merry magnificent bastard

Earlier in 2010 Bryan Swanson invented The Magnificent Bastard cocktail, and it's turned into our favorite drink. Clearly a talented mixologist, we asked Swanson to create a holiday version of the MB and it's equally outstanding.

2 oz Bulleit bourbon
1 oz Domaine de Canton
1/8 oz Laphroaig 10-year scotch
2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir vigorously for 20-30 seconds. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass.

From the inventor: "The ginger in the DdC and clove/spice flavors in the Fee Brothers give the drink a nice warming touch. Have it with some gingerbread and it's a holiday."

martinez

Understated yet festive cocktails don't get much more delicious than the Martinez. Enjoy it with the right gin, top-shelf vermouth, and Christmas-y bitters like the Fee Brothers. You would not be faulted for keeping it on your drink list throughout the year, especially if you used Angostura during the other 11 months.

2 parts Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1 part sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula or Dolin Rouge)
1/4 part Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Shake or swirl lightly, garnish with a lemon twist.

holiday g&t

A gin & tonic in December? Yes. This is bastardly seasonal, with a nod to the scent of a Christmas tree. By using Hayman's Old Tom as the preferred gin during the Season, you can safely take the gin-to-tonic ratio up a notch. Remember, the in-laws are coming over.

1 part Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1 part tonic (Fever Tree or Q Tonic)
2 dashes orange bitters

Build in a rocks glass with ice. Hey, it's the Holidays, so go ahead and garnish with both lime and orange twists.

the boulevardier

The French word "boulevardier" translates roughly as "a fashionable man about town," or, more concisely, a Magnificent Bastard. It's no surprise then that the Boulevardier is well-suited for the MB. First published in bartender Harry McElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails and recently revived by Ted Haigh, this drink is similar to but predates the Negroni, with whiskey standing in for gin. Though not strictly a holiday cocktail, its rich red hue makes it a perfectly festive accessory.

1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth, preferably Carpano Antica

Stir over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.

Ed. note: This drink was contributed by Jacob Grier, a writer and mixologist in Portland, OR. He writes the weblog Liquidity Preference, tends bar at Metrovino, and edited the recently released Cocktail Collective recipe guide.

lazy bear

Rather be in the tropics during a cold December? This cocktail will have you dreaming of a sandy beach, yet the big cinnamon and spice notes in MB-endorsed Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters make this seasonally appropriate.

3/4 oz Smith and Cross rum
3/4 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey and hot water)
2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

Ed. note: This drink was also contributed by Jacob Grier, a writer and mixologist in Portland, OR. He writes the weblog Liquidity Preference, tends bar at Metrovino, and edited the recently released Cocktail Collective recipe guide.