March 28, 2024

Raise a Glass to 2016

Dec. 18, 2015

Hot Drink Trends For The Holidays And Beyond

‘Tis the season for toasts, parties and merry gatherings – all of which deserve a glass of liquid cheer. Northern Michigan’s bartenders and proprietors share their favorite drinks for the holidays, plus trends on tap for 2016.

HOLIDAY DRINKS

Nothing says New Year’s Eve like champagne. But picking up a few bottles of high-end bubbly can quickly add up. Beverage Manager and Sommelier Travis Tache of Petoskey’s Seventeen says several brands in the $30-$40 range “knock out” their more expensive counterparts in both quality and taste. “Baron-Fuenté is fantastic at an entry level price,” Tache said. “Lallier and R.H. Coutier are also beautiful. Pierre Peters is another good grower champagne.”

At Café Sante in Boyne City, Bar Manager Nate Jason says light and sparkly is the way to go for New Year’s Eve cocktails – “something that’s not going to end your party too soon.” He recommends a French 75, made with gin, sour mix, bitters and sparkling cava; add St. Germaine, shake it and garnish it with a cucumber to recreate the restaurant’s popular St. Hendrick’s cocktail.

Co-owner Mandy Moseler of Lake Leelanau’s Northern Latitudes Distillery gets in the spirit of the season mixing eggnog with the distillery’s Manitou Passage Rum or Deer Camp Straight Bourbon Whiskey. She also swears by her family’s fourth-generation Hot Grog recipe: Using a percolator, put eight short cinnamon sticks broken in half and four tablespoons of whole cloves in the percolator basket; add one 46-ounce can of pineapple juice, one 64-ounce bottle of cranberry juice and one cup of light brown sugar to the bottom of the percolator; perk until done. Pour into a mug and serve with two ounces of bourbon or rum.

2016 TREND: BOURBON AND BARRELS

When describing one of the year's biggest trends, Tache cuts right to the chase: “Bourbon is huge right now.” Whether it’s Low Bar or Nolan’s Cigar Bar in Traverse City, 120 South in Mount Pleasant or Grey Gables Inn Restaurant in Charlevoix, expect to find well-curated bourbon lists dotting the region this year.

Part and parcel with the trend: Barrel-aging spirits. No longer the exclusive domain of distilleries, barrel-aging is also popping up in restaurants, bars and breweries. Bellaire’s Short’s Brewing Company has released several brews aged in bourbon barrels, including Bourbon Barrel Aged Happy Jack, Maple Bourbon Barrel Magician and Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance Black Beer.

2016 TREND: BOTANICALS AND SHRUBS

Owner Gary Jonas of Traverse City’s The Little Fleet began experimenting with shrubs – sweetened vinegar-based syrups infused with fruit – more than a year ago. Now they’re “blowing up in the bar,” said Jonas. “They add a nice dimension to a cocktail.” Shrubs have become such a hit that the company started a new division, The Shrub Soda Company, to bottle and sell the concoctions.

Tache also features shrubs at Seventeen. “It’s definitely up-and-coming,” he said. “The response to these cocktails has been overwhelmingly positive.” Herbs and floral ingredients are also increasing in popularity. “If you can grow botanicals outside in the summer, like we do, it adds a great quality to a cocktail,” Tache said.

2016 TREND: LOCAL, FRESH, HOMEMADE

Forget your usual “top-shelf ” liquor brands: These days, the words “Made in Michigan” are considered the ultimate seal of quality. “Since we’ve opened, we’ve used Michigan-based spirits in our signature drinks,” said Cafe Sante’s Jason. Two James Spirits, Valentine Distilling, New Holland Artisan Spirits, Journeyman Distillery, Civilized Spirits, Traverse City Whiskey Company and Grand Traverse Distillery are among the companies boxing out national brands on northern Michigan liquor shelves.

The love of all things local also extends to mixers and garnishes. Barbara Saxton, bar manager at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub in Traverse City, shops the local farmers market in the summer to make fresh fruit and vegetable purees and juices. “This fall I pressed apples for mulled cider, and roasted pumpkins for a pumpkin spice syrup,” Saxton said. Also now considered mandatory: House-made bitters, simple syrup and sour mix. “Nothing is out of a can or a bottle anymore,” said Seventeen’s Tache.

2016 TREND: NEW TWISTS ON OLD CLASSICS

For all the innovative trends in mixology, some people still prefer a tried-and-true Old Fashioned, Cosmopolitan or margarita. To satisfy those customers – while also staying modern and fresh – bartenders are now looking to put subtle twists on old classics.

“For our Negroni, we got ahold of some small barrels and barrelaged (the cocktail),” said Jason, who mellows gin, Campari and red and white Lillet in oak barrels to make the signature drink. Jason also updates his Cosmpolitan by floating cava – sparkling wine – on top of the cocktail. “It adds another layer of fun and sensation,” he said.

Saxton, meanwhile, offers a playful take on an Old Fashioned called the Archaic Maple, featuring Redbreast 12-year whiskey, Sleeping Bear Farms maple syrup, orange bitters and an orange twist.

The key to a well-rounded cocktail menu in 2016, according to Tache, is highlighting ingredients and recipes people are comfortable with, while adding new flourishes to keep things creative and current. “It’s a delicate balance,” he said.

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