Easy Cocktail Recipes for Christmas

They tell us to eat. To drink. To be merry.

Now, all of those are significant parts of Christmas celebrations. But let’s focus on the central part of that phrase – the drink. We’ve got some absolutely cracking cocktails for you! I know often people want to make cocktails, but when it comes down to the stress of the actual day… cocktails go out the window. But we’ve made these particularly easy, so that you can enjoy them without spending hours with a cocktail shaker in your hand.

The Grasshopper

Just like its namesake, this cocktail is green in colour. It is believed that the Grasshopper was first created in New Orleans. In fact, rumour has it that it was Philip Guichet who first incepted this wonderfully creamy, minty cocktail. He was once the owner of the landmark bar in the French Quarter called Tujague’s. Fancy a Grasshopper? Well, if you’re in New Orleans you should head down to Tujague’s for the original! But if you’re nowhere near New Orleans (like us), give our Grasshopper recipe a go!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1½ oz. cognac
• 1 oz. green crème de menthe
• 1 oz. white crème de cacao
• 1 oz. thick cream
• ½ oz gran marnier
• Chocolate shavings

Instructions

1. Add everything except for the chocolate shavings into your shaker with ice and shake.
2. Pour into your glass and add the chocolate shavings on top.
3. Drink it and enjoy!

The Feuerzangenbowle

As you may have gathered from the tongue twister of a name – this is a Geman drink. During the cold German Winter, they make a wonderful concoction of rum and mulled wine. It’s translated as fire tongs punch and if this doesn’t keep you warm, nothing will!

Ingredients

For 10-12 glasses
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 8 1⁄2 cups red wine
• 1 stick cinnamon,
• 5 cloves
• 1 dash ginger
• 1⁄2 lb sugar loaf
• 2 cups brown rum (at least 54% alcohol)

Instructions

1. Wash the oranges and lemons thoroughly, pat dry and cut into slices or wedges.
2. In a large pot add red wine, oranges, lemons, cinnamon and cloves. Heat up slowly, but don’t boil.
3. Move pot from heat and place it on a heating surface, stove or flame). Add ginger.
4. Place the sugar loaf above the red wine mixture (about 1 inch above the surface). You can use special “fire tongs” for this.
5. Soak the sugar loaf with rum and light the alcohol on the sugar loaf. The sugar will melt and drip into the wine. Add rum (little by little) to keep the fire burning until the sugar loaf is used up.
6. After the sugar loaf is melted stir gently and serve.

The Hibiscus Martini

Hibiscus is not only a beautiful frilly little flower – but it’s also pretty delicious. In Mexico and Egypt they boil the flowers into tea and juice, so we’ve taken it a bit further and made hibiscus Martini. It’s got a tang to it and it also lowers blood pressure – so if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed this festive season. Just grab one of these and breaaaathe!

serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Chopin vodka
• 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
• 1 ounce Fresh squeezed lime juice
• 3/4 ounce Hibiscus syrup*

Instructions

1. Pour vodka and other ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an edible hibiscus flower.

*how to make hibiscus Syrup: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add 2 tsp dried hibiscus. Cook for 10 minutes and add 1 cup superfine sugar and cook until it dissolves.

The Champagne Cocktail

Champagne is rather a treat! Did you know, that only grapes grown in the region of Champagne can be called Champagne? It’s pretty fancy stuff! We’ve added some other bits and pieces to the mix to make it extra tasty – and to make sure that there’s enough to go round!

Ingredients

• 1 ounce orange liqueur
• 4 ounces champagne
• Mandarin peel, for garnish

Instructions

1. Pour liqueur into a champagne flute; top with champagne.
2. Twist mandarin peel over glass and gently drop into cocktail.