6 holiday drinks with a CBC Calgary twist

'Tis the season to gather with family and friends for a glass of holiday cheer.

Hopefully those gatheringsinclude some great conversations which issomething our CBCradio hosts strive to bring to theairwaves every day.

In honour of the holiday season, here are some drinkrecipes that pair well withthe shows produced at CBC Calgary's broadcast centre.

Eyeopening mix

Looking for a fresh start to the morning? Well the Calgary Eyeopener is the place to go. It has amix of hard news andin-depth interviews, and includes lots ofpersonality. So here is a cocktail that offers a little bit of everything.

Holiday Mimosa Recipe (tasteofhome.com)

• 1 tablespoon red coarse sugar.
• ounceraspberry liqueur.
• 2 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice.
• 2 ouncesChampagne or sparkling wine.
• grapefruit twist.

Sprinkle sugar on a plate. Moisten the rim of a champagne flute with water. Hold the glass upside down and dip rim into sugar.Pour the raspberry liqueur and grapefruit juice into the glass andtop with Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with a grapefruit twist. Makes one serving.

Calgary Eyeopener(Weekdays 6-8:30 a.m. MT)

It's noon somewhere!

Alberta@Noon prides itself on being immediate, responsive and interactive. So get mixing and invite some friends for some Christmas cheer with a kick.

Christmas Punch (marthastewart.com)

• 2 cups chilled pomegranate juice.
• 1 cup chilled cranberry juice.
• 8 ounces (1 cup) vodka.
• 8 ounces (1 cup) Cointreau or other orange-flavoured liqueur.
• 1 cup chilled club soda.
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from sixlemons).
• 1/2 cup simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar boiled until dissolved, then cooled).

Combine pomegranate and cranberry juice, vodka, Cointreau, club soda, lemon juiceand simple syrup in a punch bowl. Fill glasses with cranberries frozen in ice cubes, and serve. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Alberta@Noon (Weekdays noon to 1 p.m. MT)

Something for after work

So you've survived the ride home on Calgary's congested roadswith a little help from the Homestretchand now it's time to sit back and relax. Here is a Christmas take on the classic city slicker mix.

Holiday Cosmopolitan (myrecipes.com)

• 3 tablespoonsvodka.
• 1 tablespoonorange liqueur (such as Triple Sec).
• 1 tablespoon cranberry reduction*.
  • 2 cupscranberry juice.
  • cupcanned jellied cranberry sauce.
  • cupsugar.
  • 4dashes Angostura bitters.
  • 1(three-inch) rosemary sprig.
• 1teaspoonsfresh lemon juice.
• ice cubes.
• Garnish: lemon rind twist.

Stir together vodka, orange liqueur, Cranberry Reduction, and fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled (about 30 seconds). Strain mixture into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish, if desired.

*To make cranberry reduction:

Boil first fouringredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, four to fiveminutes or until smooth. Reduce heat to lowand simmer, stirring occasionally for20 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half and slightly thickened.

Add rosemary; cover and let stand fiveminutes. Discard rosemary. Cool mixture 30 minutes. Cover and chill onehour. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to oneweek.

The Homestretch (Weekdays 3-6 p.m. MT)

Daybreak drink

Chris dela Torre has been getting a lot of use out his French press which he dearly calls Blackula, since taking over asthe host ofDaybreak Alberta. Here is a holiday drink that features strong coffee with a holiday twist and what better way to start aweekend morning.

Eggnog Coffee Punch(allrecipes.com)

• 1cups coffee ice cream.
• 1cups eggnog.
• 1 cup hot strongly brewed coffee.
• 4 tablespoons frozen whipped topping, thawed.
• 4 pinches ground nutmeg.

Scoop the ice cream into a pan over low heat. Stir in the eggnog and coffeeand heat until warm, about 3 minutes. Pour into four glass or ceramic mugs. Top each with atablespoon of whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately. Add a kick with some Bailey's orCeilis Cream.

Daybreak Alberta(Weekends 6-9 a.m. MT)

'A' for apple cider?

Alberta, artists and apples. Well, maybe that last one doesn't mix. But in light of thediversity of musicpresent on the Key of A each weekend, here is a recipe that really mixes it up. It also makes a lot, so it's perfect for entertaining.

• 1 gallonfresh apple cider
• 5 teaspoonsground cinnamon
• 2teaspoonsground nutmeg
• 2teaspoonsground ginger
• 3 cupsbourbon

In a stockpot, heat apple cider, cinnamon, nutmegand ginger.When mixture is hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add bourbon. Stir to distribute spices and divide cider among 20 mugs.

Key of A (Saturdays 5-6 p.m. MT)

Tamashiro's Tonic

A little bit of jazz, soul and R&B floats over the airwaves whenTim Tamashiro gets into a groove. What better way to get into the mood than with a festive flair to the classic gin and tonic.

Orange-Cranberry Gin and Tonic (myrecipes.com)

• 1(two-inch) orange rind strip.
• 1 tablespoonfresh cranberries.
• 1 teaspoonsugar.
• 1 cupice cubes.
• 3 tablespoonsgin.
• 1 tablespoonfresh orange juice.
• 1/4 cuptonic water.

Muddle orange rind strip, fresh cranberriesand sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add ice cubes, ginand fresh orange juice. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled (about 30 seconds). Pour into an 8-oz. glass andtop with tonic water. Serve immediately. Makes one serving.

Tonic (Radio 2 Monday to Sunday 8 p.m. MT)