Holiday Celebrations and Traditional Cocktails

Holiday Bartending

Traditonal drinks are always served at holiday celebrations and this is expected by most drinkers. Eggnog at Christmas, Champagne on New Years Eve. Although it has become the norm to serve large volumes of the cheapest possible Champagne, it was once the standard to serve one or two drinks of the very best you could afford. But none the less a good Bartender can deliver many other exciting and festive drinks to liven up holiday celebrations. There is nothing more tantalizing and profitable than offering your customers or guests something festive but unexpected.

Almost any holiday is an excuse to get creative behind the bar. Red, White and Blue concoctions are big hits on the Fourth of July, Pink drinks or drinks made with Eggs are popular at Easter and green drinks are a staple on St Patricks Day. This year, get imaginative with your holiday drinks and watch your drinkers gobble them up! There are many variations of Eggnog and I am giving a few recipes here on the blog. Cold Weather Punches are a big hit at most parties; I will give some recipes for these as well. For New Years Eve, any variation of the traditional Champagne Cocktail is an exciting offer. I have a few wine and champagne recipes I will give as well. Hot Drinks are another alternative especially if the weather is harsh on the day of the party or event. I have given quite a few recipes for delicious hot cocktails, just enter the term "hot drink" into the search engine for the blog.

Just for fun, I am going to add some drinks made up especially for Halloween and Thanksgiving, although I know those holidays have passed. They will be useful next year. I will tag all of the recipes with the holiday they are designed for so if you are looking for ideas for a specific holiday, just type in the name of that holiday to find those recipes. An example: Christmas. Another example: hot drink. Or another example: punch.

Always keep lots of seasonal treats on the bar. Candy Canes (for stirring drinks!) , Candy Pumpkins, Nuts, Tin Foil Chocolate Drops in a variety of colors and colorful sprinkles for those drinks that are topped with Whipped Cream. Push the sweet, tasty drinks because a lot of people who never drink or rarely drink take a cocktail or two over the holidays and these people prefer less intense cocktails, such as those made with sweets or sugar syrup. Drinks made with Coffee can be popular, too, for the most part because they are warming but also because they tend to keep people awake during the party. And, as always, keep an eye out for someone who is out of control, drinking too much or getting obnoxious. These people need to be removed from the bar to keep them from chasing off your other customers or guests.

During the holidays, stock the bar with Wine, Champagne, sweet Liqueurs, Whipped Cream, Cream, Kahlua, Coffee, Amaretto, Peppermint Schnapps and Baileys Irish Cream, as well as the usual array of popular liquors. Make sure you have Brandy on hand, even if you never use it during the rest of the year. Hot Brandy and Rum Toddies are very popular when it gets cold outside. Buy darker liquors, like Dark Rum, Anjeo, Bourbons, Cognacs, Southern Comfort and other darker colored liquors, which make fantastic winter fare. Shots of liqueurs like Vandermint sell well over the winter holidays.

Hot chocolate mix should always be kept at the bar. This is a great basic mixer for standard mixed hot drinks; Vandermint and Hot Chocolate, for instance. It is also a great product to have for those who do not drink alcohol and for young adults who attend the party or celebration. Marshmallows, natural Angelica and Liquorice stems and crystallized flowers are other, more imaginative offerings you might want to consider. You know your guests or your customers better than anyone. Just don't be afraid to get creative and imaginative; the holidays are the best excuse anyone ever has to have a good time.