This article was published on December 6th, 2017

Mistletoe has been a Christmas symbol for centuries. Originally mentioned in Norse Mythology, mistletoe really hit it culturally big in the 1700s as a symbol of peace, friendship, vitality, and fertility. Though mistletoe is a parasitic plant, meaning it gets some of its nutrients by taking it from another plant and its berries are highly poisonous, mistletoe and kissing under it at Christmas became a tradition by the serving class in Victorian England. Today, mistletoe is also the name sake of a delicious holiday cocktail: The Mistletoe.

The Mistletoe is made by freezing a twig of rosemary in the freezer until it’s completely solid. It’s then placed in the glass with Stoli Razberi and lime juice, then topped with tonic water. A cherry as a garnish makes the Mistletoe look and taste like a piece of Christmas heaven, the rosemary a bright green and the cherry a lavish red: the colors of the holiday season.

If you’re needing some liquid courage to help you be brave enough to kiss the one you want to beneath this famed bushel of berries, try the Mistletoe cocktail. Set the scene by hanging the mistletoe in a doorway near the front of the house or space. With a Mistletoe cocktail in hand, tap on the person you’d like to kiss and ask them if they’d like to take part in a 300-year old Christmas tradition. But offer them a Mistletoe cocktail, first.

What you’ll need:

• 2 oz. Stoli Razberi
• ½ oz. lime juice
• tonic

Freeze rosemary sprig in ice. Place into a cocktail glass. Add Stoli Razberi and lime juice. Top with tonic. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.