Mix up Your Seasonal Libations With These Delaware Cocktails

Seasonal cocktail photo courtesy of Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon

Shake up your cocktail of choice during the holiday season with these festive recipes from talented mixologists across the First State.

The Sleigh Bar at Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon

Step into Santa’s workshop at Klondike Kate’s in Newark, Delaware. The eatery transforms areas of the restaurant into a Christmas wonderland with a sleigh, gifts and other festive décor. Here, the restaurant shares two cocktails its bar is known for during the holiday.
158 E. Main St., Newark, Delaware; 302-737-6100

Rudolph’s Red-Nosed Mule

  • 1.5 ounces Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka
  • Ginger beer
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Splash of cranberry
  • Lime slice for garnish
holiday-cocktails
Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon transforms into Sleigh Bar during the holiday season. Enjoy festive drinks and décor at this Newark spot./Photo courtesy of Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon

Boozy Butterbeer

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  • 1.5 ounces Captain Morgan
  • Ginger ale
  • 0.5 ounce butterscotch schnapps
  • Whipped cream and caramel drizzle for garnish
  • Combine ingredients in a glass and enjoy.

Blitzen the Bar

Open seasonally, Blitzen brings Christmas cheer to downtown Wilmington, Delaware’s 9th Street. The space gets a design face-lift yearly from creative director Dallas Shaw to offer patrons something new. Named for Santa’s top reindeer, the indoor and outdoor spaces tell the story of how the little helper relaxes at home. Here, the pop-up shares a popular recipe.
220 W. 9th St., Wilmington, Delaware

Blitzen-cocktail
Blitzen the Bar is a seasonal pop-up offering cocktails like Big Elf Energy, made with tequila, cranberry juice and a dash of cinnamon./Photo courtesy of Blitzen

Big Elf Energy

  • 1.5 ounces Espolon Blanco Tequila
  • 1 ounce spiced cinnamon syrup*
  • 0.75 ounce cranberry juice
  • 0.5 ounce Licor 43
  • 0.25 ounce fresh lime juice
  • Sugared cranberries for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker, except garnish. Shake. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with sugared cranberries.

*Spiced Cinnamon Syrup

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 cinnamon sticks, broken

Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil. Cut heat, and steep for 30 minutes.

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*Sugared Cranberries

  • 2 cups sugar, divided
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries

Combine water and sugar over high heat. Bring to boil. Cut heat. Add cranberries. Stir a few times to coat. Remove with a slotted spoon to a cooling rack. Rest one hour. Toss in reserved sugar, working a little at a time. Place on a cooling rack to dry. Move to a freezer until ready to use.

Swigg Real Wine Craft Beer & Spirits

cocktail
Grab the spirits you need for a holiday party at Swigg in Wilmington. Owner Dave Govatos suggests the Lion’s Tail, a bourbon-forward drink, to please any guest./Photo courtesy of Swigg

Dave Govatos knows a thing or two about cocktails. As the owner of Swigg Real Wine Craft Beer & Spirits in Wilmington, Delaware, he’s always making suggestions to patrons about what they can whip up at their home bar. For the chillier months, Govatos suggests the vintage Lion’s Tail cocktail. “First published in the Cafe Royal Cocktail Book (1937), this Prohibition-era cocktail utilizes the warming exotic flavors of Allspice Dram, a liqueur made with rum and pimento berries, which evokes notes of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon,” he explains.
1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware; 302-427-9444

Lion’s Tail

  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 0.5 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
  • 0.5 ounce lime juice
  • 3/4 ounce teaspoon simple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Related: 8 Delaware Coffee Shops Offering Seasonal Pumpkin Specialties This Fall

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