Rum

Thyme syrup adds a savory note to this rum-cider punch that'd be great as a pre–holiday dinner drink.

Sorenson uses locally made House Spirits coffee liqueur, made with Stumptown beans, in this cold-brew cocktail. It's delicious, but hard to find outside of Oregon. In its place, use any other coffee liqueur.

Sparkling wine and Jamaican rum make for a compelling riff on the Negroni. Plus, it's a quick finish once it's batched.

This is an impressive three-layered popsicle. Make sure each layer is completely frozen before adding the next, as it looks great when the layers are really well defined.

The recipe for this tiki party crowd-pleaser (and I do mean a crowd!) is courtesy of Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco. This can be served in several bowls placed throughout a party area or one enormous vessel.

A blend of rums, exotic juices, liqueurs, aromatic spices, absinthe, and trepidation. One from the Soulshakers' greatest hits collection, this drink has been honed to a lethal edge over the past eight years at Gaz's Rocking Blues at London's Notting Hill Carnival and the Glastonbury Festival in southwest England.

If you want a real taste of Cuba, you have to start with a mojito. Rum, lime juice, mint…you've got the drink of Hemingway in your hands. For a delicious spin on the classic, try this version. Sweet, tart, and bursting with fruity flavor, blackberries are an outstanding addition.

Pineapple adds sweetness and a tropical twist to this classic cocktail. Make sure to choose a ripe one: It should be very fragrant, with no soft spots or bruises. Or use fresh precut pineapple.

It goes without saying, but the sweeter and riper your strawberries, the better this adult slushie will taste (and look).

Way to warm up the room—especially if it's spiked.

Star-shaped cookies will certainly put you in the holiday spirit, but feel free to use any cookie cutters you have in the drawer.

Throughout France, these traditional fried cookies are called "marvels" for good reason. For crisp, golden results, be sure that the oil is hot enough before you begin.

This deconstructed praline version of fondue wows time and again thanks to its simplicity and unexpected flavor. While it’s great any time of year, it’s especially suited to the summertime, when you want to keep cooking to a minimum and you have an abundance of berries, melons, peaches, and grapes at peak flavor. This setup is ideal for parties, as it encourages interaction; there’ll be no wallflowers when you set this out.

This ice cream can be made up to a week in advance, which helps free up precious prep time during the always-hectic holiday season. The lovely aroma of freshly grated nutmeg will put you, and everyone who enjoys this treat, in the holiday spirit.

This needs to set up overnight, so start one day ahead.

Chef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery in Miami Beach, Florida, shared this recipe as part of a Palm Tree Christmas menu he created exclusively for Epicurious. At Wessel family Christmases at Grandmother Esther's house in Miami Beach, the main courses were Florida-centric, but the desserts were not. This particular rum cake was often served by one of Wessel's aunts. "I think all the Irish side of our family loved it because it was loaded with rum," he says, joking that they'd often add more to the glaze than the recipe called for. The alcohol will burn off, but you can also omit the rum glaze and just serve with ice cream.

Raisins steeped in dark rum mingle with tart and sweet apples in this updated version of an American favorite. It's a showstopper when paired with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Translated into English as "the Goat Sucker," El Chupacabra is a mythical creature known for its nocturnal prowling and as the culprit in weird livestock deaths. There are various descriptions of the creature, which is believed to be heavy, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines stretching from head to tail. Maybe you've heard the silly stories. My fascination with this mythical creature inspired me to invent a drink as its namesake. This martini is infused with fiery red blood orange juice and the explosive Brazilian aphrodisiac açaí, making this an exotic bright red cocktail full of drama and flavor. Açaí juice is actually very healthy and has 33 times the antioxidant content of red wine grapes. Hints of guava and pineapple nectar in this drink are fruits from Puerto Rico (where Chupacabra sightings were first reported). The understated tones of coconut rum make this drink equally dangerous, so sip with caution.

This potent punch is dangerously crowd-pleasing.

The magic of this easy dessert happens in the fridge as the lemon juice sets the cream into a luscious custard— no eggs or gelatin required.