Diving Gingerly Into the Holidays, Part 1: Ginger Nasties

It's official: The holidays are here. There's no denying the full-frontal holiday assault on our senses, our wallets, and our spirits. So rather than bah-humbug about it all, why not get into the swing of things with a good stiff drink? A festive cocktail makes things better in so many ways, don't you think?

This cocktail came to be in true Fare to Remember fashion: A group of good friends sharing good times while experimenting in the kitchen (or rather, the bar... but you get the drift). I wasn't there for the birth of these auspiciously-named "Ginger Nasties," but after hearing a rundown of the ingredients, I had to recreate the drink to confirm what I suspected to be true: this is one amazing cocktail; a lovely, festive libation for the holidays.

The starring ingredient is my friend Jill's homemade Limoncello. I suppose you could make it with commercial Limoncello products, but lucky for me, I don't have to. (I got a bottle of her famed elixir for my birthday - neener neener neener!) A warning: this drink is a bit dangerous. When I served it to my DH, he proclaimed "Ah! Ginger Lemonade!" Um... yes... but with a serious punch that you just won't see coming. So proceed with caution, drink responsibly, but damn! Mix this up!

Ginger Nasties
Contributed by Jill Jacobs (that's Ms. Jacobs, if you're nasty!)

• 8-ounce cocktail glass, rimmed with sugar and filled with ice
• 1 2-ounce shot of limoncello
• Ginger ale, to fill the remainder of the glass
• Crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces and floated on top
• Garnished with a sprig of mint