Todd Maul – Pairing Holiday Tunes and Cocktails
So, It’s the holiday season. For many its holiday party time and the cheer flows and the music plays. I figure I would give you a bit of help in the holiday music and drink category. For me being born in the late 60’s my Mom and Dad listened to a great deal of early 60’s music especially around the holidays. Several such records / discs that hold a special place in my heart are:
- Ray Conniff’s “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
To me this is perfectly paired with an aged rum. In particular I would suggest: El Dorado 12. Demerara rum that ages beautifully. The smoothness of the rum with go magnificently with the camp of the music. I would suggest listening and drinking this in a smoking jacket by the fire.
2. My next music selection is Robert Goulet’s “Wonderful World of Christmas”
To me this is perfectly paired with a bone dry Beefeater Martini. Preferably stirred and served in a chilled martini glass. I would suggest the drink be made 16 to one with dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. The most important part is that the lemon twist is misted across the the top of the drink. You want to hold your channel knife at a 45% angle and aim the opening of the knife toward the surface of the beverage – to the point that you can see the top of the drink actually move.
I suggest you drink this wearing a madman suit smoking a pipe after building a snowman.
3. Lastly I would suggest Burl Ives “the Christmas Collections”
To me this is best paired with eggnog. Homemade eggnog made with both rum and cognac. I recommend that you whip both the egg whites and the egg yokes. You want to make sure the cinnamon content is in balance so that the cream and the dryness of the spice work in tandem.
I would suggest drinking this while watching Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer in Black and white, while wearing a black turtleneck.
Todd Maul is Co-Founder of Cafe ArtScience in Cambridge, MA and an amazing mixologist who has revolutionized the way we see cocktails.