In The Spirit: 8 Quirky Additions for Your Holiday Bar Cart

The holidays are upon us! Among the office parties, family obligations, and various toys for the little ones, there is one more seasonal factor to consider: Booze. A well curated bar cart can be the hit of the party. And while you may be stocked with the obligatory vodka, rum and gin (and if you're not, get those first), consider cocktails with holiday inspired ingredients such as herb- or berry-infused liqueurs and bitters to punch up the holiday spirit.

Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur hails from the Austrian Alps. This pine and herbal scented intoxicant packs an aromatic punch and makes for an amazing holiday cocktail. Made "from only the most tenacious of pines" according to Zirbenz's website, this small, artisanal product can also vary depending on the harvest that year, much like a wine. Recipe ideas include the Alpine Sidecar: Equal parts liqueur, Cointreau, and lemon juice.
$35/375ml bottle

Carpano Antica Formula is a vermouth but can also be drunk on its own and offers rich, herbal notes with orange peel and dried fruit on the palate that keeps you toasty on a chilly eve. The recipe has remained the same since 1786 and comes in a beautiful bottle suitable for gift giving. This vermouth is spectacular in a classic Negroni with gin and Campari.
$15/375ml bottle

Chartreuse comes in yellow and green, but let's stick with the winter green.

Chartreuse is one of the most powerfully aromatic liqueurs made in France. It has ingredients from 130 plants and flowers... can you say complex? Enjoy on its own or splash in a cocktail to tickle any fancy. Try the Green Chaud by adding a teaspoon of Green Chartreuse in your hot chocolate.
$30/375ml bottle

Okanagan Spirits Blackcurrant Liqueur from Western Canada has been making vodka, gin, brandies, and liqueurs for more than 10 years and is dedicated to using only locally grown grains and fruits in their spirits.

The Blackcurrant liqueur offers a sweet and tart ingredient for many holiday celebration cocktails. You can't go wrong with adding this liqueur to sparkling wine in the style of a classic Kir Royale, or, as they suggest, drizzled over vanilla ice cream. Yum!
$26/375ml bottle (shipped from Canada, eh)

Old New England Egg Nog hails from the Northeast and has been making it easy to get the party started for more than 50 years. The base is dairy from local farms and blended with rum, brandy and whiskey. Creamy and effortless going down (get your mind out of the gutter), you can also try the chocolate and pumpkin spice flavors. Only released in the fall, it's also wallet friendly, so supplies are limited.
$8/1 liter bottle

Clear Creek Eau de Vie Pomme is barrel aged for eight years before release, giving this a French Calvados-esque feel, but distilled from yellow Golden Delicious apples from Oregon's Yakima Valley. This soft, warm apple flavor can be treated as a brandy to enjoy by itself, as an after dinner treat or paired with fruit based dessert like pie and ice cream.
$28/375ml

The Fee Brothers have been in the bitters business in Rochester, New York, for four generations, since 1864, making almost 100 different products. Cranberry Bitters add a complexity and balance of mouthwatering tart fruit flavor to your cocktail and it can be quite versatile. One recipe to check out comes from Kindred Cocktails and is called "The Whoville Sling," featuring bourbon, lime juice, soda water, Fee Brothers Cranberry Bitters and a cranberry shrub. The Grinch might steal this one! $9/5oz bottle

Barrow's Intense ginger liqueur made in Brooklyn, New York, brings some, well, intense ginger flavor. Made with fresh ginger, this will bring pow to your palate, and not only for a myriad of cocktails. If you're looking to spice up your table with a holiday ham, check out this recipe for Barrow's Ginger Pear Glazed Ham.
$23/375ml bottle

Happy holidays to all! Who's hosting happy hour?