Joel McHale's Monkey Shoulder Adult Table Cocktail Recipe - Exclusive
Just in time for the holidays, comedian and actor Joel McHale has teamed up with Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky to create delectable whisky-based food and cocktail recipes. This easy cocktail recipe makes a big batch of boozy delight, the majority of which you can prepare ahead of time so you don't get trapped behind the bar and "miss out on your crazy uncle's rants," as McHale told us.
His beautifully blended cocktail calls for an entire bottle of Monkey Shoulder — McHale's go-to scotch whisky — combined with sweet and spicy ingredients and Aperol, then topped off with prosecco. It packs quite a punch and is clearly not for the kiddies, so McHale dubs it an Adult Table cocktail "for, well, the adult table" that can bring holiday cheer to 10 or more adults at a party. McHale's expertly crafted Monkey Shoulder Adult Table Cocktail can be sipped throughout your holiday meal or post-feast while chatting cozily in front of a burning Yule log in your fireplace.
This is a stress-free recipe, and the only "cooking" you'll need to do is prepare the spiced syrup, which is nothing more than sugar and water simmered with the iconic holiday spices — cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick — for 10 minutes. Each cocktail can be made individually — shaken, not stirred — or you could combine all of the ingredients in a large glass dispenser with some sliced orange tossed in to amp up the aesthetic, and guests can pour the drinks themselves, served over ice. However you choose to make McHale's heady holiday concoction, you'll want to enjoy his Monkey Shoulder Adult Table Cocktail at every holiday celebration.
For more information on Monkey Shoulder, visit their website.
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 8 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 bottle (750 ml) Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky
- 10 ounces Aperol
- 12 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 bottles Prosecco
- Strips of orange peel studded with cloves
- Fresh orange slices (optional)
- Combine sugar, water, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the spices out and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
- When the syrup has cooled, pour the entire bottle of Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky, 10 ounces of Aperol, and 12 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice into a glass pitcher. Stir to combine.
- To make individual cocktails: add 3.5 ounces of the mixed cocktail into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until frosty, strain the cocktail into a coupe glass, then top it off with prosecco.
- Garnish the cocktail with a strip of orange peel studded with cloves.
- To make a large batch: Pour all ingredients (except for the clove-studded orange peel) into a large glass beverage dispenser. Float fresh orange slices on top. Serve over ice and garnish with the orange peel.