too!

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  4. Hahaha, Ill try the green machine, if you try eggnog ;)

    xo the Rebel

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    1. haha oh man, i'm tempted to agree to this just so you'll try the green machine! I PROMISE YOU WILL LOVE IT! see, maybe I just need to put my big girl britches on!

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  5. Oh man I love eggnog how can you not like it lol. Its just like spiced milk :)

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    1. haha that's the kicker.. I've never actually tried it. Just the THOUGHT of it grosses me out though :P I mean, I didn't ever try ramen noodles until I was 24. Some things are just a psychological hurdle for me :P

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  6. OMG i totally snort laughed over the ramen noodles....lmao really 24?!?!

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  7. The thought of eggnog grosses me out also.. you're not alone.

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  8. I don't drink but I find cocktail recipes to be endlessly fascinating. They're just so pretty! And I agree, I used to love eggnog but then the texture just reminded me too much of raw eggs which is GROSS so now I don't drink it. Bleh.

    -Lindsey

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  9. I'm grossed out by eggnog too, but I'm allergic to eggs so I have a built-in excuse not to drink it! I love the Silk nog though. It doesn't look as thick and oily as real eggnog, and it's really good warmed up, with bourbon and whipped cream.

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  10. Looks great! Of course, everything looks better in a mason jar :)

    Sabrina
    http://thelittleowlshop.blogspot.com

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  11. These drinks look good. I'm not an alcohol person as well, but I'd love to try those you made!

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  12. Oh dang, I need to try both of these ASAP! Especially the chambray champagne, since I have a nice bottle of Korbel in my fridge... :)
    Thanks for sharing!!

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  13. I'm like you; I sometimes drink when I'm at home, but never finish it! I end up passing most of my glass of wine off to my husband. But even though I don' drink, I love these posts! So pretty to look at.

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  14. Oh yum! Both look super delicious and I'd try them in an instant. I always love when you do these cocktail posts.

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  15. The title made me think of this clip from Portlandia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_zGNmYtRS0 hahaha :)

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  16. The lumberjill sounds Awesome! i may have to make this weekend when i make bourbon cake!

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  17. I've never tried eggnog, but the look/smell of it totally grosses me out. I just can't! However the chambray champagne looks delicious. I need to throw a cocktail party for the opportunity to try some fun drinks! I only drink when I'm with friends, and even then I don't get too crazy, so it would be fun to have a bunch of people together to mix drinks and enjoy.

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  18. The champagne looks good!

    Sar

    www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB