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Colony Records

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Liquor.com
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Updated 02/23/23
Colony Records cocktail

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

When the calendar turns toward the holidays, cranberries come out in force. These tart little berries make their way into everything from fruit cakes, salads and sauces to cocktails, lending their distinct flavor to all they touch. The Colony Records knows this well. It’s a drink featuring aged rum, fresh grapefruit juice, homemade cranberry syrup and Angostura bitters that’s fruity, spiced and perfect for holiday entertaining.

This recipe comes from Allen Katz, a veteran drinks professional and co-founder of the New York Distilling Company. He begins with Cruzan single-barrel rum, a blend of rums aged up to 12 years with notes of sweet caramel and dry oak. Grapefruit juice lengthens the cocktail with tart refreshment. And the DIY cranberry syrup is just a cranberry-infused simple syrup that you can easily make at home by combining water, granulated sugar and fresh cranberries on the stove until the fruit bursts and flavors the liquid. Finally, aromatic bitters lend complexity and additional spice notes to the cocktail.

Make the Colony Records to order, or whip together a batch for holiday parties by multiplying the ingredients by however many people you want to serve. It’s a surefire way to please a crowd and make a dent in your new surplus of homemade cranberry syrup.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Cruzan single-barrel rum

  • 1 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

  • 3/4 ounce cranberry syrup*

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Garnish: grapefruit twist

Steps

  1. Add the rum, grapefruit juice, cranberry syrup and bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe.

  3. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

*Cranberry syrup: Add 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, 1 cup water and 3/4 cup granulated sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the cranberries start to burst, about 10 minutes. Fine-strain into a sealable container, discarding the solids, and allow to cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator.