02 DIY Martini Bar 04 Make-Ahead Cocktails 06 Gifts Worth Unwrapping 08 Cozy Winter Classics 10
Special Celebrations
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Set for the Season
CELEBRATE THE SEASON The holidays are made for gathering — for pouring something special, wrapping a thoughtful gift, and making room for the people who matter most. This guide covers it all. Find cocktails your guests will rave about, gifts they’ll love unwrapping, and details that turn a gathering into a memory. You’ll also get tips for effortless hosting to help everyone enjoy the night and get home safely. Cheers to making spirits bright!
MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
DIY MARTINI BAR Martinis are a great alternative to heavier, sweeter holiday drinks. This classic cocktail has few base ingredients — just gin or vodka and vermouth — but endless variations for guests to customize. 1. Start with the Pour
Set out gin or vodka and vermouth with a small sign listing a classic ratio. From there, guests can adjust to taste — more vermouth for a wetter martini, less for a drier one, or anywhere in between.
2. Use Fresh Vermouth
This martini staple is wine-based, so an open bottle of vermouth left too long can go flat and oxidize. If it’s lost its aroma or tastes flat and dull instead of herbal and slightly bitter, it’s time for a new bottle.
3. Keep Glasses Chilled
A chilled glass keeps the martini crisp and refreshing. If you have open freezer space, chill glasses ahead of time and set them out just before the party. Or set them out in a 2 HOLIDAY GUIDE
tray with ice, with a clean towel for guests to dry their glass before they pour.
4. Make Customization Festive
Set out small pitchers of classic ingredients such as bitters and olive brine, as well as syrups and liqueurs for flavored martinis. Offer a range of garnish options from olives and lemon wheels to seasonal add-ons like espresso beans, chocolate shavings, and crushed candy canes.
5. Set Up a Water Station Close By
Martinis are stronger than most cocktails because they aren’t diluted by mixers. Offering water gives guests a drink to alternate with. Consider infusing water with cranberry, adding pomegranate seeds, or offering sparkling water.
CLASSIC GIN MARTINI
CANDY CANE MARTINI
CHOCOLATE MARTINI
ESPRESSO MARTINI
Chilled, crisp, and beautifully balanced.
White chocolate with a minty finish.
Velvety decadence with a buttery backnote.
Rich, polished, and pleasantly bittersweet.
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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
MAKE-AHEAD COCKTAILS The holiday season is all about togetherness, so batching cocktails leaves you more time to connect and create special memories with your guests. 1. Choose Your Cocktail
Look for drinks built to be batched, like mulled wine, spiced cider, or punch. These lean on spirits and shelf-stable spices, so flavors meld and mellow as they sit, making them just as good — or better — the next day. Batch one cold and one warm option, with a mocktail version of each.
2. Prep Ahead
Mix spices, juices, syrups, bitters, and spirits a day before the party, so flavors have time to steep and settle. Strain out solids — like cinnamon sticks or citrus peel — before storing so it doesn’t turn bitter. For hot drinks, hold off on final heating until closer to serving. If it’s a punch topped with something bubbly, wait until guests arrive so it stays fresh and lively. 4 HOLIDAY GUIDE
3. Serve in Smaller Batches
Spending time together is the perk of the season, so guests may linger longer than other times of the year. Serve in smaller batches over the course of the evening — storing the rest of your batch in a backup pitcher in the fridge — so a longer night is easy and enjoyable for you and your guests.
4. Taste and Adjust
Flavors can fade or shift slightly as a batch sits, so give it a quick taste test before guests arrive. Adjust as needed to make sure it’s perfectly balanced by the time you pour.
5. Include Labels and Instructions
Be sure mocktails and spirit-based options are clearly labeled, and add a small sign such as “Ladle, Garnish, Enjoy.”
GIN AMARETTO FRENCH 75
MOCKTAIL HOLIDAY PUNCH
RUM COQUITO
VODKA COSMOPOLITAN
Effervescent and citrusy with a nutty twist.
A fruity, spiced, cold-weather delight.
Rich and velvety, warmed by the tropics.
Crisp, fruity, and full of sparkle.
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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
GIFTS WORTH UNWRAPPING
Gift Boxes
A selection of minis or pints in one of our signature gift boxes is an easy, festive gift. Capture the spirit of the season and fill it with favorites, or pick a fun sampling of seasonal flavors — while supplies last.
Special gift sets for the holidays
6 HOLIDAY GUIDE
Curated Cocktail Kit
Gift your recipients their favorite cocktail in a kit that includes everything they need to make it at home — a bottle of spirits, mixers, and a shaker to bring it all together. Finish it off with a handwritten recipe card!
Spirits from local distilleries
Limited-time offers and one-time buys
Tasting Flights
Create an at-home tasting gift of a few varieties within one spirit category, like bourbon, scotch, or small-batch tequilas, so your recipient can sample, compare, and find a new favorite.
Barrel picks only available in Ohio
Luxury Collection
Turn a drink into a discovery with our Luxury Collection of rare and premium spirits, featuring some of the finest, most sought-after bottles from distilleries around the world.
Ready-to-drink cocktails
Peppermint, coffee, and more!
OHLQ.COM
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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
COZY WINTER CLASSICS Hot drinks are a delicious perk during the cold winter months. Their sweet and spicy scents instantly create a cozy ambiance that’s perfect for holiday gatherings throughout the season. 1. Heat Low and Slow
Keep your batch at a gentle simmer, never a boil. A slow cooker on low or a pot on your stove’s lowest setting is all you need. A hard boil cooks off the alcohol and can turn your spices bitter, undoing all your patient steeping.
2. Keep the Serving Station Clean
A ladle or spigot makes serving easy, but warm drinks can drip. Set out a small mat or tray underneath to catch spills.
3. Serve in Mugs or Teacups
Avoid stemware and stick with mugs or cups designed for hot drinks. Curved mugs or teacups are better than straight-walled ones, since they keep the aroma of evaporating alcohol away from guests’ noses. For an 8 HOLIDAY GUIDE
extra touch, preheat mugs or teacups with hot tap water before filling them so the drink stays warmer longer.
4. Make a Spirit-Free Version
Most warm drinks are built on wine, cider, or water rather than spirits, so pulling the alcohol is easy — just set aside a portion of the batch before adding it in, and everyone has a festive option to sip.
5. Elevate with Garnishes
A few bowls of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and crushed peppermint, or orange slices, fresh cranberries, and cinnamon sticks, let guests dress up their own mug — an easy way to add a festive, personal touch without any extra effort behind the bar.
BOURBON HOT TODDY
HOT BUTTERED RUM
MOCKTAIL MULLED WINE
Complex, comforting, and gently spiced.
A melt-in-yourmouth, buttery cookie in a glass.
A fruity, spiced, cold-weather delight.
WHISKEY BUCKEYE HOT CHOCOLATE
A rich and creamy treat.
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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS A signature drink is about making one thing feel special. When there’s a drink worth savoring, guests linger over it, sipping and talking — a moment to slow down during a hectic season. 1. Limit to One
Pick one signature drink. More options only dilute it. An unusual garnish or a striking color will make your drink recognizable and desirable. Serving water — in an elegant dispenser or carafe — gives guests a refreshing pause between pours.
2. Give it a Good Name
A name turns a cocktail into an experience. Choose one that’s tied to the season, the holiday, or your custom for celebrating it. Guests will be more likely to ask for it by name and remember it after they leave.
3. Tie it to Your Menu
Let your meal inspire your signature drink — or take cues from it — by carrying over key flavors or ingredients. Baking Mom’s ginger 10 HOLIDAY GUIDE
snaps? Pull those same warm spices into a bourbon drink. Love a cranberry cocktail? Consider using the fruit in a baked brie too.
4. Share Design Cues
The winter holidays are rich with jewel tones and textures that can elevate what’s on your table and in your glass. Pull harvest season hues into napkins. Repeat a rosemary garnish in the centerpiece. Enhance a warm spiced drink with candlelight.
5. Gift Guests the Recipe
In the season of gratitude and giving, give guests the recipe on a card. Include substitutions and a mocktail version. Print it on a coaster or tie it to a mini bottle of the primary spirit.
GIN NEGRONI
HOLIDAY OLD FASHIONED
HONEY PEAR MARGARITA
WINTER WHITE MARGARITA
Beautifully balancing bitter and sweet.
A festive classic, tart and spiritforward.
A crisp, easygoing twist on a classic.
Light and zesty with a whisper of coconut.
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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
SET FOR THE SEASON Between hosting and gift-giving, the holidays keep everyone busy. A little preparation makes it easier to stay present and find moments of connection. Get Your Bar Ready
Keep Gifting Basics On-Hand
Make Every Drink Special
Gift with a Little Flair
Use Pre-Mixed Options
Have an Exit Plan
Stock up early on things that keep all season — core spirits like vodka, whiskey, and tequila. Bitters and syrups won’t spoil either.
A thoughtfully made mocktail makes non-drinkers feel just as included as everyone else, and helps guests pace themselves and enjoy the whole party.
Ready-to-drink cocktails are convenient for hosts and guests. Serving them in a nice glass with garnish feels just as thoughtful as a handmade cocktail. 12 HOLIDAY GUIDE
A stash of thank-you notes, gift bags, ribbons, and mini bottles means you’re always ready in this season of giving and receiving.
A host gift doesn’t have to be complicated to feel thoughtful. A bottle of their favorite spirit or a seasonal sweet treat is an easy way to say thank you.
Plan for how to get home before drinks start pouring. Rideshare gift cards as party favors make getting home safely feel like part of the celebration.
Introducing the Winter 2026-27 Ohio Liquor Luxury Collection — a curated ensemble of rare and collectible spirits from around the world.
SCAN TO VIEW THE FULL COLLECTION
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