Herman Lindsey - Holiday shots: Christmas concortions that will really get you in the holiday spirit

I ts that time of year again: Temperatures are dropping, sweaters are being lugged up from the basement, and the mall is a nightmare. Yup, its the holiday season. For many people, this is a time to be with family, eat homemade food, and wrap and unwrap presents. For others, its also a time to get wasted. After all, having a drink in hand is the only way to survive the shopping insanity, dinners for forty, and uncomfortable exchanges with Uncle Ralph. Enter Holiday Shots .

This book has everything you need to survive the season and maybe even enjoy it: 80 delicious (and potent!) holiday-themed shot recipes. Its also your bible for throwing the most kick-ass holiday party your friends have ever attended. Gingerbread Jell-O Men? Check. Flaming Hot Buttered Rum? Right here. Coffee Eggnog? But of course. Plus, there are winners like Mrs.

Clauss Apple Cider, Peppermint Explosion, and Tis the Seasontini. Weve also got tons of red, green, white, and gold numbers that will impress even the grumpiest grinch. We even threw in some Hanukkah and New Years shots to cover all the boozy bases. The first chapter offers Sweet n Spicy Shots, our favorite drinks highlighting that wonderful cold-weather combo. Think apple-cinnamon and pumpkin pie but in drink form. Yum! Fruity Shots are next, featuring flavors like melon, pineapple, cranberry, and cherry.

These sweet recipes are for that girly girl in you that likes em to go down easy. And now for the nongirly girl: Iron Stomach Shots. This is our chapter full of hardcore shots that will get you hammered. Expect to see lots of tequila, absinthe, and whiskey, as well as intense mixers like Tabasco sauce. Take a deep breath before shooting any of these guys back. Next, take the edge off in Chapter 4 with our Dessert Shots.

Here youll find tasty treats like the Peppermint Patty, Kandy Kane, and Christmas Cookie. Nows your chance to have your cake and eat it too! Chapter 5 is where youll go for excellent eggnog-based shots. Whether youre looking for a traditional eggnog or something a little more outside the box, this chapter will make it easy. Continuing in the dessert-y vein, Chapter 6 is all about Jell-O Shots. Its chock-full of awesome and easy Jell-O shot recipes, like Nutcracker Jell-O Shots with Drunk Cherries, Kandy Kane Jell-O Shots, and Hanukkah Sparklers. Dont be intimidated by the Jell-O factor, we explain everything clearly and even teach you how to make fancy layered Jell-O shots.

And finally, our last chapter is a doozy: Flaming Shots. A surefire (pun!) way to kick your party into high gear, all of the shots in this chapter can be lit on fire to create dazzling spectacles. Well show you how to light and extinguish them safely so theres no need to have the fire department on speed dial. Whether youre a first-time bartender or a professional mixologist, a lightweight or a hardass, this book has something for everyone. Each recipe is accompanied by icons indicating its levels of difficulty and potencyboth ratings are on a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the easiest/tamest and 3 being the hardest/strongest. (Unfortunately, we cant say the same for your alcohol tolerance.) We also noted which drinks are Christmas-colorful, meaning they are some combination of red, green, white, and gold, so you can achieve an easy wow factor. (Unfortunately, we cant say the same for your alcohol tolerance.) We also noted which drinks are Christmas-colorful, meaning they are some combination of red, green, white, and gold, so you can achieve an easy wow factor.

Plus, youll find garnish suggestions and plenty of tips and recipe variations to broaden your bar menu and give your drinks a professional touch. When the holiday season rolls around, flip through this book, mark the drinks that catch your eye, and stock your bar for your next gathering. Whether its you and your bro, your entire extended family, your work buddies, or everyone youve ever met, Holiday Shots will make sure its the celebration of a lifetime.

Bar Basics Setting up your home bar is the first step to hosting a great party. Make sure you have your cabinets stocked with the following bartending staples. Obviously, youre going to need some shot glasses.

The average glass holds between 1.5 and 2 ounces, but youll want to pick up a variety of sizes and styles. Some recipes in this book call for tall shot glassesparticularly our layered shots and shooters, which require a little showing off (these are noted in the instructions). These glasses are often a little narrower than the regular ones, and the glass is a bit thinner, so refrain from slamming them on the bar after chugging them back. For all of the flaming shots in Chapter 7, be sure to use only heatproof shot glasses.

All the recipes in this book measure ingredients in ounces. To accurately pour these shots, youll need at least one jigger, a double-sided measuring cup with a 1-ounce container on one side and a 2-ounce container on the other.

Jiggers come in a few sizes, including 1/2 ounce/1 ounce and 3/4 ounce/1 1/2 ounces, so pick up one of each to make measuring liquids a cinch. REGULAR OLD MEASURING SPOONS ALSO COME IN HANDY WHEN PREPARING DRINKS: 1/2 teaspoon = 1/12 ounce 1 teaspoon = 1/6 ounce 1/2 tablespoon = 1 1/2 teaspoons = 1/4 ounce 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 1/2 ounce 1 1/2 tablespoons = 4 1/2 teaspoons = 3/4 ounce 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons = 1 ounce 3 tablespoons = 9 teaspoons = 1 1/2 ounces 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 2 ounces 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons = 6 ounces 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 ounces