Dan's Papers - December 7, 2007

The holiday season is the time for charity, cheer and social drinking! Whether it entails bringing the best bottle of champagne to your company Christmas party, pouring the right liquor in your egg nog or packaging the perfect Tequila for your college friends, alcohol is often the Holiday gift that keeps on giving. On assignment for the best drinks to give and receive this season, I "taste-tested" my way through this year's classiest alcoholic crop and discovered a liquid landscape of good gifts.

Created with a partnership between famous fashion designers Viktor & Rolf and established champagne brand Piper-Heidsieck, the new Viktor & Rolf Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Champagne is a flavorful, 12% alcohol drink in a beautiful bottle, perfect for the fashion-forward young men and women in your Metropolitan life. The bottle is meant to be placed upside down, standing like a monument to champagne! It's a lot less bubbly than most bottles of "bubbly," but its fruity, fine taste will have you re-filling until intoxication.

Flavored martinis are still in style, and this year's addition to the opulent collection of Godiva Liqueurs, Godiva Caramel Milk Chocolate Liqueur, adds a creamy, caramel chocolate taste to your vodka. Its heavy on the chocolate, but in its elegant bottle and with its rich taste, it's a gift that will sweeten up a party. It's perfect for your own holiday party drinks, or as a gift for a classy hostess with a sweet tooth. Mmmmm chocolate martini! My taste test continued...

This month, the U.S. legally received a shipment of genuine absinthe made with real Grande Wormwood for the first time in 95 years. Getting to try this treat was quite an experience! Lucid Absinthe Supérieure, is distilled entirely from spirits and European herbs and uses absolutely no artificial additives. Lucid begins with a full measure of wormwood and adds some sweet fennel and other culinary herbs that are kinda like the Belle Époque period in France. Things got a little weird when I started to taste test this one! but teh drink went down smooth and tasty. Give this guy to your hard-partying friends or alcohol connoisseurs. It was a lucid dream for sure.

Jose Cuervo Platino is among most delcisious bottles of twquila i've eve rhad. Teh flavor is smoohe and full and leaves a fruity savory aftertaste, and not at all overpwering. the alcohol's tasye is hidden and complimented by the flvaor. the bottle is intresteingly dsigned but i found teh wax top to be unbeleivably diffciult to open nd eventually i ahd to run hot water over it to melt it. the bottle makes a great gfit nd is not unasonably pric ed given the gorgoeous pakcaging and wooden case. Happ4y Hoidasy!

2.5 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
.5 oz. Lucid
.5 oz. simple syrup
Crushed chocolate cookie on rim
Garnish with Chinese Star Anise

In an ice filled shaker, add the vodka, Lucid, and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and strain into the chocolate crumbed rimmed martini glass. Add the Chinese Star Anise.

1 oz Jose Cuervo Platino
.5 oz St. Germain
2 slices of cucumber
3 mint leaves
1 oz grapefruit juice

Combine the cucumber, mint and St. Germain into a mixing glass and muddle. Add the grapefruit juice and Jose Cuervo Platino. Fill with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

- Mike Vilensky