Serve up a storm (Picture: Getty Images)
While parties and socialising are some of the most fun things about Christmas, hosting a standout soiree can be challenging.
One surefire way to impress everyone is with a signature cocktail or two that’ll taste great and help speed the merriment along.
You don’t need to be an expert mixologist to create something special either: with readily available spirits and a few extra ingredients you can get from most shops (if you don’t already have them in stock) it’s easy.
We asked drinks brands to share their favourite seasonal serves that are sure to go off like a cracker – just make sure to imbibe responsibly to avoid the dreaded festive hangover.
French 75
Zhuzh up your standard glass of fizz (Picture: Supplied)
This one adds a literal twist to the classic glass of champagne, and you can make the gin and lemon part in batches ahead of time, topping guests’ glasses up with fizz as they arrive to save time in the kitchen.
Ingredients
25ml No. Ten gin
15ml lemon juice
5ml (2:1) sugar syrup
Champagne
Lemon for garnish.
Method
In a shaker, add your gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and give it a quick shake. Strain everything into a into champagne flute, top with your fizz, and then garnish with a lemon twist.
Tiny Ten
Gin and grapefruit are always a winning combination (Picture: Supplied)
The Tiny Ten is a nice alternative for the G&T crowd, and coupette glasses look oh-so chic next to everyone’s festive outfits and your Insta-worthy Christmas decor.
Ingredients
15ml grapefruit syrup
35ml No. Ten gin
10ml fresh grapefruit juice
50ml sparkling wine
Coin-shaped piece of grapefruit peel for garnish.
Method
To a shaker, add your syrup, grapefruit juice, gin and ice, then stir. Strain into a coupette glass and top with cold sparkling wine of your preference, before garnishing with a coin-shaped piece of peel.
Midnight Maple
Make the bitters before everyone arrives and you’ll have more time with guests (Picture: Supplied)
This warming recipe is by Kate McGraw, Johnnie Walker Brand Ambassador for Australia, and should be served in a Nick and Nora martini glass (although any martini glass you have should do the trick too).
Homemade bitters may seem like a faff on the surface, but it’s surprisingly easy, and uses up many of those ingredients you’ll already have during the Christmas period.
Ingredients
50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky
10ml maple syrup
4 dashes Christmas pudding bitters
1 bottle Angostura Bitters
100g raisins or dried apricots
2 cinnamon sticks
Knob of ginger)
Slice of Orange to garnish.
Method
To make the Christmas pudding bitters, combine the bottle of Angostura Bitters with the dried fruit, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Infuse for up to 24 hours, strain and serve.
Next, add all your ingredients into the glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds to combine. Finish off by garnishing with a slice of orange.
Apfel of my Eye
Get your best mugs out for this one (Picture: Supplied)
This winter warmer is a creation of Swiss Johnnie Walker Brand Ambassador, Andy Walsh, and makes a wonderful change from mulled wine if you fancy doing something different. Better still, it can be served in mugs, saving your glasses for later on in the evening.
Ingredients
50ml Johnnie Walker Black whisky
20 raisins
15ml vanilla syrup
150ml cloudy apple juice
20ml fresh lime juice
Cinnamon stick and apple slices for garnish.
Method
If possible, infuse your whisky the day before, adding your raisins to a 75cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and leaving to combine for at least 12 hours (don’t forget to remove the raisins before drinking).
When it’s time for celebrations to begin, gently heat all the ingredients together in a pan until warm, then pour into a metal cup or glass with a handle and garnish with a cinnamon stick and an apple slice.
Biscoff It’s Christmas
From Manahatta bar, this one’s slightly more labour intensive but extra impressive – especially if those you’re hosting like Biscoff.
Ingredients
15ml Ketel One vodka
15ml Bailey’s Chocolate Luxe Irish Cream
15ml Shanky’s Whip Black Liqueur
15ml milk
50ml double cream
30ml homemade Biscoff syrup
40g Lotus Biscoff caramel biscuits
100g caster sugar
100ml boiling water.
Method
Start off by making your syrup by adding the ingredients to a heat-proof mixing jug and stirring until the biscuit has fully dissolved. Once this has cooled, repeatedly pass through a sieve until no solids are left, and store it in the fridge for use within three days.
As guests arrive, shake up your syrup with the rest of the ingredients and some ice for between 10 and 15 seconds to emulsify. Open the shaker and double strain using a Hawthorne and a fine strainer, then garnish with a mini caramel stroopwafel (or whatever else you have available) and enjoy.
Orchard Vodka Mule
This one’s nice and easy (Picture: Supplied)
This one comes from Dutch Barn, and is a simple serve that can go in any wine glass or a short glass if you’d prefer.
Ingredients
50ml Dutch Barn Orchard vodka
100ml dry ginger ale
Cubed ice
2 dashes orange bitters
1 half moon orange slice
2 fresh sprigs of thyme.
Method
Build ingredients over ice, stir and serve.
Boxing Day Bramble
Simple yet effective (Picture: Getty)
Not solely for Boxing Day, this uses cranberry sauce so nothing goes to waste.
Ingredients
50ml Whitley Neill Distiller’s Cut London Dry Gin
30ml lemon juice
15ml Chambord
1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
Raspberries, mint and icing sugar for garnish.
Method
Stir all the ingredients together to dissolve the cranberry sauce, then shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with soda for some extra sparkle, and garnish with fresh raspberries, a mint spring and a dusting of icing sugar.
Stolen Christmas
The cocktail that slayed Christmas (Picture: Supplied)
You won’t be feeling Grinchy after this one from Stolen X, which contains whiskey, melon liqueur and zingy lemon.
Ingredients
35ml Stolen X whiskey
10ml Midori
10ml lemon juice
Lemonade
Candy canes for garnish (ideally black and white).
Method
Mix the whiskey, Midori and lemon juice into a shaker and shake with ice. Next, pour over ice into a glass, top with lemonade and garnish with a black and white candy cane.
Spiced Painkiller
Need a hit of warmth? (Picture: Supplied)
With rum and coconut, this feels like more of a tropical dessert, but thanks to some Christmas citrus and hot coffee, it’s a perfect winter crowdpleaser. You can also make this in a punch bowl or even a slow cooker if you’d prefer.
Ingredients
50ml Pusser’s Spiced Rum
25ml cream of coconut
25ml orange juice
50ml coffee
A dash of orange bitters
Cinnamon and cocoa powder for garnish.
Method
Mix the rum, cream of coconut, orange juice and orange bitters into a shaker. Add the hot coffee and shake, making sure to protect your hands, then pour into a mug or heat-resistant glass.
Garnish with cinnamon and cocoa powder and enjoy.
This article was originally published on December 23, 2023.
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