Getting into the holiday spirits

Ryan Thomas Magarian and Kathy Casey
Ryan Magarian has gained recognition as one of America’s leading mixologists for his cocktail innovations. Southwest Spirit magazine named him among the “best nine bartenders of the moment” for his dazzling Seattle creations, and Food & Wine magazine awarded him a 2004 Tastemaker Award, naming him one of the country’s “fiercest young industry talents” under 35.

Magarian recently teamed up with Seattle cook and cookbook author Kathy Casey, owner of Kathy Casey Food Studios and Dish D’Lish. Together, the two have been devising new ways to reconsider traditional food pairings — looking to match dishes with cocktails by starting right in the kitchen.

Kathy Casey Food Studios A deep rim of allspice sugar helps make Kathy Casey's Rum Pom Pom even more festive.

Case in point: the Raspberry Womanhattan, which Magarian loves as a holiday drink. “For me, hand-crafted Manhattans using any of the rich and wonderful bourbons on the market are a great way to kick off your winter evening,” he says. “The touch of raspberry adds a little culinary intrigue and makes the cocktail great for food pairings.”

Casey, meantime, offers up her Rum Pom Pom, which combines the Christmastime spice of rum with seasonal fruit flavors. “It is super-festive in color and flavor!” she says.

Ryan’s secret weapon for creating cocktails: “I pay a lot of attention to measurement and temperature. A great cocktail can be lost by incorrectly measuring by only half an ounce!”

Monica Bhide writes about food and culture from suburban Virginia.