Holiday-Inspired Bourbon Cocktails {PLUS Social Media Party Tips}

It's that time of year. Holiday parties. From office parties to gift exchanges to ugly Christmas sweater parties, it is officially time to make the rounds of winter soirées and fêtes. With that in mind, I teamed up with a fabulous ladies of Be Social Centric to create three holiday-inspired cocktails for you to use at your next holiday party. All recipes are bourbon based (for obvious reasons :P), using mostly local ingredients and taste amazing. At the end of the post, we have a special goodie for you!

Old Fashioned

A classic bourbon cocktail

• Two demerara sugar cubes
• Five dashes of Fee's black walnut bitters
• Two ounces of Bulleit Bourbon
• Orange peel

1. Muddle sugar cubes and bitters in Old Fashioned glass until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add in bourbon and stir.
3. Finish with large ice cube.
4. Slightly burn orange peel and add to glass.

Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour

A fresh, local take on a whiskey sour

• 1.5 ounces of Forty Creek Bourbon
• One ounce of fresh lemon juice
• One fresh egg, egg white separated
• Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Dash of dark Canadian maple syrup

1. Pour bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup and egg white into shaker with ice.
2. Rub rosemary in hands and place into shaker with ingredients.
3. Shake, shake, shake!
4. Pour into coupe or brandy glass and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Boulevardier 

A rich and intriguing cocktail

• One ounce of Widow Jane Bourbon
• One ounce of Gibsons
• 1.5 ounces of sweet red vermouth

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice.
2. Pour all ingredients over ice.
3. Stir well.
4. Strain into coupe glass.

Served neat.

And in our age of social media, holiday parties can be tricky. What do you post? Do you post anything? What are the DOs and DON'Ts of posting during holiday parties? We've got you covered there, too. We have put together some social media best practices for you to use at your next holiday party. You can download these tips in this check list.

• DO show you are having a good time. Keep it classy. Keep it fun. Refrain from posting anything inappropriate.
• DO take pictures of moments that matter. Keep the ceaseless selfies to Snapchat.
• DON'T share without permission. Don't be that friend that tags people or coworkers in a Facebook or Instagram post without their permission. No one likes waking up to an unflattering picture.
• DO be aware of your audience. Be mindful of who is going to be seeing your posts.
• DO be candid and natural. Try to avoid being extra posey. (Unless you have a photo booth with crazy props, then go crazy.
• Put down the Boulevardier before snapping.

Basically, follow these two rules: 1) always remember your audience and 2) use common sense.

Do you have any social media holiday party tips or favorite cocktails? Share them with us!