Christmas Cocktails at Moncton's Sophia & Spritz • Pickle Planet Moncton

Looking to wow your guests with holiday cocktails this season? You’re in the right place! Jimmy & Chelsea Hughes – who you might remember from our holiday episode last year, filmed at home in their kitchen – invited us to join them at their new restaurant, Sophia & Spritz, for a pre-Christmas cocktail tasting. Tune in as mixologist Sebastien Alary creates a Candy Cane Margarita, Gingerbread Bourbon Sour, an After Eight Adult Hot Chocolate, and shares some Crema di Limoncello.

You can find Sophia & Spritz on Facebook & Instagram (where they often share cocktail recipes!), and preview their menu on their website. Full instructions for the drinks in this episode are below. The restaurant is located at the Four Points Sheraton off Mapleton Road in Moncton.

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The Jenna & Tosh Show is a co-production of Pickle Planet Moncton and The Podcast Hub, and is recorded & aired by Rogers TV New Brunswick. Regular episodes return January 16, 2023. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Cocktails from Sophia & Spritz

Candy Cane Margarita

1.5 fl oz Reposado Tequila
1 fl oz candy cane syrup *recipe below
1 fl oz fresh lime juice
.5 fl oz oz Select Aperitivo

Rim a double rocks glass with crushed candy canes

Shake and strain over ice.

Candy Cane Syrup

1 cup water
12 Lg Candy canes

Place ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer stirring frequently to melt candy canes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain and store in the fridge for up to a month.

Gingerbread Sour

2 fl oz Bourbon
.75 fl oz Lemon Juice
.75 fl oz Gingerbread syrup *recipe below
2 dashes orange Bitters
1 Egg White

Rim a coupe glass with crushed Gingersnap cookies.

Shake and strain over ice.

Gingerbread Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup fresh ginger peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup molasses (not the blackstrap variety)
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer stirring frequently to melt sugar. Remove from heat and let steep and cool for an hour. Strain and store in the fridge for up to a month.

After Eight Cocktail

.5 fl oz Jagermeister
1 fl oz Averna Amaro
.5 fl oz Creme de menthe
1.5 fl oz Hot Chocolate (or cold)
Milk to top

Serve in your favourite Christmas mug, with whipped cream, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a sprig of mint or candy cane garnish.

Crema di Limoncello

6 lemons, scrubbed and dried
1 750 ml bottle vodka
½ vanilla bean
2 ½ cups half-and-half (18% cream)
2 cups sugar
½ cup water

Directions: Use vegetable peeler to remove only yellow zest from lemons. Process lemon zest and vodka in blender until lemon zest is reduced to fine particles, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to airtight container and store in cool, dark place for 1 week.

After steeping for a week: Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Combine vanilla bean and seeds, half-and-half, sugar, and water in medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool completely.

Strain vanilla mixture through cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Strain zest mixture through strainer and press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk to combine.

Transfer to bottle and refrigerate until cold. Serve in chilled glasses.

(Crema di Limoncello can be refrigerated for up to 1 year.)