Snow Day Cocktail

Don’t cocktails made with snow sound simply delightful? But I’d never actually thought of this concept until Mother Nature kept dumping the powdery white stuff on us earlier this week. In trying to make the best of our snowy situation, I began googling ways to make the snow we now found ourselves knee deep in serve a purpose … because it wasn’t going away any time soon. A few minutes into my quest, lightening struck! Cocktails made with snow was the answer!

“It is well known amongst snow chemists that fresh Arctic snow goes very well with 15-year-old single malt whisky,” according to John Pomeroy, a researcher who studies water resources and climate change at the University of Saskatchewan.

When temperatures are bitter cold, we find ourselves drawn to bourbons and whiskeys. So what could be better than a Snowman-hattan! It’s the perfect spin on a traditional Manhattan, with a snowy twist. And it’s absolutely the best cocktail to sip on at the end of a snowy day.

This snowy craft cocktail with a clever name is really fantastic. It contains a few simple ingredients including a homemade ginger syrup that’s super simple to make, as well as orange juice (so it’s healthy, right?). And it actually gets better as the snow melts down. It’s perfect to snip as you sit next to the fire, stare out the window at winter sky and watch the flakes fall. Because you may want a second and you’ll need that extra snow! Cheers!

THE SNOWMAN-HATTAN:

2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey

1 ounce triple sec

3 tablespoons homemade ginger syrup (recipe below)

3 ounces fresh orange juice

Fresh snow

Combine the whiskey, triple sec, ginger syrup, and orange juice. Fill a glass with crushed ice and pour the cocktail over.

GINGER SYRUP:

1/2 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, combine ginger, sugar, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the syrup reduces to about one cup. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let steep until cool and strain. Makes one cup of syrup, enough for several cocktails. Can be refrigerated for up to a week.

Did you try this idea? Share it on Instagram with the hashtag and tag @makeeverydayanevent! Looking for other fun, snowy ideas? Check out our recipe for snow ice cream.