As the holiday season wears on, it’s a good time to think back to friends far away or family antics relegated to memory. Today’s cocktail sounds like a soothing accompaniment to long sessions spent reliving the “old” days–be they twenty or two years passed.

Good Memories
– Created by Bombay Sapphire New York’s Most Imaginative Bartender Winner, Vincenzo Cangemi of Ovest Pizzoteca and Bar in NYC

• 1.75oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
• 1 oz spiced rum
• 1 scoop Hazelnut ice cream
• 0.5oz cherry liquor
• Jerry Thomas bitter
• Cinnamon

Method: Pour all the ingredients into a shaker except the bitter and cinnamon, then shake with no ice, just with a strainer cord, the ice cream will melt into the drink chilling it out perfectly, getting creamy and ready for some cinnamon grated on top and Jerry Thomas bitter.

“It’s a delicious martini-style cocktail perfect for Christmas, with hazelnut notes and cloves, all surrounded with cinnamon aroma, cherries, and vanilla from the rum. It’s a cold blend that has a floral body from the Bombay Sapphire Gin, that warms you up in the cold. It is also perfect for a summery Christmas on a fantastic tropical island. Enjoy responsibly! Salute!”

I’m going to guess that, if you cannot find Hazelnut ice cream in your market and do not feel like whipping up a batch yourself, a splash of hazelnut liqueur and some quality vanilla bean ice cream would do the trick. As for the “strainer cord” your guess is as good as mine–the only reference I could find to that was that some bartenders keep their strainers close at hand by hanging them from a retractable cord.

***This recipe was provided by a representative of Bombay Sapphire Gin. I am not affiliated with this brand nor was compensated to post this recipe, not even with review samples. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***