Every November, a battle of the shakers—cocktail shakers that is—takes place around the National Tavern bar. Contenders from Reynolds’ five dining venues, Banquets, and Catering & Events face off for the honored title of “winning cocktail” at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Holiday Cocktail Contest where competitors are challenged to incorporate signature flavors of the season, topped with holiday fun.
“The contest is a fun way for our food and beverage teams to show what the holidays at Reynolds look like in the form of a tasty cocktail,” says Jason Plazola, Director of Food and Beverage. “This drink will then be featured from Thanksgiving through New Years in all of the club restaurants and bars as well as holiday events.”
In this year’s 3rd Annual Holiday Cocktail Contest, the representatives prepared and presented their concoctions in front a panel of judges. Drinks were rated on appearance, aroma, creativity, taste, and overall representation of the holiday season.
The competition was stiff with entries such as the Fireball and cider cocktail called Bah-Humbug and the hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps mixture named Winter Solstice. In the end, returning champs at The Creek Club wowed the judges with their Rudolph-inspired Red-Nosed RumChata, ultimately clinching their title for the second year in a row.
“This contest is one that The Creek Club team always looks forward to and we were thrilled to defend our title from last year,” says Steve Pinheiro, Creek Club Restaurant Manager. “It was a collaborative team effort once again to showcase the warm flavors of the holiday season in a fun way. This year’s cocktail included hints of vanilla, almond, hazelnut, and cinnamon in our selected spirits, and proudly garnished in a ‘red-nosed’ way.”
To make this year’s winning cocktail, follow the recipe below.
Reynolds Red-Nosed RumChata
Ingredients:
3 oz. Rumchata
.75 oz. Crown Royal Vanilla
.75 oz. Disaronno Amaretto
.25 oz. Frangelico
.25 oz. Bailey’s
1 Cherry
2-3 Cinnamon sticks
Dark Chocolate
Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Directions:
Shake with ice and serve up in a martini glass rimmed with micro-grated Cinnamon Graham Crackers and Dark Chocolate. Garnish with a stemless cherry sliced on the rim. Finish with micro-grate cinnamon sticks on top.
