Cape Cod bartenders share tips on creating cocktails for your New Year's celebration
A signature cocktail can make your New Year’s party especially memorable, but how do you create something that represents the host well and appeals to most guests?
We took that question to cocktail experts at three Cape Cod restaurants: Rene Votteler, Wequassett Resort’s food and beverage director in Harwich; Kyle Higgins, general manager at Lobster Trap in Bourne; and Jason Murphy, one of the owners at Portside Tavern in Hyannis.
They shared trends, tips and even a recipe, found below, for one of Lobster Trap’s most popular cocktails, the Cucumber Cilantro Margarita.
“Tequila is still on trend and we are a tequila-heavy bar,” Higgins said. “We make several margaritas and we use Ghost Tequila to add a spicy touch to the Cucumber Cilantro Margarita.”
Portside’s Murphy said vodka is most popular at the tavern because it goes with most mixers, is low-calorie and comes in flavored options.
Edible glitter and other cocktail trends on Cape Cod
Also trending for New Year’s, Higgins said, is edible glitter in cocktails. (Lobster Trap does not make glitter cocktails, he said.)
The product is listed at Michael’s, Target and Walmart, as well as specialty cocktail websites, but it pays to Google “food-grade, edible glitter” to check what you can get in time for New Year’s. Prices start at $4.
Other considerations when crafting a signature cocktail:
Think bubbles: Champagne, of course, is the star of New Year’s but also popular are Aperol and Campari spritzers, Higgins said, partly because they are lower in calories.
Think balance: An alcohol-heavy drink does not mean a flavorful cocktail. Portside’s Murphy said, “A stronger drink can mean the spirit overwhelms the taste.” Higgins said a drink recipe, like a dinner plate, needs well-balanced flavors.
Think aroma: Wequassett’s Votteler recommends adding a festive holiday touch by adding your favorite spice to the cocktail you create.
"The Holidays and New Year's are synonymous with scents that more often than not are created by traditional spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom and allspice,” Votteler wrote in an email to the Times, noting that cardamom goes well in cocktails containing cider as cloves do in mulled wine.
Be aware: "During the holidays a lot of people do mulled cider or mulled wine in crockpots,” Higgins said, “People have to be sure not to boil it because that kills the wine.”
Murphy offers another precaution for creating cocktails.
“If your drink has a cream liqueur like Bailey’s or Godiva Chocolate, avoid any citrus because it will curdle, which looks disgusting,” he said.
Be creative: Murphy said to name your signature cocktail for something your friends have in common, such as a nickname or some family joke. “Use something that you have in common, something that brings you all together.”
The Lobster Trap’s Cucumber Cilantro Margarita recipe
Muddle 2 slices of cucumber, 7-10 sprigs of cilantro. Then add ice… and
2 ounces of Ghost Tequila (or any silver tequila if someone does not like spice)
1 ounce Cointreau.
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce of water and agave syrup cut in equal parts
1 dash of salt.
Give a firm shake and pour over ice. A salted rim is optional!
Gwenn Friss is the editor of CapeWeek and covers entertainment, restaurants and the arts. Contact her at gfriss@capecodonline.com. Follow her or X, formerly Twitter: @dailyrecipeCCT
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Edible glitter, bubbles: How to craft a signature New Year's cocktail
