What ingredients do you think of when sitting down for a cocktail during the holiday season? Cinnamon sticks, cloves, and cinnamon? While jalapeños and lime typically aren’t top of mind, you may want to adjust your expectations of holiday cocktails.
“One of my favorite holiday drinks made its way back onto the menu this year, and it’s our jolly-peño margarita,” says Josephine Mirasola, owner of Michaelangelo’s Wine Bar, a wine and cheese bar located in Massapequa Park.
With the addition of cranberries and a few other ingredients, this cocktail is a festive twist on the wine bar’s jalapeño margarita. “I knew we needed to brainstorm how to put a spin on this spicy summer cocktail and turn it into a winter/holiday favorite,” she says.”
“We took the main ingredients and added some fresh cranberries, along with cranberry juice, festive thyme, and instead of salt we put sugar around the rim,” Mirasola says, “making this cocktail the sugar and spice you need to get you through the cold season.”
To make the cocktail, add 2 oz. Flecha Azul Tequila Blanco, 1/2 oz. Cointreau, 1/2 oz. of fresh-squeezed lime juice, and 1 oz. cranberry juice to a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously.
“Take some fresh lime juice and get the rim of the glass nice and wet, dip the glass in the sugar,” she says. “Add mixture into the cup and garnish with fresh lime, cranberries, jalapeño slices, and a little Christmas tree of thyme on top.”
“That is our jolly-peño, here for the holidays,” Mirasola says. “We came up with this cocktail last year and it’s been a customer favorite every holiday season. After all, ‘tis the season to be spicy!”
And even though it may be slightly past the holiday season when you’re reading this, don’t worry: Michelangelo’s can still make the cocktail for you if the ingredients are behind the bar.
Michaelangelo’s Wine Bar is located at 19 Front St., Massapequa Park. It can be reached at 516-882-9463.
