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Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails

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Holiday cocktails don’t get more festive than a Yuletide Moon! These holiday drinks have red wine (Merlot) and bourbon in an old fashioned glass. Made with cherries, spices, and a bit of maple on the rocks. Tis DIVINE! This festive red holiday cocktails recipe will spice up your party and gatherings!

hand holding an old fashioned glass with a bourbon and red wine holiday cocktail in it

Totally appropriate! Cheers to Friday and all things Festive! Can I interest you in a Red Holiday Cocktail? I think you’re gonna like this one. It has a good story, a fun name, plus it’s tasty.

Now pull up a chair, an old fashion tumbler, and let me make you one of my Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails.

You see, I’m wine a lover. You know this. A good red wine or dry white wine. I rarely make cocktails or drink them. Actually, scratch that, I only drink cocktails that you can sip on and savor. Old fashioned cocktails are my jam. . I adore refreshing cocktails, like Mojitos. Or cozy comforting holiday cocktails like a Hot Toddy. Not too sweet or sugary, always smooth. So much better for you too. But you also can’t go wrong with booze in a bite. Um, like Margarita bites or chocolate whiskey bites! YES! In my humble opinion.

Back to my point here. You see, a few weeks ago at BlogHer Convention, my friend Katie introduced to a Negroni. If you don’t know what it is, look it up. Refreshing and AMAZING! Ever since then I’ve been looking for a similar tasting cocktail that incorporated red wine. To make it more of a festive red holiday cocktail, I researched, I played mixologist, and then BAM! I found one.

Actually, it found me, in a recipe newsletter from one of my favorite New Zealand Magazines. There on the front was a recipe for a Yuletide Moon Cocktail. I was intrigued, learning that a Yuletide Moon Cocktail is part merlot, part bourbon, part cherry, part simple syrup, and lemon zest. Sometimes a dash of nutmeg is added.

2 glasses of Gluten free, red Holiday Cocktails

The recipe for these holiday cocktails will be in your hands in a minute. I won’t leave you hanging.

But first, let me introduce the ROUND UP of the month with my blogging buddies! Yes, we are back. Remember those soup recipes? Well all those lovely ladies (and myself) are back to share our festive holiday cocktail recipes with a healthy spin!

All are gluten free friendly, but feel free to email me for certain brands of liquor if you need suggestions. I’ve researched a ton!

FESTIVE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS ROUND UP

Festive Holiday Cocktails photo collage

Festive Hot Toddies from Lee at Fit Foodie Finds

Warm your soul with a homemade hot toddy! This adult beverage mixes cinnamon whisky with apple cider and citrus for a delicious winter drink!

festive Hot Toddy with apple cider

Snickerdoodle Martini from Taylor at Food Faith Fitness

This easy, 3 ingredient martini tastes like a snickerdoodle cookie! It’s a creamy, healthier and dairy-free cocktail that is perfect to serve on Christmas!
 Snickerdoodle Martini (dairy free)

Coconut Bourbon Coffee Nog from Gina at Running to the Kitchen

 This coconut bourbon coffee nog is a cold, creamy, spiced milk drink perfect for the holiday season. Get your booze and caffeine kick at the same time!
 coconut bourbon coffee nog

Sparkling Vodka Cranberry with Lime from Brittany at Eating Bird Food

A light holiday cocktail made with vodka, cranberry juice, lime and fizzy sparkling water. Toss a few cranberries on top for a festive drink you’ll want to enjoy all season.
 A light holiday cocktail made with vodka, cranberry juice, lime and fizzy sparkling water.

Okay, you ready for me to finish my Yuletide Moon Holiday Cocktails story? Of course you are!

Red Holiday Cocktails made with bourbon and red wine

So there I was again playing mixologist. Kinda fun, kinda scary. But ya’ll, this Yuletide Moon cocktail was it, the one I had been looking for!  Except I swapped out a few ingredients to make this holiday cocktail a little healthier and more festive. Can you guess the swap?

Valencia orange

Orange ya glad I didn’t say banana… Oh me oh my, I’m glad it’s Friday. You can laugh at the puns. Anyway…

What You Need to Make Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails:

  • a good red wine (Merlot works best)
  • gluten free bourbon
  • maple syrup
  • cherries (jarred cherries work too)
  • fresh orange or clementine juice
  • and a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg.
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holiday cocktails made with red wine and bourbon

Yuletide Moon Red Holiday Cocktails

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x
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Description

Festive red holiday cocktails to spice up your party and gatherings! Yuletide Moon is a red wine (Merlot) and bourbon holiday cocktail in an old fashioned glass. Made with cherries, spices, and a bit of maple on the rocks.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 cherries, pitted (fresh or in jar)
  • 1.5 ounces merlot wine
  • 1 oz bourbon ([url] gluten free bourbon list ∞http://urbantastebud.com/gluten-free-whiskey-list/[/url])
  • 2–3 tbsp fresh orange or clementine juice (more if desired)
  • 1–2 tsp maple syrup
  • ice
  • dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
  • lemon zest/peel

Instructions

  1. Juice the orange and remove pits from cherries.
  2. Place cherries is a tall glass then muddle the cherries (if no pitter, just remove pits after muddling). This is basically just pressing the cherries with a spoon or a tool called a muddler to extract the juice. Keep the cherries once muddled.
  3. Add your orange juice, maple syrup, merlot, bourbon and mix again. Pour into an old fashion glass with handful of ice. Stir then tip with lemon peel and dash of with grated nutmeg or cinnamon.

Notes

  • If you don’t have merlot, make sure to use a bold red wine.
  • Honey or agave can replace maple syrup if needed. The more orange juice you use, the sweeter.
  • Category: drinks
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 143
  • Sugar: 10.6g
  • Sodium: 2.9mg
  • Fat: 0.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 12.8g
  • Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 0.5g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: holiday cocktails, holiday drinks, cocktail recipes, gluten free cocktails

2 glasses of Yuletide Moon - festive red holiday cocktails

Do you have a favorite Holiday Cocktail? Do share!

Try a Festive Yuletide MOON Red #Holiday Cocktails! Easy to make with REAL ingredients. DELISH!

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Have you ever tried red wine holiday cocktails? Um… you need! 

Cheers! Like literally!

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A festive red holiday cocktail recipe to spice up your party and gatherings! Yuletide Moon is a red wine (Merlot) and bourbon holiday cocktail in an old fashioned glass. Made with cherries, spices, and a bit of maple on the rocks. Tis DIVINE! www.cottercrunch.com @cottercrunch Vegan and Gluten free friendly.

Related Posts

Photo of Lindsay Cotter of Cotter CrunchHi, I’m Lindsay!  Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of Nourishing Superfood Bowls, and meal plan guru! I’d love to know you more! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and drop a comment below.

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