Holiday Cocktail Recipes from Four Seasons Bartenders

From the perfect mulled cider to a spiked hot chocolate, the bartenders at the legendary Four Seasons restaurant give recipes for their favorite seasonal libations.

Want to drink like a hedge fund honcho this holiday season? The bartenders from the Four Seasons restaurant, where New York’s media and financial elite dine, offer up some unusual cocktail recipes guaranteed to liven up any holiday party.

Yo-Ho-Ho Santa cap and beard optional

6 ounces hard apple cider 2 ounces Captain Morgan rum

Heat cider and pour into a warm mug. Add rum and stir.

Toasted Monk A potential robe-tripper, thanks to the Benedictine and brandy

4 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste 2 ounces B & B 2 ounces heavy cream Toasted marshmallow for garnish

Pour hot coffee into a steamed brandy snifter and stir in liqueur. Float cream on top and garnish.

Le Grand Café Holiday cheer for the hedge funder who made out like a bandit

6 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste 1 ounce Grand Marnier 1 ounce Frangelico 2 drops dark crème de cacao 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Nutmeg for sprinkling

Pour coffee into a warmed brandy snifter. Add liqueurs, stir in nutmeg, and sprinkle with a bit more nutmeg.

Hot Buttered Wine A cheerful escape from the same-old, same-old

4 ounces boiling water 4 ounces muscatel wine 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons Vermont maple syrup Nutmeg for sprinkling

Pour boiling water in a warm mug and add muscatel. Add butter and syrup, stir, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Spiked Hot Chocolate Set your inner kid free and toast Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or nada

7 ounces hot chocolate 1 ounce peppermint or cinnamon schnapps Whipped cream for garnish Cinnamon for sprinkling

Pour hot chocolate into a warm Irish Coffee glass and stir in schnapps. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Red Velvet Warmer-Upper Comforting as the afghan your grandma knitted for you

4 ounces hot raspberry herb tea, sweetened to taste 1½ ounces framboise 2 ounces light cream Whipped cream for garnish

Pour tea into a warm Irish Coffee glass. Add liqueur and cream, stir, and top with whipped cream.

Mulled Cranberry Cider Needed: Large Pot. Ladle. Teacups or mugs. Holiday party guests

3 quarts cranberry juice 3 quarts hard apple cider 1 cup brown sugar, packed 5–6 cinnamon sticks 1 heaping tablespoon whole cloves 3 lemons, thinly sliced Lemon slices for garnish

Combine ingredients in a stockpot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then strain into large a heatproof bowl. Serve warm, topping each serving with a lemon slice. Serves 24

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Fred DuBose is a writer, editor, and book developer based in Manhattan.

Head bartender Greg Connolly was inducted into the Bartender's Hall of Fame in 2002.

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