Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1512887
W hatever you're toasting to this holiday season, everything tastes better when it's made with love. Yet who has time to make pretty cocktails when there are turkeys to baste, latkes to flip, kinara to light, presents to wrap, and some kid (oh no — is it mine?) running off with their cousin's iPad or fencing with great- grandma's cane? But — in less time than it takes for Paul Hollywood to say his first "punchy" in an episode of The Great British Baking Show a er everyone else has slunk off to bed — you can whip up a simple cinnamon grenadine that turns every drink into a festive spark of joy. Bonus points: it goes with just about anything. G R E N A D I N E For about 8 ounces of the stuff, you'll need: 1c brown sugar 1c pomegranate juice ½ tsp ground cinnamon Put this all in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low heat, stirring continuously to prevent it from boiling over (beware the sneak attacks of foam), until it's the consistency of maple syrup, i.e., reduced by about half. Set aside to cool before bottling it up (a funnel helps) and keeping it in the fridge for up to one month. May all your celebrations be merry and all your beverages bright. Happy holidays. Sierra Stark Stevens built recipes and mixed drinks in cra cocktail bars in Macon and Athens for most of the last ten years. She loves creating all things booze and bubbles. C O C K TA I L S These recipes use a small grocery list that doubles as a holiday table décor, plus delicious ingredients from Longleaf Distillery. Did you know we have a distillery right here in Macon? We do! I dropped by their gorgeous tasting room on Second St. to pick up my bottles. They're also available at select liquor stores. Macon Leary 1.5 oz Longleaf Heirloom American Whiskey (Madeira-aged) 3/4 oz cinnamon grenadine ½ oz Evergreen Alpine Liqueur 1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini or rocks glass (sans rocks). Garnish with clementine peel (use a potato peeler around the clementine's equator to make things easy), spritzing the top of the drink with the oil that pops out from the peel when you twist it. Little Saint Nick 1.5 oz Longleaf Southland American Gin (Navy Strength) ½ oz cinnamon grenadine ¾ oz lemon juice Yuzu+ Green Tea Montane sparkling water Lightly shake the gin, grenadine, and lemon juice with ice, then pour over ice cubes in a tall glass. Top with a splash of the bubbly water. Garnish generously with clementine slices and rosemary sprigs, and add pomegranate pips for little pops of color. Shirley Blake 1 part cinnamon grenadine 1 part lemon juice 2 parts water Shake with ice and serve with clementine slices. Add rosemary for grownups and adventurous kids. It looks awfully cute in a teacup and is fantastic in a punch bowl. Grocery list: Pomegranate juice Clementines Lemons Rosemary Pomegranates Brown sugar Cinnamon Montane Yuzu and Green Tea sparkling water (available at The Village Marketplace) DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 | maconmagazine.com 37 Booze to buy: Heirloom American Whiskey Southland American Gin (Navy Strength) Evergreen Alpine Liqueur