Festive Tipples

Cocktails have become very vogue in the past few years! So why not experiment with your own at home for a festive treat — here are a few of our favourites!

Mulled Wine (8 Glasses)

What you need:

2 x 75cl bottles of fruity red wine (e.g. Merlot), 4 cinnamon sticks, pinch of ground ginger, 20 cloves, 4 oranges & 140g soft brown sugar.

How you do it:

1. 01. Peel the oranges & stud the peel with the cloves.
2. 02. Juice the oranges into a saucepan, add the wine, ginger, cinnamon sticks & peel.
3. 03. Add the sugar a little at a time — you can then make it to your desired sweetness, so taste as you go.
4. 04. Simmer gently for 10 mins until all of the sugar has dissolved (do not allow to boil).
5. 05. Serve warm in heatproof glasses.

Poinsettia (8 Glasses)

What you need:

1 x 75 cl bottle of chilled Prosecco, 125ml Cointreau or Grand Marnier & 500ml chilled cranberry juice.

How you do it:

1. 01. In a large jug gently mix together all of the ingredients.
2. 02. Serve in wine glasses or champagne flutes.

Pear Martini (1 Glass)

What you need:

40ml pear vodka, 60ml chilled cloudy apple juice, 5ml sugar syrup, fresh lime & slices of pear to garnish.

How you do it:

1. 01. Shake all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice.
2. 02. Strain into a martini glass with a squeeze of lime and garnished with a slice of pear.

Amaretto Fizz (6 Glasses)

What you need:

200ml amaretto, 300ml orange juice, 1 x 75cl chilled bottle of prosecco & strips of orange zest to garnish.

How you do it:

1. 01. Gently mix the amaretto, orange juice and sparkling wine in a jug.
2. 02. Garnish with strips of orange zest.

Pomegranate Gin Fizz (2 Glasses)

What you need:

125ml pomegranate juice, 1 x tsp fresh pomegranate seeds (garnish), 1 x tsp lime juice, 250ml soda water & 50ml gin.

How you do it:

1. 01. Divide the pomegranate juice between two glasses, add in half a tsp of fresh lime, 25ml of gin & 125ml of soda into each glass.
2. 02. Add ice & give a good mix before serving.
3. 03. Garnish with a teaspoon of fresh pomegranate seeds.

Note: You could easily make a non-alcoholic version of this by leaving out the gin.

Cranberry Cooler Mocktail (6 Glasses)

What you need:

500ml chilled cranberry juice, 500ml chilled red grape juice, 500ml chilled ginger ale & 1 x lime cut into 6 wedges.

How you do it:

1. 01. Pour all of the juice & ginger ale into a large jug. Give the mix a gentle stir.
2. 02. Pour into glasses containing ice.
3. 03. Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass before serving.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (6 Cups)

What you need:

200g plain chocolate (broken into chunks), 600ml whole milk, 300ml double cream, sugar to taste, 8 candy canes & marshmallows to garnish.

How you do it:

1. 01. Put the chocolate and milk in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir until all of the chocolate has melted and the milk is steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in 150ml of the cream.
2. 02. Whip the remaining cream.
3. 03. Divide the hot chocolate between 6 cups, add sugar to taste, and top with a spoon of whipped cream.
4. 04. Crush 2 of the candy canes and use this and the marshmallows to garnish. Hang a candy cane on each cup.
5. 05. Encourage each person to stir their hot chocolate with their candy canes allowing some of the sweet peppermint to dissolve into the hot drink.