Birdie G’s The Festive Feels

Recipe and words by Stephanie Reading, Bar Manager of Birdie G’s (Santa Monica, California)
Photography by Antonio Diaz

Yield: 1 Serving

The Festive Feels is great and it’s relatively easy to prep, making it perfect for the home bartender to recreate. It can be created with any spirit, so it’s very versatile while utilizing any old red wine that might be past its prime to drink, making it quite sustainable.

The Holiday Cocktail Collection

In honor of the holiday season, we asked restaurants from around the world to share recipes for winter cocktails that you can replicate at home. These five drinks will take you across the globe—from Birdie G’s in Santa Monica, to Esmé in Chicago, Kachka in Portland, Ditta Artigianale in Florence, and La Factoría in San Juan.

Ingredients

¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. red wine syrup
¼ oz. pomegranate grenadine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz. of any spirit of your choice
1 ½ oz. soda water
Luxardo cherries and dehydrated lime wheel for garnish

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Red Wine Syrup:

Weigh out equal parts red wine to cane sugar. Cook in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until all the remaining sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store syrup in the fridge for up to a month.

Pomegranate Grenadine:

Measure equal parts unsweetened pomegranate juice (we like to use POM) to sugar by weight.
Add ¼ teaspoon orange bitters (we use Regan’s) and ¼ tablespoon citric acid to every 375 grams of pomegranate juice used.
Mix well. Store in the fridge for up to two months.

Method:

Measure above ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake with medium intensity for a medium amount of time (approximately 15 to 20 times).
Add the soda water and strain over fresh rocks into a collins glass.
Garnish with Luxardo maraschino cherries and a dehydrated (or fresh) lime wheel on a cocktail pick.

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