Recipes by Ryan Csanky, owner of Artisan Spirits
Photo by Leah Harb

WILLIAM CIDER pictured

1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 orange segment, with peel
1.5 oz Clear Creek Distillery’s Pear Brandy
Freshly pressed apple cider, unfiltered
1 cinnamon stick

In a preheated mug, grate 1/4 ounce fresh ginger with a Microplane. Add orange segment and muddle. Add brandy, top with heated cider. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

CARLYLE

1/4 oz Aperol
2 oz Artisan Spirits’ Apia Vodka (honey based)
Grapefruit twist

Pour 1/4 ounce of Aperol into chilled martini glass, swirl to coat glass. Discard or drink excess Aperol. Shake and strain vodka into martini glass. Garnish with wide twist of grapefruit.

EGG NOG

2 large eggs
3 oz (by volume) brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 oz Rogue Distillery’s Hazelnut Rum
8 oz heavy cream

Beat eggs in blender for 1 minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for 1 additional minute. With blender still running, add nutmeg, rum, and cream and blend for 2 additional minutes, until thick. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled wine glasses or champagne coupes. Grate additional nutmeg on top immediately before serving.

POMEGRANATE

1 1/2 oz House Spirits’ Aviation Gin
1/2 oz Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz freshly squeezed pomegranate juice*
1/2 tsp fine sugar
Coarse Kosher salt
Black pepper

1. Combine salt and black pepper in roughly equal parts. Mix thoroughly, spread on small plate. Rub rim of cocktail glass with a slice of lemon, dip glass into salt and pepper to lightly and evenly coat the rim.**

2. Combine all other ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake and strain into cocktail glass.

* Squeezing the pomegranate juice is a must. Collecting the seeds into cheesecloth and wringing it out by hand is my favorite method. While it is labor intensive, store-bought pomegranate juice does not compare.

** The salt and pepper really do make this drink. To a few guests who have been apprehensive about the salt and pepper rim, I have told them to try it with the rim first, and if they still don’t like it, I will happily remake the drink without it. I have yet to remake one without the rim.