As is tradition, my friend Al and I have been been hanging out a lot over this holiday break. We’ve also been drinking our fair share of poinsettias. (OK, we’re not lushes, we’ve only had one a night, but there have been many nights.) This Christmas classic is a favorite of ours: it’s festive, bubbly and red – just like the season. With a dash of cranberry, it’s also rather refreshing compared to some winter drinks – leaving plenty of room for holiday feasting. Traditionally a poinsettia is made with Grand Marnier, but Al feels it’s a bit too bitter and opts for Cointreau instead. Here is her special recipe for this quintessential holiday cocktail.

1/2 oz Cointreau
4 oz cranberry juice
top with prosecco
serve to good friends

Al has not yet arrived on the Cape this season. But that didn’t stop me from making one of her signature mojitos last weekend. Yes, it’s officially summer.

Recipe:

Place 1 rounded teaspoon of sugar into glass with 4 mint leaves torn in half.
Squeeze juice of 1/2 lime into the glass and then throw in remaining rind. (But not the second half. That’s for another drink.)
Use the lime rind or a spoon to crush and stir all together until sugar dissolves.
Add 3 or 4 ice cubes and 1 jigger or oz of light rum.
Top off with sparkling water until ice cubes are just covered.
Find a sunset and enjoy!

I find this particular recipe to be the perfect, refreshing summer drink. But admittedly I like my mojitos a bit sour. So if you like your’s sweeter or mintier or with more alcohol, simply add a bit more of any of these until you achieve the taste you want.

Every summer, after a year spent in the trenches of modern motherhood, my oldest friend Al and I descend from our respective coasts to spend summer on Cape Cod. It is truly an archetypal experience, complete with the four “F”s: friends, family, fun and food. Oh, and cocktails. For as much as Al is famous for her culinary talents, she is equally renown for her cocktails. So much so that when school ended last year, my then 4-year-old son Oliver, exclaimed, “Summer! That means Tilly, and Audrey, and Alexandra, and COCKTAILS!” Yes, even the little ones get to imbibe, on non-alcoholic concoctions of course!

Simply said, Al’s drinks are the best! She literally crafts each one using only the freshest ingredients (mint from the garden for her mojitos), but not necessarily the most expensive products (Trader Joe’s prosecco works just fine for her famous poinsettias). But what I like best about her drinks is what they represent for me. Another mother who gets it, a compadre, a comrade in arms! Because even in an idyllic setting like Cape Cod, kids require a lot of giving, usually just a smidge more than you have to give. So whenever I come over for dinner, Al has one of her signature cocktails ready for me. While the kids run around, we sip our drinks, and she prepares a wonderful meal. After a long day taking care of others, my oldest friend and fellow Mom takes care of me… with cocktails.

So in an effort to take care of all my fellow hardworking moms and dads and grandparents and non-parents, each month or so I’m going to share one of Al’s signature drinks.

Because nothing warms the soul like Bourbon, January’s drink is the Clementine Cocktail. Here’s the recipe:
Fill a 12 oz cocktail glass with ice
Squeeze the juice from 1/4 to 1/2 of a clementine over the ice
Add a jigger of bourbon
Top off with ginger ale

It’s that easy. Enjoy!