When I was tasked with creating a cocktail for the Third day of Christmas, Three French Hens, my mind immediately went to a classic French cocktail, “The Yellow.” That cocktail is tart, herbal, and complex cocktail of equal parts gin, yellow chartreuse, and traditionally Suze Gentian Liqueur. Combining those three creates an almost golden-yellow cocktail with bright Alpine expressions. I wanted to switch it up a bit and give it a Christmas vibe for the holiday season while adding a play on of the title.

I chose three French spirits. First, Citadelle gin (the oldest gin distiller in France). Then, Yellow Chartreuse to stay classic Yellow. And, then, finally, a fun spice note in Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. By adding Cardamom bitters and nutmeg, it elevates the holiday seasonal flavors with baking spices found in every kitchen that time of year. A fun twist to enhance the mouthfeel of the cocktail is Aquafaba, cooked chickpea juice. This small addition helps create an amazing lovely frothy layer on top. This replicates what an egg white would originally do in a cocktail but keeps it vegan.

Behind the “Three French Hens” Verse

Some say the three French hens in Yellow Chartreuse represent the three virtues of hope, faith, and charity. The number three is also important in Christianity, as it can represent the three points of the trinity. There’s some debate over how much Christianity is actually in the song, though, as so many different versions of it have come out over time and some say its Christian undertones are something of an urban legend. The most popular variety is by an English composer named Frederic Austin from 1909, but the song dates back to as early as 1780. The gifts are also, shall we say, impractical. A party with this French cocktail would be a lot more fun than a party with three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree, unless you happen to be a farmer.

Three French Hens, Three French Liquors Cocktail

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• Author: Alexander Riola

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Description

Alexander Riola of Fish Nor Fowl brings this creative, Alpine cocktail that will make any holiday party feel like a classy aprés-ski gathering.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1oz Citadelle French Gin
• 1oz Yellow Chartreuse
• .5oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• .5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• .5-.75oz Chilled Aquafaba (Instructions below)
• 1 Dash Cardamom Bitters (I prefer Fee Brothers)
• Pinch of Fresh Ground Nutmeg

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Instructions

1. Chill your Coupe glass before shaking.
2. Then, dry shake. Shaking without Ice will help emulsify the ingredients creating the froth we desire.
3. Add ice and reshake with vigor.
4. Double strain into Chilled Coupe glass.
5. On top of the frothy layer add a pinch of nutmeg for design. Using fun holiday cutouts can also add a memorable touch to the party.
6. Top with a small Feather laying across the coupe. Jouir de!

Aquafaba Instructions:

Aquafaba can be used in any cocktail recipe that calls for egg white. Here’s a basic approach to incorporating it into your drinks:

1. Chill: Start with chilled unsalted aquafaba, as it froths better when cold.
2. Mix: Add aquafaba to your cocktail shaker along with the other ingredients. For a standard frothy cocktail, use about 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
3. Dry Shake: First, shake the ingredients without ice to allow the aquafaba to emulsify and create foam.
4. Wet Shake: Add ice to the shaker and shake again vigorously. This step chills the drink and enhances the froth created by the aquafaba.
5. Strain and Serve: Strain the cocktail into your serving glass. You should have a beautifully frothy top layer, similar to what you’d achieve with egg whites.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Alexander Riola of Fish Nor Fowl
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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For the “Four Calling Birds” bartender Hannah McKee of jazz bar Con Alma combined two of her favorite four-part drinks, the Aviation cocktail and the Paper Plane cocktail. The Aviation typically uses gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and creme de violette. The Paper Plane, which grew out of that recipe, typically uses Amaro Nonino, Aperol, bourbon, and lemon juice. In Hannah’s recipe, she swapped out the Aperol and bourbon for the smoky flavor of mezcal. 

Four Calling Birds? Why Are There So Many Birds in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? 

You might notice that in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” there’s a little bit of an overkill of birds. Partridges? Turtle doves? Hens? Geese? Who actually wants this many birds? For this “Four Calling Birds” installment, the Aviation and the Paper Plane both call to mind taking flight. In the case of four calling birds, the line was most likely originally “colley” or “collie” birds, meaning black as coal. So, the four birds were probably crows, ravens, or blackbirds. But in the 1909 version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Frederic Austin swapped out “colley” for “calling.” Why there are so many birds are in the song is unclear. But many of these birds would have been eaten by Europeans in the 1700s, when the song originated, so even if they didn’t pair it with this Aviation cocktail, it still represented togetherness and plenty.

Four Calling Birds, Twist on an Aviation Cocktail

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• Author: Hannah McKee

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Description

This Amaro, mezcal, and maraschino cocktail from Hannah McKee of jazz bar Con Alma takes flight.

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Ingredients

• .75 oz Granja Nomada mezcal
• .75 oz Amaro Nonino
• .5 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
• .75 oz lemon juice

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Instructions

1. This cocktail is shaken and served in a Nick and Nora glass with a long elegant manicured orange twist expressed over the glass and then “perched” on the side.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Hannah McKee of Con Alma
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla 

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When Vallozzi’s of Pittsburgh developed their Christmas cocktail for “Five Golden Rings,” they immediately thought of their liquid gold: Limoncello! They decided to use five “golden” ingredients with lemon as the star flavor. They used their very own their housemade limoncello, but there are lots of great, pre-made brands: Il Tramonto Limoncello and Sogno di Sorrento Limoncello are two of them. Lucky Signs makes a lovely version, too. Limoncello, lemon sherbet, and yellow chartreuse combine to create a golden delight in this limoncello cocktail.

Five Golden Rings? 

Many of the lines in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem somewhat nonsensical. This is one of the few that is a gift that most people would actually want, as opposed to partridges, milkmaids, or geese. Five golden rings is a lot of rings, though. Are you just supposed to wear one on each finger of your hand? In any case, some people think that the Five Golden Rings reference the five wounds of Jesus Christ, or the Five Books of Moses. Honestly, it’s more significant because of its place in the song. Maybe you hear the refrain in your head: “Five gooooolden rings,” which is a sign to rush through the repetition of gifts one through four!  Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or not, this limoncello cocktail is an uplifting sip for all.

Five Golden Rings Limoncello Cocktail

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• Author: Stephanie Yarup & Laura Karner

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Description

Go for the gold this Christmas with this limoncello cocktail from Vallozzi’s.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cocktail:

• 1.5oz Limoncello
• .5oz Chartreuse yellow liqueur
• .5oz lemon juice
• .5oz lemon sherbet (see recipe & substitution below)
• 1oz egg white

For the lemon sherbet: 

• 4 Lemons
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 12oz fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

For the cocktail:

1. Combine all ingredients and dry shake (no ice) first to get a nice froth from the egg white.
2. Add ice and shake again. Strain into your favorite chilled coupe or martini glass.
3. Garnish with 5 drops of extra virgin olive oil to get Five Golden Rings floating in the froth!

For the lemon sherbet: 

1. Add JUST the lemon peels to the sugar, none of the white pith, by using a Microplane grater or a vegetable peeler.
2. Squeeze the peeled lemons to get the required juice for the recipe. Use a muddler or a heavy wooden spoon (or other heavy utensil) to firmly press the peels into the sugar. This will extract the tasty oils from the peels and incorporate them into the sugar.
3. Let sit for 30 minutes to bring out all the oil. Mix.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice over medium heat.
5. Stir until sugar is dissolved and remove. Do not boil. Strain to remove peels.

Notes

If you need to streamline this recipe to better fit your format, we understand. We would say to make a syrup with a 2:1 sugar:lemon juice ratio. This will give you a sweeter outcome, but still make it a little thicker than a normal simple syrup which is necessary. Making the full lemon sherbet recipe, however, brings out some really incredible lemon flavor and gives it a different mouthfeel.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Stephanie Yarup & Laura Karner of Vallozzi’s
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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Grey Goose is one of the best vodkas out there. When TABLE tasked bartender Aiden Leyland of Pittsburgh gastropub The Commoner with being number six in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktail series, Leyland came up with an inventive Six Geese-a-Laying Grey Goose cocktail that infuses this classic vodka with toasted oats and matcha syrup for a refreshing and refined drink. The matcha syrup is also great to put into other cocktails or mocktails, because it keeps in your fridge for up to a month. Note: It’s best to make the toasted oat Grey Goose overnight, so plan in advance to serve the next day if you’re making this cocktail!

What’s Up with the Six Geese-a-Laying?

Christians have claimed that the six geese-a-laying refers to the six days of creation in the Book of Genesis. But goose was also a very popular meal in Europe in the 1700s when the original “Twelve Days of Christmas” first appeared. Maybe if you’re really reading into it, the geese could symbolize fertility and new life, and each egg could represent a promise of abundance and growth. But it’s also likely that this was a popular Christmas feast food when the song came into being. Suffice it to say the vodka the European peasants were drinking was probably a little stronger than what we have today, but maybe they would have enjoyed a Grey Goose cocktail too.

Six Geese A-Laying Grey Goose Cocktail

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• Author: Aiden Leyland

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Description

For the cocktail:

• 1.5oz toasted oat Grey Goose (See below)
• 0.5oz Dolin Génépy
• 0.75oz matcha syrup (See below)
• 0.66oz fresh lime juice
• 1 egg white
• 1 cinnamon stick

For the toasted oat Grey Goose:

• 150g Grey Goose vodka
• 50g oats

For the matcha syrup:

• 250g hot water (approximately 1 cup)
• 250g sugar (approximately 1 cup)
• 5g matcha powder (approximately 1 teaspoon)

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Ingredients

For the cocktail:

1. Combine ingredients in shaking tin. Shake without ice for 12 seconds to disperse the egg white and whip it into foam.
2. Open the shaker, than add ice to shake again for another 12 seconds. Double strain into a coup through a fine mesh strainer to remove all the ice particles.
3. Grate the cinnamon stick onto one side of the glass for garnish. Enjoy!

For the matcha syrup:

1. Combine the matcha powder with the hot water first in order to break up any clumps that may occur.
2. While water is still warm, add the sugar. Store for up to one month.

For the toasted oat Grey Goose:

1. Toast the oats in a pan until aromatic and a little brown. Once done, add the oats into a container with the vodka.
2. Let the toasted oats sit in the vodka for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 24 hours for best results.

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Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Aiden Leyland of The Commoner
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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LoBar Cocktail Services’s  “seven swans-a-swimming” cocktail for our Twelve Days of Christmas series begins with a classic Hemingway Daiquiri. Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the coast of the Florida Keys, is the inspiration for the Hemingway Daiquiri. He preferred a double-rum in his Floridita Daiquiri in Cuba. (You can still visit the Floridita bar in Havana, and order a daiquiri there.) Since ole Ernie was not the type of person to order just one cocktail, he ordered it enough times that the Hemingway Daiquiri became its own cocktail. For another take on the daiquiri, try our Easy Strawberry Daiquiri recipe.

Seven Swans a-Swimming?

Legend has it that the seven swans in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” lyrics represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. There’s another reading, which is that swans were “luxury goods, a medieval Gucci handbag, if you will,” as historian Professor Kate Williams writes. In 1251, Henry III ordered 125 swans for the Christmas feast for his court. While we can’t promise 125 swans, or even seven, this Hemingway Daiquiri is a luxurious drink to sip. Also, if you’re not feeling good about the holiday carols getting stuck in your head, check out folk musician Sufjan Stevens’s 2004 album Seven Swans. It will free your mind a bit.

Seven Swans A-Swimming, a Hemingway Daiquiri

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• Author: Lo Bar Cocktail Services

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Description

This gorgeous cocktail has a luxurious, tropical flair.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cocktail:

• 1 oz rum
• 1 oz grapefruit + bay leaf syrup
• 1 oz lime
• Garnish with grapefruit slice and bay leaf

Grapefruit and bay leaf syrup:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup water
• Zest of 1/2 grapefruit
• 2 bay leaves

 

 

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Instructions

For the cocktail:

1. Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker.
2. Strain, pour over ice in glass of your choice (if you feel like the swan glass, here is an option).

For the simple syrup: 

1. Add the sugar, water bay leaves, and grapefruit to a saucepan. Heat over medium and stir often, until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Let stand until cool, then pour syrup into a small jar or other airtight container.

 

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Aubrey & Lisa of Lo Bar Cocktail Services
Styling by Anna FranklinPhotography by Laura Petrilla 

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My name is Brandon Mohney, and I have been tending bar at Bar Botanico in Pittsburgh for the past two years. Inspired by our staff’s travels to Puerto Rico and dedicated to all of the friends we’ve made there, I wanted to make a rendition of Coquito in a cocktail, a traditional Puerto Rican festive drink enjoyed around the holidays! My mother is vegan and has always been jealous, unable to enjoy our family’s Eggnog at Christmas. While traditional coquito is made using dairy, I was inspired to create a vegan-friendly recipe so my mother could finally join the festivities! You can also get this cocktail on the menu at Bar Botanico in Pittsburgh as our Feature of the Month through the end of December 2024.

Why Does “The Twelve Days of Christmas” Include Eight Maids-a-Milking?

Let’s be honest. Eight maids-a-milking is one of the weirdest verses in “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” How exactly does this gift work? Do you receive the milk the maids make? Are the maids themselves the gift somehow? (Don’t read into that one too hard). There’s very little rhyme or reason to why this is in the song, other than milk being a symbol of abundance and many medieval European songs using the image of a maiden to show beauty and innocence. Some Christian scholars have said that the eight maids a-milking represent the eight beatitudes in Catholicism. This coquito cocktail is non-denominationally delicious, however. Grab your Puerto Rican rum and enjoy!

Eight Maids-a-Milking Coconut Coquito

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• Author: Brandon Mohney

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Description

A vegan coquito for all to enjoy!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cans of coconut milk (10-14oz)
• 1 can of unsweetened coconut cream (10-14oz)
• 1 can of sweetened condensed coconut milk (10-14oz)
• 1 pint of coconut water
• 50g fresh ginger
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 8 cloves
• 2 star anise pods
• 5 allspice berries
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• a bottle of aged Puerto Rican Rum (I used Bacardi 8-year reserve)
• a bottle of Licor 43
• a bottle of Damiana liqueur

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Instructions

1. Coarsely chop the ginger, leaving the skin on. In a small pot, add the coconut water, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and allspice berries. Bring to a boil for two minutes, then reduce heat and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and then set aside to let cool.
2. Next, add coconut milk, unsweetened coconut cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk to a blender. Gradually increase the speed and blend until homogenous. This will prevent the separation of the coconut cream. When finished pour the coconut mixture into a large mixing bowl.
3. In the same mixing bowl add, 250mL of the spice tea, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 500mL of aged Puerto Rican Rum (or less if you want a less boozy version, but I recommend full strength), 4oz of Licor 43, 4oz of Damiana (if you cannot find Damiana, replace with an additional 4oz of Licor 43)
4. Whisk everything together in the mixing bowl. Using a funnel, transfer it into glass bottles for storage. Store in the fridge and let it rest for 24-72 hours before serving as the flavor and texture will improve as it ages.
5. Shake well before serving and enjoy it in your favorite holiday mug with a generous amount of fresh grated cinnamon on top!

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Brandon Mohney of Bar Botanico
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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For our feature, we wanted to highlight the essence of Esquina Cantina, where the cocktail menu is “always summer,” while infusing the comfort of holiday herbs and spices. This cocktail boasts fig, a summer fruit that packs a seasonally versatile flavor, bergamot, thyme, cinnamon, agave, and, of course, Don Julio Blanco tequila. We loved the idea of “time” for the name of the cocktail, as in “time to celebrate” or “tempo” in dance, and as a play on words as thyme is featured twice in the recipe! Our absolute favorite part about this cocktail is the garnish. There is just nothing better than fresh herbs, and the extra-long lemon twist that pirouettes around the thyme creates a movement that partners with the “nine ladies dancing” theme.

What’s Up with the Nine Ladies Dancing?

What happens towards the end of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? We suspect that the writers started to run out of good gift ideas. (It happens to us all, no shame). The nine ladies dancing definitely add a spirited, festive touch to a Christmas party. The party only gets wilder with verses ten through 12!

Dance Magazine investigated how much this gift would actually cost: a whopping $7,552.84, according to PNC Bank.  There’s some religious connotation: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Those nine attributes are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Cocktails are not exactly representative of self-control, but you should probably exercise it if you’re on cocktail number three here, because this spice cocktail is roundly full of tequila.

Nine Ladies Dancing Spice Cocktail

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• Author: Larkin Kolls & Jamie Cumberledge

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Description

Mix a summer vibe with holiday spices!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cocktail

• 5oz Don Julio Blanco
• .75oz fig & thyme syrup (see below)
• .75oz bergamot purée (can sub lemon juice)
• .5oz agave syrup
• Pinch ground cinnamon

For the fig & thyme syrup: 

• 12oz fig purée
• 12oz sugar
• 24oz water
• 1 tbsp dried thyme

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Instructions

For the cocktail:

1. Combine ingredients in shaker tin. Shake. Double Strain into Nick & Nora glass.
2. Garnish: Lemon ribbon wrapped around fresh thyme. Pinch of ground cinnamon.

For the fig & thyme syrup:

1. Combine fig, sugar and water over high heat. Bring to a boil until all sugar is dissolved.
2. Add thyme and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant. Cool. Strain until smooth.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Larkin Kolls and Jamie Cumberledge, Esquina Cantina
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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Cam Dickson of Ritual House’s apple bourbon cocktail take on the “Ten lords-a-leaping” verse of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” could be called “Ten tipplers tippling”. There’s a lot of bourbon in it. The beautiful garnish is a ten-apple fan, calling to mind the regality of lords, whether they’re leaping or sleeping. There are lots of opportunities to get creative with this apple bourbon cocktail with swirl designs in the foam and the garnish fan, which Cam explains how to achieve below.

Why are There Ten Lords A-Leaping in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?

At the end of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” there’s an abrupt shift from bird gifts to…people gifts? If you sit down and think about it, the last couple gifts aren’t really gifts at all. Milkmaids? Ladies? Lords? Perhaps it makes more sense to imagine them as guests at a party. Really, five golden rings are the only thing in the song that one could feasibly receive as a gift. Some say it’s a reference to the Ten Commandments. But “The Twelve Days of Christmas” originated as a French folk song in the 1700s, so one can imagine after a night of heavy drinking (perhaps not on an apple bourbon cocktail, but something strong all the same), the bard just began to riff.

Ten Lords A-Leaping Apple Bourbon Cocktail

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• Author: Cam DIckson

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Description

Get creative with the garnish on this bourbon-forward cocktail!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cocktail:

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1.5 oz apple juice
• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• .75 oz Demerara syrup
• 1 egg white
• 1 Dash Angostura bitters, for garnish

For the Demerara syrup:

• 2 parts raw Demerara sugar, or light brown sugar
• 1 part water

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Instructions

For the cocktail and garnish:

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin, add ice and give a quick hard shake for ~10 seconds. Strain the cocktail back into the small end of your tin, discard the shaken ice, and then dry shake the cocktail hard for ~20-30 seconds. The dry shake will make the foam of the egg white nice and stiff. Strain again into glass.
2. Garnish with a drop of Angostura bitters into the foam, which you can swirl around with a straw or cocktail pick to make a cute latte art-esque design.
3. The two garnish options I have for you are a 10 apple slice apple-fan, which you can achieve by cutting 1/8th of an inch into the cheek of an apple then making thin slices, skewering, and fanning out the apple slices. The other garnish is an orange peel, which was achieved by taking a wide Y-peel of an orange, then cutting out a head and feet and a whole in the chest to sit the garnish on the glass.
4. When you take your Y peeler, you’ll want to apply a lot of pressure on the orange to keep the cut as wide as possible, otherwise the curve of the orange might give you an uneven size towards the bottom. Before you make your cuts, you’ll want to clean up the edges to give yourself a square peel to start with.

For the Demerara syrup:

1. This takes 5 minutes and can be eyeballed or measured with tablespoons or measurement tools most people should have in their kitchen.
2. If the reader is really in a pinch, the simple syrup could be made in the microwave by covering with plastic wrap and stirring every 2 minutes of heating until all is dissolved. Keeps for a month in the fridge after it’s finished.

 

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Cam Dickson of Ritual House
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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This spiced champagne cocktail from Colin McNamee of COBRA plays on the “eleven pipers piping” verse of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” by creating a Piper Sonoma Sparkling Wine cocktail. Piper Sonoma is dry and fresh with aromas of citrus fruits, apple and orange blossom. Then, you get flavors of green apple, mandarin orange and brioche, with a long and elegant finish. It’s a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend, and is both delicious on its own and in a sparkling wine cocktail like this one.

What are Eleven Pipers Piping?

The “pipers” referred to in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are likely flute players. The origins of this verse are unclear, as earlier verses have a clearer grounding in Christian imagery.  At this point in the song, you have an aviary’s worth of birds, some rings, and twenty-seven people from the previous verses. What’s eleven more? However, sadly, due to inflation, the eleven pipers are going to cost you $3,714.96 this year. Better start budgeting early for your pipers! But, fear not, one spiced champagne cocktail is better and more affordable than that.

Eleven Piper’s Piping Spiced Champagne Cocktail

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• Author: Colin McNamee

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Description

An easy and fun champagne cocktail for the holidays.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• .5 oz cinnamon simple syrup
• 3 dashes angostura bitters
• 6oz chilled Piper Sonoma Sparkling Wine

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Instructions

1. Build in a flute glass.
2. Garnish with cinnamon stick “pipe flute”.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Colin McNamee of COBRA
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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Spencer Warren of Pittsburgh’s The Warren Bar and Burrow tapped into celebratory energy for a rum cocktail which tops off the last verse of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” This easy rum cocktail uses ginger, hibiscus, apple cider, and cinnamon syrup to create a perfect holiday drink. Plus, it gets in on the “long cocktail” in a Tom Collins glass being the drink of the year from Food & Wine.  

Is There Any Reason “The Twelve Days of Christmas” Ends with Twelve Drummers Drumming?

So, this is it. You’ve reached the end of the song. If you’re singing it out loud, you’re probably stumbling over your words and wondering if anyone would ever actually want these gifts. Each year, PNC Bank calculates how much this whole affair would cost you in reality in their Christmas Price Index. In 2024, by the time you get to the twelve drummers drumming, you’ve spent $49,263.47. Those twelve drummers don’t seem to appear in the song for any particular reason other than joyous din. But, by this point in caroling, you’re most likely pretty worn out. So, our last “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktail is an easy rum cocktail, nothing required other than shaking and garnishing. Merry Christmas!

Twelve Drummers Drumming Easy Rum Cocktail

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• Author: Spencer Warren

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Description

Enjoy hibiscus, rum, and ginger liqueur in this festive cocktail.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 parts hibiscus tea
• 4 parts apple cider
• 3 parts El Dorado 8 Year Rum
• 1 part Barrows Ginger Liqueur
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1 Part cinnamon syrup

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Instructions

1. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
2. Pour over ice in a Tom Collins or Tiki Mug.
3. Garnish with edible flower and apple wheel.

Recipe by Spencer Warren from The Warren
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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