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Best Holiday Drink Ideas From Detroit Mixologists

Holiday Cocktails
(credit: Thinkstock)

The holiday season is upon us and one of the most important components of the season is the old saying of "eat, drink and be merry." With the beverages offered by these two "masters of mixing," you will enjoy every sip and your guests will think you're a genius.

J.S. Fields Lounge
18490 Ford Road
Detroit, MI 48228
(313) 451-8001
www.jsfields.com

Located just west of the Southfield Freeway on Ford Road, this out-of-the-way restaurant and lounge offers a place to stop in for a drink or dinner with family or friends in surroundings that are comfortable and relaxing.

Maria will tell you that of her three favorite holiday drinks to mix, it is the Grinch that is the most popular. To make the Grinch, mix 1 ounce each of Malibu Rum, Spiced Rum, Blue Island Liquor and Melon Liquor. Add a dash of sour, a splash of cranberry juice and top it with a cherry and orange slice. Next on the list is the Frosty, a simple drink with 1 ounce each of Kahlua, Godiva Liquor and cream. Finally there is the Drinking Santa, a blend of 3 ounces of melon liquor with 1 ounce of apple schnapps, 2 ounces of Irish whiskey, a splash of sours and a cherry garnish.

About the mixologist:
Maria Sanchez has been rounding up holiday drink recipes for nearly 20 years at different locations across the Metro Detroit area. She is the type of mixologist that offers a friendly smile to customers while mixing a drink that will keep the customer smiling with every sip from their glass.

Related: Best Sommeliers in Detroit

Moose's Martini Pub
22217 Michigan Ave.
Dearborn, MI 48124
(313) 730-1630
www.moosesmartinipub.com

If you like moose and martinis, then you are going to love Moose's Martini Pub located in the downtown area of West Dearborn. For the past two years, Moose's, which fittingly has a moose on the wall, has been the place on the west side to try one of 150 different types of specialty martinis. Mixologist Christine McKay offers up two of her favorite vodka-based holiday martinis that will just blow your mind.

The Pumpkin Pie martini not only has the taste of pumpkin pie, but it looks like a pie in the glass. Mix 1.5 ounces of vanilla vodka, 0.5 ounces Baileys Irish Cream Liquor, 0.25 ounces DeKuyper Buttershots and 0.5 ounces pumpkin spice liquor. Pour all of that into a martini glass that has a been rimmed with graham cracker crumbs and then top it off with whipped cream. Then there is the Ginger Bread which is made with 0.5 ounces of Svedka Vodka, 1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream Liquor, 0.5 ounces Kaluha and 0.5 ounces Monin Gingerbread Syrup. Pour it into the martini glass, top with whipped cream and place a gingerbread man into the whipped cream.

About the mixologist:
Christine McKay has an extensive background in mixing martinis that will challenge the very concept of what a martini is. McKay has worked across the Metro Detroit area and in the warmer climate of Florida. Throughout that time, she has formed a healthy knowledge base of what to mix and how to present it in a martini glass to bring customers back time and again.

Related: Best Brewpubs Serving Seasonal Beer in the Detroit Area

Award winning freelance writer and photographer Lawrence DiVizio is based in Southeast Michigan and works to convey in words and images the world around us. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

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