tis the season for a festive cocktail! Weather your hosting a large family gathering or something a little more intimate with close friends, a great way to kick off the holiday celebration is by having a homemade cocktail ready for guests when they arrive. To get us all in the holiday spirit(s), *Top Chef* judge and culinary expert Gail Simmons is serving up her newest creation, the Old Brooklyn Spritz, a festive cocktail crafted in partnership with Old Fitzgerald Bourbon.
This easy-to-batch cocktail was inspired by the classic bars of Gail’s neighborhood, like Long Island Bar, Elsa, Ingas Bar, and Maison Premiere to name a few. “My neighborhood in Brooklyn is lovely and old, and it has all of these old homes and greenery,” Simmons says. “Over the holidays, it just feels like I live in this wonderland.”
“Making this cocktail, I was trying to think about something that feels seasonal, that has a little sparkle, that people will drink even if they’re not huge bourbon drinkers,” Simmons explains. “At the holidays, it feels right, it feels warm, it feels hospitable and cozy. But it also speaks to someone who really appreciates the quality of the product.”
Of course, if you’re serving cocktails at your holiday party, you’ll want to have some snacks at the ready. Thankfully, the Old Brooklyn Spritz goes well with a variety of flavors, from fruity to sweet to salty.
“I always want to pair it with all of the salty and savory bits that then make your mouth water at the begining of your evening and get you excited for dinner,” Simmons says. “As there’s that citrus flavor, I think it pairs really well with cheese. It pairs well with anything from a great quality potato chip to a Marcona almond that has that warm nuttiness to it. It pairs well with dates and dried fruit and dried figs. I just think it’s a great cocktail to have with a million different snacks.”
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