3 Holiday Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s time to make your night more delightful with the help of a few of these boozy recipes. From rum poached pears to mulled wine with spices from Kauaʻi, these three holiday recipes—provided to us by Kōloa Rum Company—will surely keep you warm by the fire.

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Rum Poached Pears

Rum poached pears.
Photo: Lee Corbett (@TheRogueBrusselSprout)

Ingredients:

• 2 firm, crisp pears
• ½ c Kōloa Kauaʻi Spice Rum
• ½ c apple cider
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of flavorful, flaky sea salt
• Toppings of choice

Directions:

• Cut the pears parallel to the stem so that you end up with two symmetrical halves.
• From the cut side, remove the core and seeds using a melon baller. From the non-cut side, cut a small slice off the back so that the pears will sit flat without rolling.
• Place the pears in a small (10’’) skillet. Add the rum, cider, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
• Cook the pears for 5-10 minutes at a low simmer, then flip them over and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Continue poaching the pears until they are tender (but not soft) and until the liquid has reduced to create a thick, flavorful rum sauce. If the liquid reduces before the pears are fully cooked, add a splash of additional cider (or water) to prevent it from caramelizing too far.
• Transfer the pears to a serving dish, cut-side facing upward. Pour the remaining rum sauce over the pears.
• Garnish with your favorite holiday toppings including nuts, cranberries, ice cream, whipped cream, etc.

Ingredient Note:

This recipe will work best with firm, crisp pears that feel slightly under-ripe. Using under-ripe pears ensures that they can stand up to the cooking time without becoming too soft.

Make-Ahead Tips:

This recipe works great as a make-ahead holiday dish. You can cook the pears up to two days in advance; just store them in the fridge in a tightly sealed container, and store the extra rum sauce separately. When ready to serve, reheat and assemble.

Kauaʻi Spice Mulled Wine

Kauaʻi spice mulled wine.
Photo: Sarah Stephens

Ingredients:

• 1 (750ml) bottle pinot noir
• 12 oz Kōloa Kaua‘i Spice Rum
• 6 oz local honey
• 4 oz tangerine juice
• 20 cinnamon leaves
• 10 allspice leaves

Directions:

• Heat ingredients over medium heat in a saucepan until warm.
• Serve in a mug and garnish with tangerine wheels, cinnamon leaves and allspice.

Cacao Milk Punch

Cacao milk punch.
Photo: Kōloa Rum Company

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Kōloa Kauaʻi Cacao Rum
• ½ oz. condensed milk
• ¾ oz. macadamia nut milk or coconut milk

Directions:

• Shake and strain into a coupe glass.
• Garnish with cacao powder on edge of glass.