Sugar Cookie Martini: vodka, Irish cream liqueur, amaretto, half and half, and a garnish of -- what else? -- candy sprinkles! 'Twouldn't be the holidays without a deep, deep sugar-induced coma, so I decided to kick off this year's "12 Drinks of Christmas" with a cocktail that's almost as sweet as me. To allay any confusion, today, Christmas Day, is the FIRST day of Christmas. So I'll drink a toast to the Newborn King each day between now and the Twelfth Night. Cheers!

On the Second Day of Christmas, I got to play around with a pomegranate! If you know me, you know I am not one to use hyperbolic words like "flabbergasted." But I was truly flabbergasted at how many juicy red seeds are packed inside one pomegranate. According to rabbinic tradition, there are 613 seeds in every fruit, corresponding to each law contained in the Torah. Thus the fruit symbolizes righteousness. According to another tradition, the pomegranate was the Forbidden Fruit that Adam and Eve chomped into. Thus symbolizing... sin? Take your pick -- sin or righteousness -- mix it with some sparkling rose cava, garnish with some festive rosemary sprigs, and you've got a lovely Pomegranate Mimosa. Cheers!

Russian Pumpkin Pie: vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, pumpkin spice creamer, and ya gotta have a little whipped topping with your holiday pie, right? Go crazy with a dusting of nutmeg and a graham cracker rim garnish. It's the Third Day of Christmas, and I'm still celebrating. Think I may have to go back for seconds. Cheers!

The Halfway to Summer Sangria: orange juice, peach schnapps, leftover white wine from Christmas dinner, and a refreshing medley of (frozen) fruit chunks! It's only the Fourth Day of Christmas, but I'm already dreaming about the Fourth of July. Cheers!

Bourbon Hot Cider: three parts hot apple cider, one part cider-infused bourbon, and a splash of caramel syrup. Topped with chunks of my favorite apples (Gala) and some cinnamon sticks, this sure made me feel better about being snowed in on the Fifth Day of Christmas. Cheers!

¡Ay caramba! Diggin' out from all this snow with a spicy hot cocktail on the Sixth Day of Christmas. It's a Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate, fortified with a shot of smoky mezcal and a dose of cayenne pepper and cinnamon. One was plenty to warm my heart. Cheers!

When life in 2020 gives you lemons, you ring in 2021 with Sparkling Limoncello! Just add some lemon liqueur to your favorite sparkling wine and raise a glass (or two) to better times ahead. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year full of good health and blessings. Cheers!

Peachy Paloma: gold tequila, peach schnapps, and the juices of lime and grapefruit. Three fruits make it breakfast! Hope you have a peachy New Years Day. Cheers!

Peppermint Snowflake: vanilla vodka, peppermint schnapps, and some icy cold half and half. And for your amusement and edification I even fashioned a happy little snowman. You're welcome. It's a beautiful wintery Ninth Day of Christmas here in Nebraska. Cheers!

Tradition tells us the names of the Magi who brought the infant Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh: Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. One Epiphany tradition is to use chalk to inscribe their initials and the year (20+C+B+M+21) above a home's front door to invoke their blessing for the year ahead. My take on that tradition is to have a CBM Cocktail in their honor, featuring Cognac, Benedictine liqueur, and a festive Maraschino cherry for each of the boys. Cheers!

It's the Eleventh Day of Christmas, and the slushy roads as I drove home from work today inspired -- yes, inspired! -- me to make a Guavaberry Slushie: coconut rum, guava nectar, frozen strawberries, and juice from half a squished lime. Goes to show you can find inspiration just about anywhere if you look hard enough. Cheers!

Happy Twelfth Night! We conclude our spirited celebration of Christmas tonight with another frosty concoction to remind us why we loooove living in this icy realm. The Jack Frost is light rum blended with blue Curacao, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and chunks of ice -- plenty of that around these days. Gotta add the coconut garnish to remind you to keep your snow boots at the ready. Hope my daily presentation of adult beverages has taken a bit of the bite out of Winter for you. Until summer, my friends... Cheers!