Guinness Hot Chocolate

What is better than hot chocolate on a chilly day? Hot chocolate with Guinness.

This delicious cup of cocoa is made with real melted chocolate and a reduced bottle of Guinness to give it a subtle roasted stout flavor. Finish it off with a dash of nutmeg and you've got a drink that is enough to send Buddy the Elf into cocoa rehab.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips  (2.5 teaspoons of chips = 1 ounce of chocolate)
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
• A dash of nutmeg

Procedure:

1. 1. Pour the Guinness into a medium saucepan and cook it over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes. This will reduce the Guinness to 1/2 cup of concentrated syrup. 
2. In a medium saucepan, mix cocoa, sugar, salt, milk, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate chips over medium heat. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted. Whisk mixture until fully mixed.
3. Add Guinness and whisk until frothy. 
4. Pour into cups. Top with marshmallows, tiny chocolate chips, a dash of nutmeg, and serve to guests!

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Cranberry Culprit

With the holiday season upon us, we felt it was necessary to serve something seasonal at our office cocktail party. We selected the Cranberry Culprit, a festive red cocktail featuring cranberry sauce, and it was a perfect choice. Neither too strong nor too sweet, the Cranberry Culprit turned out to be an excellent party drink that everyone could enjoy! For some additional sparkle and cheer, we garnished our glasses with gold sugar from Williams Sonoma. If we "accidentally" make too much cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, we'll know what to do with it. 

Here’s the recipe from Chow.com so you can make it as well:

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce cranberry sauce

1 ounce bourbon

1 ounce amaretto

2 ounces ginger ale

Lime wedge

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine cranberry sauce, bourbon, and amaretto in a cocktail shaker and muddle until most of the cranberries are broken up.

2. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously. Pour the contents into a highball glass (do not strain), and top with ginger ale. Squeeze the lime wedge over top and serve.