These holiday cocktail recipes will raise the bar at your next party

By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PITTSBURGH Thiago Leite has a simple philosophy when it comes to making cocktails and it applies whether you re hosting a fancy dinner party for friends or exclusively curling up on the couch for a quiet night with your partner and Netflix Related Articles Award-winning San Francisco brewery launches its first East Bay location Taste-Off Ranking frozen taquitos from crispy and spicy to empty and bland Vegan Pesto Cavatelli celebrates old-world flavors in a new way Here s how to create a tasty healthier Hanukkah The Michelin Guide debuts new rating system for wine When is it coming to California Make what you like he says Consider the Caipiroska he was stirring together on a test run for Fairmont Pittsburgh s holiday cocktail classes Leite who is both the Downtown hotel s banquet director and restaurant manager was born in the U S but he spent every summer of his childhood in Brazil with his family The national drink there is the Caipirinha a sweet and tangy cocktail made with fresh lime sugar and cachaca a vegetal distilled spirit made from fresh sugarcane juice Like largest part bartenders Leite is a fan of vodka a sponge spirit that readily takes on the flavors of whatever it is mixed with On this day he was tweaking the long-established recipe by using Absolut Elyx instead of cachaca and brown sugar in place of the superfine cane sugar that traditionally sweetens the drink Known for its refreshing quality this twist on a Caipirinha might seem like an odd choice in Pittsburgh in December But remember Leite s No rule about following your bliss Christmas is hot in Brazil We re in sandals and flip-flops he explained as he muddled wedges of lime and slices of orange with what looked to be heaps of the caramel-colored sugar in a rocks glass Here it s hot chocolate and hot toddies but there everything is iced After a taste test you too would have to agree it s delicious A second cocktail featuring whiskey felt a little bit more like Christmas Called the Bashful Boulevardier the spirit-forward drink is also known as a whiskey-based Negroni because it includes Campari a bitter bright-red Italian aperitif Here rich cherry syrup adds a sweet and tangy twist and a dash of raspberry-flavored Chambord lends a definite luxe holiday feel It s what we call a conversation drink explained Leite A Aperol Spritz as The Fairmont Hotel gives a demo class of how to make holiday cocktails on Sunday Nov at The Fairmont Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TNS That is a sipping cocktail that encourages social interaction while it is enjoyed over time instead of swiftly gulped down A Prohibition-era drink generally made with rye whiskey the Boulevardier is also a perfect freezer door cocktail that makes entertaining a breeze he added because it can be made in advance in large batches You can scale up the recipe to serve eight or even people depending on the size of your guest list This is the second year for the hotel s holiday cocktail classes Depending on the day each will feature one of four spirits vodka gin whiskey or tequila Since it s a cocktail class you ll learn to pour from the bottle Leite reported Attendees also will get instruction on blending ingredients flavors and botanicals and try their hand at fundamental techniques like shaking stirring and muddling Aromatics used to flavor drinks also will be addressed since you remember things through smell more than anything he reported One example cinnamon sticks that are scorched lightly on one end with a lighter and added to espresso martinis in the Fairmont s upscale bar fl They sell more than a month Once you ve got the recipes down pat Leite will offer tips for setting up a home bar so you can create your favorite cocktail whenever the mood strikes They include Be sure to have the fundamentals whiskey vodka gin rum and tequila Have the right tools at the ready including a good shaker for mixing cocktails He recommends either a two-piece Boston shaker a metal tin and a mixing glass or a three-piece cobbler shaker featuring a metal container a lid with built-in strainer and a cap A muddler to gently mash and mix ingredients like fruit and sugar The stainless-steel ones used at the hotel have a tenderizer head to better crush herbs and fruits A long-handled spoon for stirring cocktails with spirits liqueurs and vermouth like a martini Old Fashioned or Manhattan Stirring chills and dilutes a cocktail without introducing air bubbles A jigger to precisely measure ingredients A double-sided ounce over ounce measuring vessel allows you to maintain consistency and quality in every drink Love cocktails that contain fresh juice cream milk or egg whites A strainer is essential for straining out ice and other solid ingredients in shaken cocktails No bar is complete without a corkscrew for opening wine bottles and a few spirits Mixers including bitters Angostura is considered the standard tonic water soda and ginger beer At last a selection of glassware highball and lowball glasses for mixed drinks martini and coupe glasses for cocktails and wine and champagne glasses for celebrating special occasions Below we share the recipes for Leite s cocktails along with two others that will be served this holiday season at two local restaurants Downtown s Ritual House and Shorty s Pins x Pints on the North Shore Happy holidays Caipiroska A Caipi Vodka gets mixed around as The Fairmont Hotel gives a demo class of how to make holiday cocktails on Sunday Nov at The Fairmont Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh Justin Guido Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TNS PG tested Christmastime is hot in Brazil so holiday celebrations usually feature iced cocktails instead of hot toddies This refreshing cocktail from the Fairmont Pittsburgh is a vodka-based twist on the Caipirinha a classic Brazilian cocktail made with cachaca sugar and lime You can make it sweeter or more tart depending on the amount of brown sugar lime cut into wedges slice orange - tablespoons brown sugar ounces vodka Dried lime slice for garnish Place lime wedges in a sturdy glass such as a rocks glass or a cocktail shaker Add orange slice and sugar and using a muddler gently crush them together to release the juice and essential oils from the rind But be careful not to over-muddle the rind which can make the drink bitter Pour vodka into the glass or shaker with the muddled lime mixture Fill the glass with crushed ice If using a shaker add ice and shake well to chill and dilute the mixture Pour all contents liquid lime pieces and ice into an old-fashioned or rocks glass filled with ice Garnish with dried lime slice and serve instantly Serves Thiago Leite Fairmont Pittsburgh Bashful Boulevardier A Bashful Boulevardier as The Fairmont Hotel gives a demo class of how to make holiday cocktails on Sunday Nov at The Fairmont Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh Justin Guido Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TNS PG tested ounces whiskey ounce Luxardo cherry syrup ounce Chambord ounce Campari dashes bitters Add whiskey cherry syrup Chambord Campari and bitters into a mixing glass Fill the glass with ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled and silky Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube to keep the drink cold without diluting too rapidly Finish with a Luxardo cherry or a gentle twist of orange peel for a subtle aromatic lift Serves Thiago Leite Fairmont Pittsburgh Nutella Espresso Martini PG tested This sweet and creamy martini can double as a dessert It includes Kahlua and Buttershots a butterscotch-flavored schnapps scoop Nutella ounce espresso cooled ounce vodka ounce Kahlua coffee liqueur ounce Buttershots Add generous scoop of Nutella to your shaker Add espresso then give it a quick stir to help the Nutella blend smoothly Pour in vodka Kahlua and Buttershots Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until the mixture is chilled and velvety Strain into a martini glass for a clean glossy finish Garnish with a light drizzle of Nutella or a scarce espresso beans for an elegant touch You also can line the rim of the martini glass with Nutella and roll in crushed nuts or cookies Makes cocktail Thiago Leite Fairmont Pittsburgh Shorty s Gingerbread Smash This festive cocktail is Shorty s Pins x Pints riff on a classic Old Fashioned It brings together the warm spice of gingerbread cookies and the smoothness of whiskey in a cocktail that s perfect for the holiday season To make simple syrup combine equal parts sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat Bring to a boil stirring until sugar has dissolved then allow to cool Store in the refrigerator for up to month ounces Bird Dog Gingerbread Whiskey ounce simple syrup dashes orange bitters Sliced lemon for muddling Orange rind for garnish Combine whiskey simple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass Add a lemon wedge and muddle Add ice and stir for rotations until the dilution is at desired consistency Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice Rub the rim of the cocktail glass with an orange rind to express it then drop into the glass Serves Shorty s Pins x Pints North Shore Ritual House Holiday Beach Margarita Margaritas are one of the preponderance popular and recognizable cocktails This one from Ritual House Downtown gets the holiday recovery with coconut milk and a cinnamon-brown sugar syrup It s best served in a rocks glass ounces tequila blanco ounce coconut milk ounce cinnamon brown sugar vanilla syrup ounce lime juice ounce Cointreau - dashes orange bitters Combine tequila coconut milk syrup lime juice Cointreau and bitters in a cocktail shaker and shake hard Strain into a glass over ice Garnish with cinnamon stick and fresh grated nutmeg Serves Ritual House Downtown PG Publishing Co Visit at post-gazette com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC