Gather Around Cocktails – the Ultimate Party Drinks Recipe Book
Welcome to Cookbook of the Week. In this series, I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While searching for a specific recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has its own magic.
I’m obsessed with the winter holiday season. This feeds all my slightly unhealthy tendencies—shopping, snacking, using glitter—and allows them to flourish for four to six weeks. Another big seasonal hobby of mine is holiday entertaining with holiday cocktails. Not a wistful G&T or a fluttering splash of Aperol, but cocktails that serve as treats—celebratory ones that require loved ones to gather around. You can probably see why my December Cookbook of the Week pick is Cocktails Will Gather Around .
About the book
While I chose it with the holiday season in mind, this cocktail book isn’t just about winter holiday drinks, but also a variety of “drinks to celebrate common and unusual holidays.” You can find the perfect cocktail for a Groundhog Day party, Purim Fury, May Fourth, or even cocktails for Dry January.
The author, Aaron Goldfarb, describes himself as “a husband and father from Brooklyn who loves to throw a great party.” I can understand most of this. (I’m from Brooklyn and a mother of two cat kids.) This cocktail book also doesn’t waste time getting to the good stuff. Goldfarb has a short preamble at the beginning, basically describing what you’re about to get into, and starts with a section on syrups and sweeteners that you’ll come back to throughout the pages.
Goldfarb’s creativity and obvious penchant for being silly and fun with drinks is what really drew me to this collection of repeatable cocktail recipes. In the Hanukkah Menorah Lighting section, he has a beer tail with jelly donuts that looks tempting, followed by a Rum Fire Shots menorah on the next page. This is a stack of frames that imitates the shape of a menorah. They’re all on fire. This is incredible.
A great book of cocktails for those celebrating any occasion.
You know the type: your mother-in-law who is always throwing parties; your nephew who celebrated National Grilled Cheese Day last month and National Dalmatian With Bows Day last week. Anyone from New Orleans. There are people who know how to find joy in any circumstance, big or small, and this book seems to be written for them. Obviously, if they like alcohol, they will get much more out of it.
Recipes You Can Expect
You won’t find boring recipes at Gatheraround Cocktails . Every recipe seems to have a little twist; something that makes you think, “Wow, I didn’t expect that.” You have to be willing to put in a little effort to make the syrup every now and then, and having an adventurous palate will help, too. Each recipe has a serving size in the top right corner, the type of party it’s suitable for in the top left (such as New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Eve Gathering), along with a heading with helpful tips and an easy-to-read recipe. . This formatting makes it easy to flick through as you search for the right occasion, and also let you know if you need to scale the recipe or not.
Gather Around Cocktails also has a variety of serving sizes, from single servings to large servings like the Ponche Navideño, which serves 16 to 24 cocktails. I rather like these options because inviting a group of friends can be a party of four or a party for 20 people. With this book, you won’t have to do the math and figure out the dilution for a big party; you can simply choose one of the batch recipes. Likewise, you don’t have to change it for just one serving.
For example, eggnog. (Omen!)
The drink I made this week
I’m diving headfirst into the Christmas season, and surprisingly, this book doesn’t start with the holidays in January; starts with winter ones. I didn’t have to look far to find the ultimate Christmas drink: eggnog. Goldfarb starts with a recipe for homemade eggnog that looks fluffy and delicious. Unfortunately, there are 10–15 people there, and there is only one of me. Well, it looks like this has happened to Aaron Goldfarb before. because the following pages are replete with single-serve eggnog recipes and notes on eggnog from other countries.
As soon as I discovered the Spicy Mexican Chocolate Nog, I knew I had arrived. “Makes one cocktail.” Ideal. I looked at the six-part ingredient list and got to work. I’m not vegan and have no problem eating raw eggs, but I had an open can of coconut milk in the fridge that I was trying to use up. Plus, this smoothie has a Masala Chai blend and I just can’t resist.
The only doubt I had was that the main alcohol I drink is mezcal, which I don’t usually drink. However, I believe in coconut milk’s ability to tame strong flavors, so I went with the recipe. I’m glad I did it. This is a holiday drink that I would happily make again for myself or others. The smoky notes of the mezcal pair beautifully with the chai spice and chocolate bitterness, while the coconut milk softens everything with its fats and, of course, adds delicious flavor.
It’s been called a good cocktail for a vegan Christmas party and I couldn’t agree more. Coconut milk is incredibly thick and velvety, just like what you would normally get from eggs and heavy cream. I didn’t miss these ingredients at all. Plus, if you’re a coconut lover, you’ll definitely be delighted, vegan or not.
How to buy
Now is a great time to pick up a copy of Gather About Cocktails . Next week, practice and decide which cocktail would be best for your New Year’s Eve party. For more party ideas, check out my post on batch cocktails to prepare for an even bigger party.