The festive season is always a great time to break out the cocktail shaker and evoke the mixologist that lurks within to create a Christmas cocktail or two. Whether you’re a fan of the classics or like to experiment with new combinations, the key is always to start with the best ingredients.
We’ve picked out a few quality spirits alongside a recipe for you to try, but if you’re in the market for a labour-saving option, we’ve got you covered with some other options too.
Nouaison Gin
Nouaison gin
is a great option for using when mixing your favourite Christmas cocktail. Created using the oldest known grape gin recipe, this rich, aromatic spirit made from French grapes is both spicy and floral, with a full-bodied, smooth finish.
Cranberry Gin Cocktail
- 50ml Nouaison gin
- 150ml cranberry juice
- 10ml orange juice
This is as simple as it gets; mix the ingredients together and add plenty of ice, then garnish with a slice of orange or a twist of orange peel.
Patron Anejo Tequila
Sweeter than a regular terquila, Patron Anejo is aged in oak barrels for 12 to 15 months, allowing more time for the elegant, sweet and smoky finish to develop. The baked agave flavours remain, though, making the tequila a perfect choice for some winter cocktails.
Touchdown Toddy
- 60ml Patrón Añejo
- 90ml hot water
- 45ml lemon juice
- 30ml honey
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 3 drops vanilla extract
In the bottom of a sturdy mug, combine a pinch of ground cinnamon, honey and hot water and stir to combine. Add Patrón Añejo, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Peat Monster Whisky
If you’re a fan of a smoky, peaty malt whisky, then you’ll love the most recent blend of The Peat Monster from Compass Box. Compass Box has incorporated single malts to provide an elegant, aromatic style of smokiness to the blend while retaining the intensity of the peaty flavours.
Fire & Ice
- 50ml Peat Monster whisky
- Dash bitters
- 30ml fiery ginger beer
Another easy-to-produce cocktail; just put all the ingredients in a glass, stir them up and then add ice.
The King’s Ginger
The King’s Ginger liqueur is a decedent, warming spirit inspired by the original version created in 1903 for His Majesty King Edward VII. The King’s physician was concerned for his health, so asked Berry Bros to create a spirit to warm and revitalise the King during the cold winter months, and so The King’s Ginger was born.
Perfect neat as a warming tot, or to pep up a creamy hot chocolate, this versatile liqueur is also ideal for cocktails too.
Gold Rush
- 20ml The King’s Ginger liqueur
- 30ml bourbon
- 5ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 5ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5ml simple syrup
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain over ice and garnish with cocktail cherries.
Bardinet Brandy
Crafted in France for more than a century and one of the UK’s best-selling brandies, Bardinet is used by drinks blogger Susan L. Schwartz to reimagine classic brandy cocktails inspired by France’s glamorous roaring 20s. “The roaring 20s, in my opinion, epitomised French Joie de Vivre,” explains Schwartz, “so I have drawn inspiration for my creations from an iconic woman from the flapper era.”
Named after Josephine Baker, the fabulous, free-spirited entertainer who took France by storm, this cocktail draws on a delicious combination of brandy and cherry; the cherry syrup pays tribute to Josephine’s work with the Red Cross and the Resistance during the French occupation.
The Josephine
- 50ml Bardinet Brandy
- 25ml cherry liqueur
- 12.5ml Bénédictine
- 1 teaspoon of cherry syrup (from a jar of Maraschino cherries)
Add everything to a mixing glass with some ice. Stir to chill and dilute, and then strain into a rocks glass with one big ice cube. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
Non-Alcoholic Options
If you aren’t an alcohol drinker or are the designated driver, you can still get in on the action with a High Point non-alcoholic Christmas cocktail.
High Point drinks are a premium range of non-alcoholic fermented aperitifs and digestifs. Both High Point Ruby and High Point Amber are made by infusing natural fruits, herbs and botanicals from the Cornish countryside with a brewed and fermented base to create two distinct flavours with deep, complex aromas. High Point Ruby begins with a herbal scent, giving way to a zesty spice, before a long, bittersweet citrus finish.
High Point Amber combines spices with a hint of smokiness on the nose, and the sweetness of toffee and vanilla on the palette. These flavours combine in the mouth, leading you to a lovely, warming, long finish.
High Point Ruby Spritz
- 25ml High Point Ruby
- 200ml Tonic
Pour over ice and garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit.
High Point Amber Old Fashioned
- 50ml High Point Amber
- 5ml sugar syrup
- 3 dashes of aromatic bitters
Mix together all ingredients, and serve strained over ice. Garnish with cocktail cherries and an orange twist.
Premixed Cocktails
While most of us enjoy a cocktail, not all of us are mixologists at heart. Rather than having bottles lingering in the cupboard for that once-a-year outing, there are some great premixed cocktail options available so you can enjoy quality cocktails without the fuss. Just shake the bottle and pour over ice, and maybe throw in some garnish if you’re feeling frivolous, then sit back and enjoy.
Heads + Tails
Heads + Tails, the London bar recognised in both the ‘UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars’ and ‘The World’s Top 500 Bars’, has launched a collection of nine premium small-batch cocktails in time for us to enjoy this Christmas. There are lots of options to choose from, from fun and fruity, including the pineapple margarita, contemporary classics, including the Negroni and serious and stirred, including the Old Fashioned. A nice collection of classic cocktails, which are balanced and well-mixed and are sure to bring a touch of class to any celebration.
The Cocktail Society
With a boom in home cocktail making, as well as subscription services, The Cocktail Society has combined the two, so you can create bar-quality cocktails at home. Available as ready-mixed bottles, cocktail-making kits, or a subscription package on a monthly or quarterly basis, you can try a great range of cocktails in the comfort of your own couch. A great way to try something new, or a lovely gift for a fellow cocktail lover.
Laiba Beverages
Laiba has created a set of award-winning cocktails, which you simply shake and pour over ice. Created by Michael Chen, former bar manager at The Roosevelt and bartender at Eau-De-Vie Sydney, Laiba Beverages aims to bring together high-quality, natural ingredients to give drinkers a premium experience at home. The gift set is made up of eight different cocktails, made to Chen’s recipes, including Bloody Mary with vodka and ruby Port wine, Twisted Negroni made with Cocchi Amaro, and Earl’s Old Fashioned made with whisky and Earl Grey tea. Some great flavours, giving an interesting twist to some well-known favourites.
Finishing Touches
Once you’ve decided on your Christmas cocktail, what better way to finish it off than with something sweet or salty around the rim?
The Salty Rim Co has created a range of salt and sugar trims to liven up any cocktail, with #12 Santa Baby Cocktail Sugar, especially for the festive season. Whether you’re indulging in a Bloody Mary or a Margarita, there is a choice to complement your drink as well as add a little glamour.
Each 100g tin should provide around 100 servings, so it’s a great investment to add fun and flamboyance to your Christmas and beyond.
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