Fun fact: More than a decade before he delivered his first zinger as lawyer Mitchell Pritchett on “Modern Family,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson served alcoholic drinks at the bar inside NYC’s Winter Garden Theater during Broadway performances of “Cats.”
“I wasn’t serving anything complicated to these patrons, but it is how I started my bartending career,” he jokes. “I also saw ‘Cats’ basically every night for a year and a half!”
Since then, he’s upped his game big-time, both as an Emmy- and Tony-winning star and as a mixologist. Recently, Ferguson collaborated with Absolut and Kahlua in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Espresso Martini. As part of the brand’s new social spot, the actor reenacts how the popular cocktail was first created.
At his Los Angeles pad with his husband, Justin Mikita, Ferguson says he regularly serves the drink while hosting friends and family — especially this time of year. “I like entertaining people on television and in my own home,” he explains. “We have very festive holiday parties, and we have a full bar. But the Espresso Martini is our favorite drink all year round.”
Ferguson, however, admits he has a tougher time deciding what to present to his loved ones as holiday gifts. “I always want to find things that are unique,” he says. “I’m also 48, and at this point, I’ve given them everything!”
But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to try! Ahead, Ferguson offers his holiday gift picks for CNN Underscored.
He boasts that several products from his friend Jen Atkin’s hair and skin care line are in “heavy rotation” in his bathrooms. “They work great and just look beautiful on the counter,” he says. One favorite: the lightweight hand lotion that soothes skin using a blend of avocado, rose hip and jojoba oils.
This unisex perfume — which features notes of dark chocolate, sugar cane rum and Arabica coffee — was created in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Espresso Martini. “It’s such a fun play on a drink that I love in literally a fun little package,” Ferguson says. He adds that he includes a gift bag with the cocktail’s ingredients.?
This sleek device uses nanocurrent and microcurrent frequencies to deliver facial-like results of lifted, sculpted and glowing skin at home. “You just rub it on your face, and it zaps all the bacteria under your skin,” he says. “I’ve been using mine almost every day.”?
A major foodie, Ferguson says he’s proud of the 2021 cookbook he authored with Julie Tanous and still gifts it. “It’s a celebration of friendship and entertaining,” he explains. “I crack it open a lot to reference the recipes because I have very limited short-term memory!” (One go-to dish: Braised chicken thighs with crispy skin.) He also recommends Adeena Sussman’s “amazing” 2023 cookbook, “Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours.”
A cool blender? Believe it. Ferguson notes this vessel not only looks “attractive” but is designed for increased speed and ice-crushing efficiency: “It’s so tiny that you can just leave it on the kitchen counter because it doesn’t look ridiculous.” He and Mikita are big on morning fruit smoothies and make purees for their 1-year-old son, Sullivan. (They also have a 3-year-old).
To read a menu these days, Ferguson admits he needs his Caddis readers. He also shares that he loves the brand’s array of shades. “They come in all shapes and sizes and look really chic,” he says. “I see them on more and more people!” One classic option is the custom-fit D28 in Gloss Back and Vodka, which features a water-, dirt- and grease-repellent lens coating for easy maintenance.
Instead of a massage gift certificate, Ferguson gift-wraps this compact device. With a push of a button, it decreases muscle soreness, releases tension and knots and speeds up recovery. “It’s a great little gift,” he says. “We have the regular-sized one too, and basically, anytime someone comes over to our house, the first thing they ask is to use it!”?
Ever since Ferguson started listening to Barbra Streisand’s new audiobook, he’s revisited the star’s newly remastered live album at least once a week. “It’s a really fun companion,” he says. Originally recorded back in 1962, “it was meant to be her first album, but something went wrong technically and the whole thing got scrapped.” This is the vinyl edition, but it’s available to stream and buy as a CD.?
