PITTSBURGH — Thiago Leite has a simple philosophy when it comes to making cocktails, and it applies whether you're hosting a fancy dinner party for friends or simply curling up on the couch for a quiet night with your partner and Netflix.

"Make what you like," he says.

Consider the Caipiroska he was stirring together on a test run for Fairmont Pittsburgh's holiday cocktail classes.

Leite, who is both the Downtown hotel's banquet director and restaurant manager, was born in the U.S., but he spent every summer of his childhood in Brazil with his family. The national drink there is the Caipirinha, a sweet and tangy cocktail made with fresh lime, sugar and cachaca, a vegetal distilled spirit made from fresh sugarcane juice.

Like most bartenders, Leite is a fan of vodka, a "sponge" spirit that readily takes on the flavors of whatever it is mixed with. On this day, he was tweaking the long-established recipe by using Absolut Elyx instead of cachaca, and brown sugar in place of the superfine cane sugar that traditionally sweetens the drink.

Known for its refreshing quality, this twist on a Caipirinha might seem like an odd choice in Pittsburgh in December. But remember Leite's No. 1 rule about following your bliss.

"Christmas is hot in Brazil. We're in sandals and flip-flops," he explained as he muddled wedges of lime and slices of orange with what looked to be heaps of the caramel-colored sugar in a rocks glass.

Here, it's hot chocolate and hot toddies, but there everything is iced."

After a taste test, you, too, would have to agree it's delicious.

A second cocktail featuring whiskey felt a little bit more like Christmas.

Called the Bashful Boulevardier, the spirit-forward drink is also known as a whiskey-based Negroni because it includes Campari, a bitter bright-red Italian aperitif. Here, rich cherry syrup adds a sweet and tangy twist and a dash of raspberry-flavored Chambord lends a definite luxe, holiday feel.

"It's what we call a conversation drink," explained Leite.

That is, a sipping cocktail that encourages social interaction while it is enjoyed over time instead of quickly gulped down.

A Prohibition-era drink generally made with rye whiskey, the Boulevardier is also a perfect "freezer door" cocktail that makes entertaining a breeze, he added, because it can be made in advance in large batches. You can scale up the recipe to serve eight, 10 or even 12 people, depending on the size of your guest list.

This is the second year for the hotel's holiday cocktail classes. Depending on the day, each will feature one of four spirits — vodka, gin, whiskey or tequila.

"Since it's a cocktail class, you'll learn to pour from the bottle," Leite said.

Attendees also will get instruction on blending ingredients, flavors and botanicals, and try their hand at fundamental techniques like shaking, stirring and muddling.

Aromatics used to flavor drinks also will be addressed "since you remember things through smell more than anything," he said.

One example: cinnamon sticks that are scorched lightly on one end with a lighter and added to espresso martinis in the Fairmont's upscale bar fl.2. (They sell more than 1,000 a month.)

Once you've got the recipes down pat, Leite will offer tips for setting up a home bar so you can create your favorite cocktail whenever the mood strikes. They include:

—Be sure to have the fundamentals: whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and tequila.

—Have the right tools at the ready, including a good shaker for mixing cocktails. He recommends either a two-piece Boston shaker (a metal tin and a mixing glass) or a three-piece cobbler shaker featuring a metal container, a lid with built-in strainer and a cap.

—A muddler to gently mash and mix ingredients like fruit and sugar. The stainless-steel ones used at the hotel have a "tenderizer" head to better crush herbs and fruits.

—A long-handled spoon for stirring cocktails with spirits, liqueurs and vermouth (like a martini, Old Fashioned or Manhattan). Stirring chills and dilutes a cocktail without introducing air bubbles.

—A jigger to precisely measure ingredients. A double-sided, 1 ounce over 2 ounce measuring vessel allows you to maintain consistency and quality in every drink.

—Love cocktails that contain fresh juice, cream, milk or egg whites? A strainer is essential for straining out ice and other solid ingredients in shaken cocktails.

—No bar is complete without a corkscrew for opening wine bottles and some spirits.

—Mixers including bitters (Angostura is considered the standard), tonic water, soda and ginger beer.

—Finally, a selection of glassware — highball and lowball glasses for mixed drinks, martini and coupe glasses for cocktails, and wine and champagne glasses for celebrating special occasions.

Below, we share the recipes for Leite's cocktails, along with two others that will be served this holiday season at two local restaurants, Downtown's Ritual House and Shorty's Pins x Pints on the North Shore.

Happy holidays!

Caipiroska

PG tested

Christmastime is hot in Brazil, so holiday celebrations usually feature iced cocktails instead of hot toddies. This refreshing cocktail from the Fairmont Pittsburgh is a vodka-based twist on the Caipirinha, a classic Brazilian cocktail made with cachaca, sugar and lime.

You can make it sweeter or more tart, depending on the amount of brown sugar.

1/2 lime, cut into wedges

1 slice orange

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 ounces vodka

Dried lime slice, for garnish

Place lime wedges in a sturdy glass, such as a rocks glass, or a cocktail shaker. Add orange slice and sugar, and using a muddler, gently crush them together to release the juice and essential oils from the rind. (But be careful not to over-muddle the rind, which can make the drink bitter.)

Pour vodka into the glass or shaker with the muddled lime mixture.

Fill the glass with crushed ice. If using a shaker, add ice and shake well to chill and dilute the mixture.

Pour all contents (liquid, lime pieces and ice) into an old-fashioned or rocks glass filled with ice.

Garnish with dried lime slice and serve immediately.

Serves 1.

— Thiago Leite, Fairmont Pittsburgh

Bashful Boulevardier

PG tested

2 ounces whiskey

1/2 ounce Luxardo cherry syrup

1/2 ounce Chambord

1 ounce Campari

3 dashes bitters

Add whiskey, cherry syrup, Chambord, Campari and bitters into a mixing glass.

Fill the glass with ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled and silky.

Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube to keep the drink cold without diluting too quickly.

Finish with a Luxardo cherry or a gentle twist of orange peel for a subtle aromatic lift.

Serves 1.

— Thiago Leite, Fairmont Pittsburgh

Nutella Espresso Martini

PG tested

This sweet and creamy martini can double as a dessert. It includes Kahlua and Buttershots, a butterscotch-flavored schnapps.

1 scoop Nutella

1 ounce espresso, cooled

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce Kahlua coffee liqueur

1/2 ounce Buttershots

Add 1 generous scoop of Nutella to your shaker.

Add espresso, then give it a quick stir to help the Nutella blend smoothly.

Pour in vodka, Kahlua and Buttershots.

Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until the mixture is chilled and velvety.

Strain into a martini glass for a clean, glossy finish.

Garnish with a light drizzle of Nutella or a few espresso beans for an elegant touch. You also can line the rim of the martini glass with Nutella and roll in crushed nuts or cookies.

Makes 1 cocktail.

— Thiago Leite, Fairmont Pittsburgh

Shorty's Gingerbread Smash

This festive cocktail is Shorty's Pins x Pints' riff on a classic Old Fashioned. It brings together the warm spice of gingerbread cookies and the smoothness of whiskey in a cocktail that's perfect for the holiday season.

To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved, then allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

2 ounces Bird Dog Gingerbread Whiskey

1 ounce simple syrup

2 dashes orange bitters

Sliced lemon, for muddling

Orange rind, for garnish

Combine whiskey, simple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass.

Add a lemon wedge, and muddle.

Add ice, and stir for 14 rotations, until the dilution is at desired consistency.

Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.

Rub the rim of the cocktail glass with an orange rind to express it, then drop into the glass.

Serves 1.

— Shorty's Pins x Pints, North Shore

Ritual House Holiday Beach Margarita

Margaritas are one of the most popular and recognizable cocktails. This one from Ritual House, Downtown, gets the holiday treatment with coconut milk and a cinnamon-brown sugar syrup. It's best served in a rocks glass.

1 1/2 ounces tequila blanco

1 ounce coconut milk

1 ounce cinnamon brown sugar vanilla syrup

3/4 ounce lime juice

1/4 ounce Cointreau

3-4 dashes orange bitters

Combine tequila, coconut milk, syrup, lime juice, Cointreau and bitters in a cocktail shaker and shake hard.

Strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick and fresh grated nutmeg.

Serves 1.

— Ritual House, Downtown

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