Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Impress your guests with these holiday cocktails from Three Dots and a Dash

If you're feeling ambitious this holiday season, these festive cocktails make a big statement

By
Three Dots and a Dash
Three Dots and a Dash

Many holiday cocktails are designed to be quick to make and fun to drink, using seasonal sweet flavors and adding a touch of whimsy to an evening. But sometimes, as a serious cocktail lover, you want to try out something a bit unusual or a bit more involved, taking time to craft drinks that are delicious as well as sparkling. If that’s you, then you’ll appreciate a pair of festive cocktail recipes which elevate holiday drinks to something truly special.

These creations from beloved Tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago are playful and fun, but also seriously considered in terms of flavors and techniques.

Recommended Videos

The Eggnog Grasshopper, as its name implies, brings together two sweet dessert drinks, the Eggnog and the Grasshopper, but it’s the inclusion of the bracingly bitter and minty Branca Menta which has me sold on the combination. Blending the ingredients together creates a frothy texture that’s a pleasure to drink, and the inclusion of the tiny Andes mint chocolate as a garnish is an adorable touch that I will absolutely be stealing for my festive cocktails.

Related

And if your preferences are rather for fruity than for minty, the No Business Like Snow Business takes a step up from typical spiced cider cocktails by calling for home made spiced apple cider and spiced cider syrup. It’s undeniably more work to create these ingredients from scratch, but the taste of freshly made juices and syrups makes it absolutely worth it. If you’re feeling ambitious and like you want to push the boat out with your drinks this season, this drink is one that’s bound to impress.

Eggnog Grasshopper

Three Dots and a Dash
Three Dots and a Dash

Ingredients:

  • 1/2oz Cognac
  • 1/4oz Creme De Menthe
  • 1/2oz Green Creme De Menthe
  • 3/4oz Creme De Cacao
  • 1/4oz Fernet Branca Menta
  • 1oz Good Quality Eggnog
  • Garnish: Mint bouquet, Andes Mint Chocolate

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients together in mixing tin with with 6-8oz of crushed ice

2. Flash-blend for 5 seconds & pour unstrained into a rocks glass

3. Garnish with mint bouquet & andes mint chocolate candy

No Business Like Snow Business

Three Dots and a Dash
Three Dots and a Dash

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½oz Reposado Tequila
  • 1/2oz Elsewhere Blood Orange Aperitivo
  • 1/2oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 2oz Good Quality Non Pasteurized Apple Cider
  • 1oz Spiced Cider Syrup
  • Garnish: Mint Bouquet, Cinnamon Stick, Edible Orchid

Method:

Combine all ingredients together in a mixing tin with 8oz of crushed ice 2. Flash-blend for 5 seconds & pour unstrained into ceramic mug or 16oz glass 3. Garnish with mint bouquet, cinnamon stick & edible orchid

Spiced Apple Cider:

  • 1 liter quality non pasteurized apple cider
  • 8-10 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 cloves
  • 10-12 allspice berries
  • 1 lemon (cut into wheels)

In a medium saucepan add your cider, slowly bringing to a boil. Drop heat to a simmer & add in your cinnamon, clove, allspice & lemon – let this cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat & let steep for an additional 10 minutes as it cools. Strain, bottle & keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Spiced Cider Syrup

  • 2 cups Spiced Apple Cider
  • 2 cups white sugar

In a medium saucepan add your spiced cider and over medium heat slowly pour in your sugar – stirring until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool, bottle & keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Editors’ Recommendations

Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
Make your evenings fancy with these cognac cocktails for the cold weather
Try out these cognac drinks that are perfect for the winter months
Cognac Park

Cognac is a French spirit with a fancy reputation. This type of brandy is made from grapes, and is traditionally French, with an emphasis placed on using high quality varietals and traditional methods. And it can be pricey too -- all of which can make it a bit intimidating for your average home bartender to play with. However, you needn't be afraid of mixing with cognac -- in fact, its bold spirituous qualities make it perfect for use in a range of classic cocktails, and it adds great depth and flavor.

If you're looking for some ways to make use of cognac then these cozy recipes from Cognac Park are just the ticket. The brand offers small batch, handmade cognacs with flavors showing off the terroir of their origins, and the cocktail recipes incorporate ingredients with bold flavors like triple sec, Campari, vermouth, and Benedictine to match up. These would make great introductions to the world of cognac if you're new to the spirit, so don't be afraid to try working with something new.
Ruby Cocktail

Read more
Ice cream is the unexpected star of this fun peanut butter cola cocktail
A Mexican-inspired float with a boozy twist
Chica~Chida

While most people love warm, cozy drinks for the cold winter period, there are some who love to embrace the chilly weather. I have an ice cream-loving friend who insists that the dead of winter is the best time to enjoy a scoop, as it doesn't melt so fast and you can really savor the flavors. If you're on team winter ice cream, then you'll love this fun and unusual recipe for a boozy ice cream float, the perfect way to indulge in sweet, creamy, chilly flavors at this time of year.

The recipe is from Mexican restaurant Barito Tacos & Cocktails in Port Jefferson, New York and makes use of Mexican Coke (famously beloved above US Coke for its use of real sugar instead of corn syrup for sweetening) and well as vanilla ice cream and the delightfully quirky boozy cherry on top, Chica~Chida, a peanut butter agave spirit.

Read more
We’re loving these fancy non-alcoholic cocktails from Death & Co
See how one leading cocktail bar is embracing Dry January
non alc cocktails death co pineapple express 2

With the first week of the new year already passed by, lots of people are settling into Dry January. It's become a trend for people to forgo alcohol for the first month of the year (following a typically over-indulgent holiday period) and increasing numbers of people are choosing not to drink at all.

But ditching alcohol doesn't mean you have to give up on enjoying cocktails. These recipes from New York cocktail bar Death & Co show some of the creative ways that you can enjoy non-alcoholic drinks, from using NA spirits like Seedlip, to making use of cold brew coffee concentrate and interesting flavored syrups. Fans of the espresso martini, negroni, and gin and tonic who are looking for a non-alcoholic alternative for Dry January or beyond will appreciate these options!
Pineapple Express

Read more