15 Days of Holiday Drinks (Day 5)

• Each year,  I offer readers a lineup of cocktail creations for the holiday season, culled from combing through all sorts of sources -- my own archives, bar books, distillers' ideas, etc. -- even press releases from breathless PR people seeking to get their clients' products mentioned.

I passionately dislike the overuse of the word “ultimate.” Rarely is it accurate. But, I do like like the content of “The Ultimate Book of Cocktails,” Stuart Walton’s 256-page tome first published in the UK by Hermes House in 2003 and still an excellent resource 13 years later.

Here is a particularly simple and tasty drink, an example of the simplicity of many of the recipes in this series. But, beware. As with virtually any cocktail using a soft drink as a main component, one can down too many of these too easily.  

THE PIRANHA
 

1½ parts vodka 

1 part brown creme de cacao 

1 part ice-cold Coca-Cola or other cola

Pour the alcohol into a rocks glass containing plenty of cracked fresh ice, stir vigorously, then add the cola and serve.

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