Christmas Bonus

Here is a little bonus on top of the 12 Drinks of Christmas.  These two festive cocktails are a perfect way to tempt your taste buds and bridge the food and beverage binge between Christmas and New Year’s.  These two drinks provide something for everyone, a refreshing vodka treat in the Poire Victoire and a bourbon based beauty in the Jeff One.

Both drinks are recent creations from a couple of Paris' better Bar Anglais.  The Poire Victoire from the Hemingway Bar in 2008 and the Jeff One from the Cambon Bar in 2002.  As with the other delightful creations from Colin Field, these both posses the depth of character and flavor of drinks from centuries past.

First the Poire Victoire, this is an elegantly simple drink with such amazing flavor, it quickly became the favorite at a recent Christmas Eve party.  Start with two and a half ounces Grey Goose Poire in a cocktail shaker, add two ounces of apple juice and half an ounce of fresh squeezed lime juice.  Fill with ice, shake and serve in a cocktail glass.  When your guest asks what it is, summon your inner Frenchman and let Poire Victoire roll off you tongue like it’s your first language.

Second the Jeff One.  Construct this one in an old fashioned glass, start by cutting the ends off of a mandarin orange, slice down one side of the peel and carefully remove the peel in one piece, place it in the glass, place the orange inside it and muddle.  Fill the glass with ice, add one teaspoon of superfine sugar, two ounces of bourbon (Maker’s Mark is always a good choice), and fill the glass with ginger ale (about three ounces).  Stir well to dissolve the sugar and serve to your Old-Fashioned appreciating friends.  This is a nice refreshing alternative to mix into your repertoire, that will help you survive even the preachiest of christian Santas.

Poire Victoire

2 ½ oz grey goose poire

2 oz apple juice

½ oz lime juice.

Add all ingredients to ice filled shaker, shake and serve in a cocktail glass.

Jeff One

2 oz bourbon

3 oz ginger ale

1 tsp superfine sugar

1 mandarin orange

Cut ends off the orange and discard.  Remove peel from orange and place in an old fashioned glass, place orange in the center of the peel and muddle.  Fill glass with ice, add sugar, bourbon, ginger ale, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.