The holidays are the perfect excuse to invite friends for an impromptu celebration – plus with overnight guests coming and going, there are lots of opportunities for last-minute cocktails! When our friends at McCormick asked us to come up with easy drink and snack pairings that include their dee-lish extracts, we jumped at the chance to create a couple of cozy sips that will make any night feel like a celebration — and luckily for the host, they both take less than 20 minutes to prep from start to finish.
photography by Kristen Kilpatrick
First up is the Maple Bourbon Punch, which we actually served at our company holiday party this year! It’s that good.
With maple extract and pure vanilla extract, this punch is bursting with the flavors of the season. I always keep a few of McCormick’s extracts on hand in my spice cabinet since they’re the quickest way to add rich flavor to baked goods — and turns out, they’re a great hack for mixing up flavor-packed cocktails, too.
An ice ring is the easiest way to add real “wow” factor to punch. It’s truly our favorite party trick!
… into the bowl it goes.
Click here to get the complete recipe for our Maple Bourbon Punch!
The perfect pairing for this punch? Spicy popcorn tossed with finely chopped rosemary and a sprinkle of paprika. Yum.
Next up is this jaw-dropping Pomegranate Spice Champagne Punch. Nothing feels more festive than popping a couple bottles and serving this up at a holiday party.
Champagne is the star of this cocktail, along with some flavorful ingredients and colorful garnishes.
Take your guests’ palettes to a winter wonderland by adding so much flavor with McCormick’s Ground Cinnamon and Pure Vanilla Extract. One thing that I’ve learned is the importance of keeping your ground cinnamon fresh. Your nose is the best guide to determining if yours is: it should smell warm, rich and sweet, like a cinnamon cookie just out of the oven.
Click here to get the complete recipe for this Pomegranate Spice Champagne Cocktail!
We love pairing this drink with crunchy chickpeas that we sprinkled with this blend of crushed red pepper with garlic and oregano. Set the pairing out at your next holiday gathering and watch guests swoon.
