holiday CHEERS x west elm

I am SO excited to be writing this blog post! For this one, I got to collaborate with 3 of my favorite things – West Elm, liquor companies, + my bestie THE BOW TIE GENT!

 

West Elm was kind enough to outfit my kitchen with all of the perfect decor to make it perfect for the holidays. I’ve been so obsessed with gold accents – especially this time of year. My apartment is all black and white (surprise right?) so gold adds a fun pop! You can shop all of the accessories feautured on westelm.com or in store.

Here are Louis + I’s favorite holiday cocktail recipies for any taste!! They’re all so easy and quick to make – and make you look like you know what you’re doing behind the bar.

Champagne Candy Cane featuring AERMOOR Vodka.

This is such an easy, refreshing drink to make to start your night off with. It’s so cute to serve at parties too!
1/2 Champagne + 1/2 Vodka – when you add the candy cane it gives it a peppermint flavor and also makes it super bubbly!

This vodka was made in Hilton Head, SC. The water they used is cloud sourced – humidity from the clouds – which makes it about as clean and smooth as a vodka can be. It was distilled 49 times and also uses pure cane sugar.

Winter’s Remedy featuring Jocassee Gin

2 oz of gin

tonic or soda water

lime juice

garnish with lemon or lime

This drink is for those who maybe have been drinking too much this holiday season and want a cleaner, less sugary drink to “detox”.
Gin is my go-to. Any bar, any city, any country, I can always count on a good g&t with a little lemon juice in it. This gin has a lot less juniper notes than a usual gin – more of a southern style gin as opposed to a london gin –  so perfect if you’re more of a vodka drinker (like all of my friends). It’s made in Greenville from trees at lake Jocasee, as well as magnolia and honey suckles from around the lake.

Peach Mint Julep featuring Whiskey Girl Peach-–

2 oz of peach whiskey

1 oz St. Germain

club soda

fresh mint leaves

This whiskey is made straight from Gaffney, SC peaches – which makes it super smooth because it’s made with real fruit. When I drink whiskey it’s usually in shot form (just keeping it real). This one is so smooth and just has that subtle kick at the end.

Everything Nice featuring Whiskey Girl Apple & Maple

This drink is so perfect for fall/winter. It’s ideally served hot, but it was 75 in Charleston, so we made them cold.

2 oz apple & maple whiskey

apple cider (I used apple kombucha instead!)

soda water

garnish with apple slice and cinnamon

Island Nightcap featuring Mountain Peak Espresso Rum

1/2 cold brew

1/2 espresso rum

splash of coconut (or non-dairy) creamer

Two of my fav things. This rum is made with Jamaican coffee from the Blue Mountains! Personally I prefer to drink this over ice or add it to some iced coffee. A perfect after-dinner drink. My go-to nightcap is a cup of Bailey’s on ice, but this version is a little healthier.

I had so much fun making (and drinking. duh) all of these with Louis! We had a cocktail party at my place with friends and family then celebrated with bottle service and our friends at Republic.
Check out part two (and maybe a video of this entire situation?!?!) of this post soon on thebowtiegent.com!

Cheers!!