Pour yourself some holiday cheer

This story is brought to you by The Celt Pub and Grill, a locally owned, full-service restaurant in Idaho Falls. Inside our establishment, you’ll find a wonderful selection of beer and liquor, as well as a full-service kitchen and wait staff. It smokes its own meats in-house, and features a fine selection of scotch and whiskeys behind the bar. The Celt Pub and Grill is located in a historic building that has been renovated with a clean, bright atmosphere that is warm, inviting, and friendly.

Holidays can be a fun, yet stressful time of year. You have to worry about everything from long lines in the stores to gaining weight from all the holiday food to seeing all those unwanted relatives that you’d rather not celebrate with. Roughly 90 percent of Americans stress over at least one aspect of this time of year.

However, being able to whip up a good drink at home can help make this season a little more merry and bright. Take a look at some yummy alcoholic drinks, thanks to The Celt Pub and Grill in Idaho Falls who provided the recipes. If the recipes are above your expertise, you can always stop by The Celt. They offer all these drinks on their menu.

Campari Spritz

1.5 oz. Campari
5 oz. Prosecco
Fill with club soda
Garnish: orange round

Fill a large wine glass completely with ice. Pour in Campari then top with Prosecco and soda. Garnish with an orange round. Campari is an Italian aperitif, which stimulates the appetite. Combined with Prosecco, which helps with digestion, this is a great light cocktail to pair with heavy eating.

Christmas in Your Mouth

1 oz. white rum
1 oz. orange Curacao
Pinch of bruised rosemary
Fill with cranberry juice
Splash of Sprite
Garnish: lime and rosemary

Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in the liquor. To add bruised rosemary, rub the herb in your hand to “bruise” it instead of muddling it, which is just enough to release the aromatic oils without creating an overwhelmingly strong flavor. Drop the rosemary in, fill mostly with cranberry juice and add a splash of Sprite. Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of rosemary.

This Old House

1 oz. Dewars White Label (or you can choose your own, but we recommend a mellow blend)
1 oz. Drambuie
Rinse Absinthe
Garnish: Rosemary

Use an ice mold to create a large ice ball or cube. In a rocks glass, drop in the ice cube and “rinse” it with Absinthe. To do this, just splash a small amount of the Absinthe in and swirl it around to coat the ice and the walls of the glass. Then, add in the Scotch and Drambuie

This is as a spin-off of the classic, The Rusty Nail, a popular drink among locals, said Liza McGeachin, owner of the Celt.

Apricot Sunset Mocktail

2 oz. of apricot puree
.5 oz. agave nectar
1 oz. orange juice
Thyme

Fill with half Sprite & half club soda

Fill a tall glass or wine glass with ice. In a shaker, add apricot puree, agave nectar, orange juice, and a sprig of thyme. Add ice, shake, and strain into the glass. Fill the rest of the glass with half Sprite and half club soda. Wait to stir it until it is served to keep the ombre effect. Garnish with a lemon wedge and two to three sprigs of thyme. If you do not have a shaker, you can stir it instead, just be conscious of fully blending the agave nectar because it is so thick.

Jolly Fruity Cider

1.5 cups club soda
2 oz. orange liqueur
4 oz. brandy
4 cups apple cider
8 tsp. Confectioners sugar or sugar syrup
1/2 crisp red apple, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 Bosc pear quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 orange, thinly sliced into rounds

Fill a large punch bowl with ice. Pour in club soda, orange liqueur, brandy, and apple cider. Add the sugar and stir vigorously. Float the fruit on top. Serve in a wine glass or another glass with a wide rim. Garnish with a mint sprig. Makes six servings.