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11 Festive Christmas cocktail recipes

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Drinks

11 Festive Christmas cocktail recipes
These deliciously festive cocktails are perfect for enjoying in front of the fire on a cold winter's night, and are sure to make your Christmas extra sparkly. Enjoy…

1. Spice World

spiceworld cocktail recipe
Ingredients:
  • 40ml Rittenhouse Rye
  • 25ml Chai syrup
  • 20ml Antica formula
  • Cream float, garnish with nutmeg dusting
Method:
  1. Pour all of the ingredients, except the cream, into a mixing glass and stir until everything is chilled and mixed
  2. Pour over ice into glass
  3. Float cream on top
  4. Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.
Alternatively, head to Ray's Bar in Dalston, London and enjoy the cocktail as made by their expert mixologists. 

2. Vanilla Espression


Recipe and image via Aqqum
Ingredients:
  • 20ml Tia Maria
  • 40ml Cariel
  • 25ml Espresso
  • 15ml Gomme (to taste)
Method:
  1. Shake and double strain ingredients into a Martini glass
  2. Garnish with chocolate powder swirl and coffee beans

3. Lady Marmalade 


Recipe and image via Vintage Velvet
Ingredients:
  • 50ml VV
  • 10ml Cointreau
  • 10ml Cinnamon syrup
  • 2 Bar spoons marmalade
  • Egg white
Method:
  1. Shake and strain into highball with ice
  2. Top with a splash of lemonade
  3. Add glace cherry and/or orange garnish.

4. Sparkling apple cider sangria


Recipe and image via Pizzazzerie
Ingredients:
  • 2 Apples
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 2 1/2 cups Apple cider
  • 1 Cup club soda
  • 1/2 cup Disaronno
  • 1 750ml bottle champagne or prosecco
Method
  1. Combine the champagne (or prosecco), apple cider, club soda, and Disaronno 
  2. Stir until mixed and add in sliced apples
  3. Pour and garnish with a cinnamon stick

5. Cranberry ginger fizz cocktail


Recipe and image via Creative Culinary
Ingredients:
  • 1 Cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 Lemon in wedges
  • 4 Mint, sprigs
  • 1/2 Orange, slices
  • 3/4 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup ginger ale
  • 1 1/2 Cups gin, dry
  • 3/4 Cup water
Method:
  1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour off all but one cup of syrup, reserving any extra for another use.
  2. Bring the syrup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Add the cranberries and simmer for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to burst. Remove from heat and let cool in syrup.
  3. Place two tablespoons drained cranberries and six tablespoons of cranberry syrup in a large pitcher; add the lemon wedges and orange slices.
  4. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, vigorously mash the fruit. Stir in gin and let steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain into a medium pitcher.
  5. Fill four glasses with crushed ice and 1/4 cup of ginger ale.
  6. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then pour half the cranberry mixture into the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain liquid into two glasses. Repeat.
  7. Mound additional ice on top of each glass and garnish with 3 candied cranberries and a mint sprig
 

6. Hot Cocoa Martini


Recipe and image via A Cocktail Life
Ingredients:
  • 1 Packet hot cocoa mix
  • 1 Cup milk
  • 85ml Whipped cream vodka
  • 30ml Buttershots caramel liqueur
Method: 
  1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a pot and whisk in the cocoa mix until fully incorporated
  2. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes to chill.  Add 1/2 cup of the prepared cocoa to a cocktail shaker along with the vodka and caramel liqueur
  3. Fill with ice, shake well and pour into cocktail glasses
  4. Garnish with either whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired.

7. Rosemary infused cocktail


Recipe and image via The Flair Exchange
Ingredients:
  • 1 Rosemary simple syrup
  • Cranberry juice
  • Vodka
  • Prosseco
Method:
  1. Make rosemary simple syrup. In a pan add one cup water, one cup sugar and two sprigs of rosemary. Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved and strain into a glass jar
  2. In a shaker add 1oz vodka, 4oz grape juice, one teaspoon simple syrup and shake
  3. Pour into champagne coupe and top with prosecco
  4. Garnish with rosemary sprigs

8. Santa Claus-Mopolitan


Recipe and image via The Blondie Locks
Ingredients:
  • 55ml Vodka
  • 30ml Triple sec
  • 55ml White cranberry juice
  • 15ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest
  • 1 Tbsp ginger zest
  • 1 Egg white
  • Candied ginger for garnish
Method:
  1. In a cocktail shaker mix together the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, orange juice, ginger and orange zest
  2. Add the egg white and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Open the shaker and add ice
  3. Shake for another 15 seconds (this will give you a foamy egg white topped drink)
  4. Strain the cocktail into a coupe glass and garnish with candied ginger

9. The North Pole


Recipe and image via The Blondie Locks
Ingredients:
  • 43ml Espresso
  • 43ml Bailey’s
  • Top with hot chocolate 
  • Candy cane stir stick
Method:
  1. After making an espresso and hot chocolate, add all ingredients into a clear espresso glass or mug
  2. Top with a candy cane as a stirring stick

10. Gingerbread Eggnog


Recipe and image via Delish
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 Tsp cinnamon for rimming glasses
  • 2 Tsp sugar for rimming glasses
  • 114ml Eggnog
  • 114ml Vodka
  • 114ml Kahlua
  • 3 Tsp molasses
  • 1/8 Tsp ginger
  • Whipped cream for topping
  • Molasses drizzle for topping
Method:
  1. Mix the cinnamon and sugar, then pour onto a plate
  2. Wet rims of each glass and dip them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture
  3. Pour eggnog, vodka, Kahlua, molasses, and ginger into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake to combine
  4. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream. Add a drizzle of molasses.

11. Belle’s Burnt butter Alexander


Recipe and image via The Savoy's Simpson's-in-the-Strand
Ingredients:
  • 35ml Old Raj
  • 15ml Burre noisette washed Geniver
  • 50ml Cream
  • 20ml Crème de cacao
  • 10 ml Vanilla Gomme
  • Garnish with nutmeg line
Method:
  1. Shake all ingredients with ice
  2. Double strain into a chilled Savoy coup glass
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