Champagne versions of eggnog, mugs of hot buttered gin, panettone in a glass – we’ve got it all. Get ready to feel nauseous!
Don’t worry, of course there are plenty of recipes to mix yourself. So scroll through our list below for 6 Christmas cocktail recipes. All make one serving unless otherwise stated for those of you willing to try them out!
Hot Buttered Gin Punch
Jason Atherton’s French-Anglo restaurant, Little Social, is serving Hot Buttered Gin Punch this Christmas, a warming and rich festive blend you dare devils can try at home.
What You’ll Need:
75ml cider
50ml gin
1tsp brandy butter
5ml PX sherry
Pinch of festive spice mix (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, allspice)
Method: Stir all ingredients other than the spice mix in a saucepan until steaming. Serve in a heatproof mug or cup and garnish with cinnamon stick, orange peel and a sprinkle of the spice mix.
Panettone Flip
Richard Woods, head of spirit and cocktail development at London’s sky-high restaurant Duck & Waffle, has created 12 festive cocktails for the restaurant. This one takes an actual Christmas dessert and puts it in the glass. Seriously?!
What You’ll Need:
35ml Cognac
35ml panettone purée
15ml spiced sugar
1 egg
Method: To make the panettone purée, dry blend 250g of panettone into crumbs. Add 350ml Cognac and blend, then pass mix through a sieve and refrigerate. To make the drink, shake all ingredients with cubed ice in a shaker and double strain into a liqueur or tasting glass. Garnish with a light dusting of nutmeg or grated tonka bean.
(To make spiced sugar at home, add half a stick of cinnamon and three broken Tonka beans to 250ml sugar syrup. Store in an airtight container for 12hrs. Filter spices to leave the sugar.)
Hot Gin Mocha
The guys at Bombay Sapphire have endless gin’spiration. Here, two of our favourite caffeine-laced ingredients come together, chocolate and coffee – ruined by adding warm gin!
What You’ll Need:
120ml Bombay Sapphire
75ml Crème de Cacao
3tsp caster sugar
3 shots of strong espresso
Long shavings of dark chocolate
Method: (Makes three) Combine the espresso with a teaspoon of sugar in a pan and heat. Add the gin and Crème de Cacao. When it reaches a simmer, remove from the heat and serve in a mug or glass with handle. Finish with long shavings of dark chocolate.
Mince Pie Freakshake
The UK’s favourite Christmas dessert in the form of a freakshake, courtesy of Captain Morgan rums. Imagine cracking these out for Grandma after dinner…
What You’ll Need:
200ml Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold
200ml mince pie syrup (600g mincemeat, 200g sugar, 200ml water)
500ml milk
6 scoops vanilla ice cream
Mince pies (to serve)
Method: (Makes 4) In a pan, mix the mincemeat, sugar and water. Bring to the boil and chill for 30 mins. In a blender, whizz the milk, ice cream, mince pie syrup and rum. Pour into a mason jar or tall glass. Decorate with syrup, sprinkles and mince pies – using one to stick the straw through.
Champagne Eggnog
This comes from The Century Bar at the Gleneagles hotel, and adds a touch of stomach curdling decadence to the standard eggnog.
What You’ll Need:
120ml Champagne
50ml cream
10ml Crème De Cacao Blanc
5ml Maraschino
1 egg
Method: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, excluding the Champagne, then strain into a fizz glass or small wine glass. Top with champagne until the foam over fills the brim of the glass. Finish with a sprinkle of grated nutmeg.
Snowball
It’s a Yuletide classic – what Christmas cocktail guide would be complete without a Snowball? (Vom!)
What You’ll Need:
100ml Warninks Advocaat
50ml freshly squeezed lime juice or cordial
Method: Shake the Warninks Advocaat and lime juice or cordial together, strain into a glass jar and top up with lemonade or soda and some cubed ice. Decorate with a cinnamon stick, or switch it up with dark chocolate shavings, cinnamon, mini marshmallows or rolling the glass in chocolate.
