Flipping Out

While the original, Colonial-times Flip cocktail used beer, along with rum, sugar and eggs, many modern versions incorporate unique spirits and flavors.

For instance, a Pumpkin Flip created by the Food Network’s Geoffrey Zakarian uses bourbon, maple syrup, caramel, pumpkin puree, egg white and baking spices.

Josh Hunt, bartender at The Waterboy in Sacramento, CA, recently created a Sweet Potato Flip with Corbin Cash (a new sweet potato liqueur), Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, maple syrup and a whole egg.

At Ada Street restaurant in Chicago, bar manager Scott Koehl has created the Fireside Flip cocktail, with Punt E Mes red vermouth, Campari, Beefeater gin, a whole egg, and orange bitters, garnished with fresh nutmeg.

The herbal Punt E Mes and freshly grated nutmeg add a special festive touch, Koehl says, while the whole egg gives the cocktail body—perfect for cold-weather sipping.

Pisco y Nazca’s Proper Rum & Coke ($12) mixes Ron Zacapa 23 Year rum with Coca-Cola and cherry and chocolate bitters, garnished with a cinnamon stick.

Rosemary, Baby

The Mediterranean restaurant Parallel 38 in Charlottesville, VA, typically divides drinks into four categories: Energize, Refresh, Calm and Comfort. The aptly named Holiday Revival Tonic ($10) mixes a charred satsuma cinnamon-infused Belle Isle 100 Moonshine with rosemary honey and Q Tonic, garnished with candied rosemary.

The drink is a refreshing pick-me-up, says Parallel 38 co-owner Justin Ross. “The holiday season is fun and festive, but can also be a stressful and exhausting time for many people.”

Rosemary is indeed a reviving, stimulating herb, also reminiscent of those fragrant evergreens decorating homes in December. Ray Anguiano, head bartender at the 91-seat Chicago restaurant Atwood, says that rosemary is a winner in drinks this time of year.

“The key to a holiday cocktail is to find seasonal ingredients that are common throughout holiday activities,” Anguiano says. His Rosmarinus (the Latin name for the herb) cocktail incorporates muddled rosemary, Botanist gin, cranberry and lime juice, which is then topped with ginger beer and a rosemary sprig. “I’m bringing out the wonderful fragrance and flavor that rosemary can accentuate in this cocktail,” he explains.