Sip on these sexy winter cocktails to celebrate World Cocktail Day

Every year, liquor enthusiasts around the world commemorate Cocktail Day on 13 May. On this day in 1806, the first definition of the word cocktail was published.

And, as part of the celebration, we’ve curated a list of delicious mixes you can try at home.

Pear and rosemary gin fizz

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup gin
• 1/2 cup chilled pear juice
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon slices, to serve
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1/4 cup chilled soda water

Instructions

1. Loosely fill the glass with ice, then pour over the gin and the pear juice. Add a good squeeze of lemon and swizzle enthusiastically with the rosemary sprig (cut stem down) and leave in the glass. Add a few slices of lemon and top with soda water just before serving.

This recipe was found on delicious.com.au

Spiked hot chocolate

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup aged or dark rum, bourbon, or Baileys Irish Cream or 3 tablespoons crème de menthe or peppermint schnapps

ALSO TRY: Recipe of the day: Spatchcock butter chicken with bacon and corn potato salad

Instructions

1. Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and ¼ cup of milk and whisk until the cocoa powder is mostly integrated. Whisk in the remaining milk until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat on medium until the chocolate is melted. (It takes about 2 minutes.) Do not boil.
2. Stir in the alcohol. Serve immediately, garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows, and enjoy in celebration of World Cocktail Day!

This recipe was found on acouplecooks.com

Candy cane cocktail

Ingredients

For the candy cane infused vodka

• 1 cup vodka
• ½ cup vanilla vodka
• 6 candy canes

For the candy cane cocktail

• 90ml candy cane vodka
• 60ml crème de cacao
• Dash Angostura Bitters
• 2 candy canes

Instructions

For the infused candy vodka

1. Pour plain vodka and vanilla vodka into a jar with a lid. Add 6 candy canes, broken up so the liquid covers them.
2. Allow to sit in a cool, dark place for 3-4 days, shaking periodically to mix any sediment into liquid.
3. When ready to use, strain through two layers of cheesecloth to trap any sediment. Seal in a jar, and store in a cool, dark location until ready to use.

For the candy vodka cocktail

1. Place 2 candy canes in a chopper or blender and process into granulated sugar. Rim cocktail glasses.
2. Add candy cane vodka, crème de cacao, bitters and ice to a shaker; shake and strain into a rimmed cocktail glass

This recipe was found on boulderlocavore.com

A clementine winter cocktail

Ingredients

• 60ml vodka
• 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed clementine juice
• 15ml fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 30ml rosemary simple syrup
• sugar and lemon zest (for garnishing the rim of the glass)

Instructions

For the rosemary simple syrup

1. To make the rosemary simple syrup, heat 1 cup of water to just under a boil. Pour into a bowl along with a few sprigs of rosemary (bruise first). Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain water back into the pot and add one cup of sugar. Bring to medium heat, stirring continuously until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. This can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.

For the cocktail

1. Prepare the glasses by adding a few spoonfuls of sugar to a plate and then grating some lemon zest into it. Run a wedge of clementine or lemon around the rim of the glass and place the glass upside down onto the sugared plate. Twist the glass around until the rim is coated in sugar.
2. Resist the urge to wet the rim of the glass with water — the citrus juice works much better at keeping the sugar on the rim!
3. Fill the glass with ice.
4. Add vodka, clementine and lemon juices, and rosemary simple syrup.
5. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and enjoy in celebration of World Cocktail Day!

This recipe was found on therecipewench.com