Ringing in a new decade requires something special. Champagne!
This French75 is a classic champagne cocktail with a sparkling sugar rim reminding you of the delicious bubbles in the glass. I was a little shy to make a cocktail out of champagne at first, but we went for it, and it was pretty good.

Short post today as we get ready for the festivities. Happy New Year everyone. I wish you all a happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous 2020!!

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I have been waiting anxiously for mulled wine day. While a toddy was the first hot cocktail I was introduced to, my favourite is probably mulled wine. The aromatics used in mulling just evoke a sense of the holidays with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice filling the air. It takes a couple hours to make, and you don't want to rush it, since the longer you let the wine and spices simmer together, the better it will be. The simmering cooks off most of the alcohol in the wine, so we add that back in with a topper of Winegarden Estate brandy.

Whenever we go on long winter hikes, I like to bring a thermos of this along. It's also a great addition to a winter sleigh ride or bonfire. Your friends and family will be so excited when you pull this out of your daypack this winter.

Mulled wine has the longest history of the cocktails we've served this week. It was originally made by the Romans in the second century and carried through Europe on their conquests. In 1390 a recipe for mulled wine was recorded in the "Form of Cury" a medieval cookery book and is strikingly similar to today's recipe including cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom among other spices.

Have you tried mulled wine before? I'm always interested in new spice blends and would love to learn how what recipe you use. If you like this series let us know by liking and sharing the videos, and leaving a comment.

When I think about hot, winter cocktails, the first that comes to mind is a hot toddy. I think it was the first hot cocktail I was introduced to, some time in university, miserable with a cold. Originally made with just a spirit and hot water, the hot toddy has evolved to include all different manner of spirits and additions like honey, sugar, male syrup, lemon juice, cayenne, and other herbs and spices.

Today's particular toddy is a tribute to a good friend of Eric's who passed away a few years ago. Scotty was a huge fan of Seagram's rye whisky, so in his honour, Eric created Scotty's Toddy, a close-to-classic toddy made from rye, hot water and lemon juice. 

What do you think of toddies? Do you have any favourite recipes? If you like this series, let us know by liking and sharing the videos and leaving a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Oh Irish Cream. Like eggnog, it's one of the most decadent parts of the holiday season. This recipe has been passed down for generations through my Mom's family and includes eggs and heavy cream, although our version has been lightened by using lactose-free cereal cream in place of the full monty whipping cream.

I tried to find the history of Irish Cream, but it turns out it's a fairly new invention, coming from the 1970s! BUT, it was probably inspired by more traditional coffee cocktails topped with whipped cream which became popular in Vienna in the mid-1800s.  

This is a drink that my mom usually whips up one or two times a season. It is great in coffee, on its own, over ice, or over ice cream. Depending on the amount of whisky you add the ABV will come out to around 20%. Cheers!

What do you think of Irish Cream? Do you use any of your traditional family recipes? If you like this series, let us know by liking and sharing the videos, and leaving a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

This dessert cocktail was a surprise to me. All the best parts of a ice sundae topped with the sweet, spicy goodness that is Fireball cinnamon whisky. Fireball, for me, is the perfect example of a winter beverage. Every year we host a NYE snowshoe loppet which always includes a Fireball station to warm you up and get you to the end of the course.

You could also choose to top this with a brandy or even the new Chicken Bones liqueur from Moonshine Creek, if you were lucky enough to get a bottle! This would be great as an after-dinner treat, or even as part of a decadent brunch. The music pairing for this cocktail is, without a doubt, Peaches by Presidents of the United States.

Thanks for following along with us on this cocktail journey. We have 5 more days to spend with you and we can't wait to wish you a Happy New Year! Let us know what you would like to see in future series.

Irish Coffee, Spanish Coffee, Mexican Coffee, and on and on, people love dressing up their coffee. It's easy to see where this tradition comes from, with coffee drinking so popular around the world. These days we have access to an amazing array of fair trade coffees, and fresh ground is going to give you best flavour. After breaking up with my keurig a few years ago I invested in a french press and small electric coffee grinder. Now, I have the most amazing, fresh coffee every morning, and it's more sustainable than disposable pods or brewing pots of coffee I don't need.

As for the liqueur, there are so many awesome ones available, from the aforementioned Bailey's to the delicious 23 Mill that we chose for our coffee today. This one, in particular, packs a punch at 40%ABV. Right now it is only available at the distillery, Seize the Day, in the Village of Gagetown, and definitely worth the drive. Make sure to call ahead.

I know that some people use Boxing Day as their clean-up day, while others use it as Christmas recovery. I'm wondering, when do you put Christmas away? Personally, I like to wait until after the new year.

Continue to join us daily on Facebook and IGTV until January 1, 2020 for new cocktail ideas each day. Want to learn more? Consider hosting a "Mix-it-up" tasting this winter and let Uncorked Tours bring awesome NB spirits to you and your friends and family.

We have a special gift for you today. TWO sparkling wine cocktails to share with your friends and family.

Christmas morning mimosas are something I always look forward to. After all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas, it's nice to have some time in the morning to reflect (can you tell there are no kids in my household?) This clementine mimosa takes some of the best of Christmas, including boxes of clementines, and pairs it with a local sparkling wine, Resurgo, from Magnetic Hill Winery. And for those of you playing Santa, it's easy enough to make before opening stockings this morning.

Chocolate strawberries are the bomb and making chocolate covered strawberries is pretty easy. Quick melt your chocolate in the microwave 10 seconds at a time. Then dip strawberries and let cool on parchment paper. I've loved Fresita from the moment I first tried it years ago. It's a sweet strawberry sparkling wine that I always associated with summer. This cocktail has definitely changed my mind.

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When I think of Christmas, one cocktail that always comes to mind is Rum & Eggnog. This classic has been around forever. Well, maybe not forever, but a long time. Culinary historians agree that eggnog first made an appearance in the 13th century as a posset, a hot milky-ale drink popular in medieval Britain. However, eggnog really gained in popularity as a Christmas beverage with rum in 17th century America where milk, eggs and cheap rum were abundant.

Even George Washington penned his own liquor-laden recipe for eggnog in the 18th century: 'One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.'

Our eggnog today is a little less involved than Washington's, and benefits from modern appliances like a blender. Compared to the sugary, almost eggless eggnogs found in supermarkets, this nog is on another level. We served ours over French Vanilla ice cream, garnished with some fresh ground nutmeg and a festive candy cane.

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Today's cocktail is designed to warm you up as those cold days of winter start to settle in. Chai is a type of tea that is made using Indian spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. This gives it an amazing aroma that will fill your house with the smell of sweet spice, perfect for the holiday season. Chai can be made with hot water, if you want to remove the dairy from this recipe, but I think the warm milk gives it a nostalgic vibe, so we kept it in.

We chose Sailor Jerry as a spiced rum, mainly because I like the label, and it reminded me of going south. Any good spiced rum would work, and if you're looking for a local alternative, I think the Northern Comfort from Sussex Distilllers would be great.

This video was a short one, and I promise some of our cocktails will be more involved, but like we promised in the beginning, this series is for everyone. The holidays can be very hectic, with travel, family, food, drink, parties, more travel, and on and on. This tea cocktail is perfect for after a day out skating or sliding with the kids, or shoveling the snow off the roof to make way for Santa.

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Earlier this year I was introduced to an awesome new company in Moncton producing kombucha, VALK Fermentation. Kombucha is a fermented, non-alcoholic, tea that is usually fruit flavoured and contains probiotics, making it a gut-healthy drink. Pairing the fruitiness of the kombucha with the herbal flavours of Gin Thuya, from our friends up North at Distillerie Fils Du Roy, is a great way to enjoy this twist on a cranberry gin fizz.

We promised to keep it super easy, and here it is, gin and juice. Kombucha is an interesting product that is growing in popularity. It is fermented contains some alcohol, although the alcohol content is very low (usually <1%), which is why you see it being sold in grocery stores. It's slightly acidic and can be sweet or dry, depending on the choice of the brewer. Kombucha is alive, in the same way that quality yogurts and other fermented foods are alive and this is where its healthy, probiotic properties are found.  

Gin is one of my favourite spirits. All the different flavours and botanicals are something I've been enjoying for a little while now. That's why some of these cocktails are so simple. I like to let the flavour of the spirit come through.

Let us know what you think of this cranberry cocktail and if you have tried kombucha and have any favourite brands. We'd love to hear from you.