Christmas is a time to crack open the fancy booze and enjoy a beverage (or three) and there’s no better way to get into the festive spirit than with a decadent cocktail.
Whether you want to toast a good year or wave goodbye to a tough one, we’ve got some great recipes from four expert mixologists.
Experiment with rich, new flavours and unique twists on Christmassy classics to impress friends and family over Christmas.
Irish Coffee
Bobby Hiddleston, co-owner of Soho-based bar Swift - which FYI was voted the Best London Bar in 2018 by Time Out - recommends a traditional Irish Coffee. “Made properly, it is warming, comforting, and delicious,” he says.
Ingredients:
40ml Irish whiskey
80ml Coffee (filter coffee is best)
2-3tsp Demerara
Method:
Add two teaspoons demerara sugar per shot of whiskey, stir until dissolved.
Top with cold double cream on top and add a festive finish with a grating of fresh nutmeg.
Cognac Fizz
For something extra special, go for bubbles in a Cognac Fizz says Mr Lyan and toast the year-end in style.
Ingredients:
300ml Cognac
150ml Pineapple Syrup
100ml Chilled Water
Method:
Stir together the pineapple syrup, cognac, angostura bitters and water
If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, create your own syrup by cooking tinned pineapple in water and sugar with a clove and a cardamom pod then straining
Pour into a glass and top up with Dry Champagne or Cava.
Pine + Apple
For lovers of dark rum and rich flavours, Megs Miller, general nanager of new Marylebone bar FAM, picked a Pine + Apple cocktail that she describes as: “Christmas tree twist on the classic treacle cocktail.”
Ingredients:
40ml of Dark rum
10ml of Pine cordial
Cubed ice
Method:
Stir together the dark rum, apple brand liqueur and pine cordial with cubed ice
If you’d rather put your Christmas tree to good use, make your own pine cordial:
Brewing 10g of pine in 500ml water, simmer with 250g of sugar & 5g of malic acid for 10 minutes.
Strain into a chilled glass
Midnight Rambler
According to Miller, this is the perfect spiced Christmas cocktail. “Served warm, it’s a lighter twist on a hot buttered rum. Swap out the rum for Somerset cider brandy & ginger wine,” she says.
Ingredients:
30ml Stones ginger wine
5g Spiced butter mix
One teaspoon gomme syrup
2 drops vanilla bitters
80ml Hot water
Method:
Add room temperature butter mix to a warmed glass
Pour the hot water over the butter and stir to melt.
Make your own spiced butter mix by blending together 250g softened butter, 2 tsp ground allspice, 2 tsp ground ginger & 2 tsp ground cinnamon.
Add rest of ingredients and stir to mix.
Pour into a glass teacup and garnish with a clementine wheel
Wilde Honey Porter
As recommended by Aaron Wall, Co-Owner of Islington haunt Homeboy, this is one that will be favoured by for the more adventurous home bartender.
Ingredients:
15ml Chocolate liqueur
15ml Lime
50ml Guinness
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
15ml of Honey
1 Cracked cardamom pod
One egg white
Ice
Method:
Shake together the Irish whiskey, Noilly Prat French vermouth, chocolate liqueur, lime, Guinness, angostura bitters, honey, cardamom pod and egg white in a half pint with ice.
Top with freshly grated nutmeg.
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