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How to make a pair of winter cocktails from a top Oregon resort

A duo of winter treats from a top resort in the rugged west

By Mark Stock Nov 20, 2025 1:34 PM

Brasada Ranch. — Mark Stock / The Manual

Winter break is coming, whether that actually exists in your professional career or is just a state of mind. Regardless, there will be snowy hikes, slopes, apres ski drinks, and good fun all around. We’re toasting that with a couple of winter warmer cocktails, ideal for a fireside gathering.

The following recipes come from Brasada Ranch in stunning central Oregon. Readers are encouraged to check the place out, especially Wild Rye, the restaurant responsible for the drinks, as it’s not only one of the best high desert getaways but a top golf resort too boot. Read on for the full recipes.

Clarified Eggnog

Confuse the party guests with this cool clarified cocktail recipe. Pro tip: Do a 10x ratio if making at home for improved clarification. And remember, no shaking or stirring required.

Ingredients:

1 ounce Appleton Rum
1 ounce VSOP Cognac
2 dashes bitters
4 ounces egg nog mix (your favorite local mix)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce pineapple juice

Method:

Excluding the lemon and pineapple juice, mix all ingredients together.
Separately, mix the lemon and pineapple juice into a vessel.
Slowly pour the mixture of the other ingredients into the vessel, allowing them to curdle.
Chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
To clarify, pass the liquid through a cheese cloth or a paper coffee filter at least once or twice prior to serving.
Serve in a cold glass or over ice with freshly grated nutmeg.

Tequila Snowball

Tequila goes with anything, from a good Bloody Mary recipe to sweets lie chocolate and coconut cream.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Tapatio 110 Tequila
1/2 ounce Tempus Fugit Creme d’ Menthe
1/4 ounce VSOP Cognac
1 ounce Lopez Coconut Cream
Microplaned fresh lime zest and powdered sugar for Garnish

Method:

Put a glass in the freezer for 20 minutes until ice cold.
Once cold, remove and gently roll it through sieved powdered sugar as it starts to warm up.
Once your glass is snowballed, add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake, double strain into the glass, and zest with microplaned lime zest over the top.

Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since… Read Full Bio

The tequila-based cocktails you need to learn this summer

Espolòn Tequila

While there’s no wrong time of year for tequila-based cocktails, summer just might be the best. Also, when it comes to warm-weather spirits, it’s hard to beat the appeal of agave-based tequila, with flavors like citrus, vanilla, vegetal agave, cracked black pepper, and other spices. Aging only adds to the nuanced flavor profile, making tequila a great choice for warm-weather mixed drinks like the Margarita, Paloma, and more.

While I’ve sung the praises of gin-based cocktails during the summer months, I have the same affinity for tequila. There’s something special about sitting on a deck (or dock) overlooking a pond, lake, or river while you sip a tequila-based cocktail on a warm, humid afternoon. When you’re sipping your drink and taking in the picturesque view, there are no deadlines and emails waiting for response. You’re in the moment and just going with the flow as jet skis, pontoon boats, and sailboats glide by.

Classic golf course beers you’ll want to drink this summer

Dale’s Pale Ale

If you’re anything like me, you’re going to spend at least another day or two on the golf course before the end of summer. You might not notice it, but the days are growing shorter, and fall is lurking on the horizon like a pumpkin spice-fueled monster. Your chances of spending sunny, humid days on the links are quickly dwindling. And while where you’re golfing and who you’re with is important, so too is what you’re drinking.

In my years of golfing and drinking, I’ve encountered myriad golf course cocktails, and I’ve found that while you can’t beat the classic flask of whiskey, there’s nothing better than a crisp, refreshing beer on a warm summer day spent enjoying 18 holes. Who cares if you’re hitting eagles or double bogeys left and right if you have a nice beer to sip?

Who needs decanters? The future is wine from a pump box

Alcohol, Beverage, Bottle

Mark West, the official wine sponsor of Major League Baseball, is putting a working wine dispenser disguised as a ketchup pump into a cornfield in Iowa, and honestly, I respect the commitment to the bit.

The “Top Up Dispenser,” as they’re calling it, will show up outside the diamond at next week’s MLB at Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa — the annual matchup played next to the actual field from the 1989 movie.