All Aboard the Polar Express: A Magical Christmas Journey Served with Two Holiday Cocktails

It is the Eve of Christmas and the eve of when a boy (Tom Hanks, Josh Hutcherson, Daryl Sabara) in Grand Rapids, Michigan decides he no longer believes in Santa Claus.  The boys skepticism is met with the equally matter-of-fact Conductor (Tom Hanks) on magical train that only Christmas can deliver, the Polar Express.  On the Polar Express, he quietly makes a few friends- a bright, optimistic and thoughtful girl (Nona Gaye), Billy a shy, timid and pessimistic boy (Peter Scolari, Hayden McFarland) and an endlessly talking know-it-all boy (Eddie Deezen).  This train is occupied by the Ghostly Hobo (Tom Hanks) and driven by two goofy and animated engineers Smokey and Steamer (Michael Jeter, Andre Sogliuzzo) in a train ride that turns into more of an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride to the North Pole to see Santa Claus (the internet says Tom Hanks, but I think it's actually Alan Rickman). 

This jittery, wild train ride is what inspired our first cocktail, not to mention the necessary play-on-words.  "The Polar Expresso" is an espresso cocktail with the essence of the much favored holiday chocolate, the cordial cherry.  We spiked a shot of espresso with Brandy and Kirsch Liqueur from the Alps, sweetened it with vanilla simple syrup and balanced it all with the orange scented Liquor 43.  Shake it like the train coming off the tracks to create a nice foam top like the stack on the train and garnish with a cherry dusted with gold luster dust to look like Santa's bell.  This cocktail will get you "Rockin' on Top of the World" just like the Elf Singer (Steven Tyler) sang at the Elves' Christmas party.   

Before the kids get to the Christmas party, they received refreshments themselves on the Polar Express, which inspired the rich, silky and warm cocoa cocktail "We Got It".  The song the Conductor leads several magical Waiters and Baristas (Josh Eli, Rolandas Hendricks, John Scott, Sean Scott, Mark Mendonca, Mark Goodman, Gregory Gast and Gordon Hart) sing and dance to in a very catchy song.   Dishing out a hot chocolate drink that they are very proud of, we created an adult version that we are equally proud of.  Equal parts Coconut Rum, Coffee Liqueur and Half and Half help deliver a deep, buttery and creamy flavor so smooth it's dangerous.  Mixed into a hot cocoa mix that has been frothed to 135F- 145F and you have a warm cocktail ready to drink.  We made our own hot cocoa mix which is creamy loaded with deep chocolate flavor which can be served deliciously on its own as a "We Got It" NAB, recipe provided.