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john cusimano
cocktails
red wine
thanksgiving
holiday
christmas
drinks

John dreamt up this festive holiday cocktail with pantry ingredients after Chef Geoffrey Zakarian asked him and Rachael to contribute a recipe to his holiday special "The Great American Foodathon," which is airing on select Fox stations on November 25th to raise money for City Harvest & No Kid Hungry.  

It's delicious with Rach's Individual Turkey Roulades With Spinach, Blue and Cheddar Cheeses and Spiced Red Wine Apple Sauce or a fancy appetizer board.

Want more Turkey Day ideas? Click here.

Ingredients

For the Mulled Wine Base:
  • One 750-mL bottle red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • Peel of 1 orange, studded with 3 cloves
  • Peel of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the cocktail:
  • 3 ounces chilled Mulled Wine Base
  • ½ ounce orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
  • ½ ounce simple syrup
  • 2 ounces club soda
  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Yield

Serves: 1

Preparation

For the Mulled Wine Base, in a saucepan, combine all base ingredients, heat and stir over low heat until it reaches a low boil.  Turn off, let steep and cool for at least 15 minutes, then strain into a container and refrigerate to chill.

For the cocktail, add the Mulled Wine Base, the orange liqueur and simple syrup to an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake well, then strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with club soda and garnish with lemon twist and a straw.

Always drink responsibly.