We present a list of easy, colorful cocktails and many of them designed to surprise. Cocktails are an elegant way to perfectly welcome guests coming in from the cold.
Christmas Cocktail
It is a red wine-based cocktail.
Ingredients
- light muscovado sugar
- 1 anise star
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 nails
- 150 ml of water
- 1 lemon
- 2 clementines
- 150ml Cointreau
- 750 ml bottle of light red wine , such as Beaujolais
- Orange peel and a star anise, to serve
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Put 100 g of light muscovado sugar in a pan with 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 150 ml of water. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
- Pour the cooking result into a large jug and let it cool.
- Once cool, add 1 lemon and 2 clementines, both thinly sliced, to the jug, along with 150 ml of Cointreau and a 750 ml bottle of light red wine, such as a Beaujolais. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.
Serve cold or over ice, with a touch of orange peel and star anise. It is an ideal cocktail to prepare in advance and only worry about serving it when the guests arrive.
apple broth wine
This cocktail is also wine-based but in this case hot. This mulled wine recipe is packed with cinnamon and berry flavours, perfect for a real winter warmer.
Ingredients
- 2 x 75 cl bottles of red wine (like a Merlot, a better quality wine makes a difference)
- 1 liter of good quality apple juice
- 115 g powdered sugar
- 1 long cinnamon stick, broken in half
- Star anise, 2 stars
- 3 tablespoons orange Curaçao or Cointreau
- A handful or more (about 100 g) of berries
- 3 small red-skinned apples cut into rings
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Pour the wine and apple juice into a large saucepan and add the sugar, cinnamon sticks and star anise. Heat gently, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has dissolved, then continue to heat gently for another 15 minutes.
- Just before serving, add the Curaçao or Cointreau, the red fruits and the apple slices.
It is also a cocktail that can be prepared in advance and kept warm in the pot at a low temperature while serving in the glasses.
Eggnog
Classic eggnog is a traditional Christmas drink in the United States and Canada. There are multiple combinations, below we propose ours.
Ingredients
- 1 whole egg
- 90 ml of whole milk
- 30 ml of cream or thick cream
- 145 ml of maple syrup
- 30 ml of rum, bourbon or brandy -according to your preference-
- 20 g of sugar
- ½ Vanilla pod that we tear in half
- ½ cinnamon stick
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish
Preparation of the Cocktail
- In a saucepan we put the milk, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, cream and a little nutmeg. We bring them to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, turn off the heat. We pass the milk through a Chinese strainer and reserve it.
- We separate the egg white from the yolks. We beat the yolk with the mixer and add sugar until it acquires a creamy consistency and we add it to the milk.
- We add the maple syrup and the liquor that we have decided to the mixture and beat everything.
- We add ice and shake again to cool.
Strain into a cold glass and decorate with freshly grated nutmeg.
Courtesy Cocktail
It is a colorful and attractive cocktail to match the colored Christmas lights.
Ingredients
- Vodka
- mint brandy
- white chocolate liqueur
- Candy cane
- red sugar
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Mix and cool the ingredients.
- Pour into a Martini glass with red sugar.
- Garnish with a candy cane hanging on the edge.
Christmas Sangria
Sangria is the typical summer drink but here we present its Christmas version.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of Protos Crianza wine
- 1 bottle of apple cider
- Cranberry juice
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 4 or 5 strawberries
- fresh rosemary leaves
Preparation of the Cocktail
Pine Barrens Cocktail
Ingredients
- 45 ml. Belvedere Vodka
- 15 ml. Green Chartreuse Liqueur
- 30 ml. lemon juice
- 30 ml. maple syrup
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Shake all the ingredients in a shaker and strain them into a Collins glass (it is a long, thin glass).
- Garnish with cranberries on the bottom and a sprig of rosemary on top.
Cranberry Juice Cocktail
A hot cocktail to combat the cold.
Ingredients
- cranberry juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- orange slices
- Clove
- 30 ml. Rum or vodka
- Nutmeg
- cinnamon sticks
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Heat the cranberry juice over low heat
- Add a teaspoon of maple syrup.
- Add a few orange slices studded with cloves to warm up the juice.
- Pour the juice along with the rum or vodka into a cup or glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top and garnish with cinnamon sticks and additional orange slices.
Serve hot.
Merry Christmas Cocktail
Gin is one of the most popular drinks for mixed drinks, and it cannot be missing at Christmas either.
Ingredients
- 60 ml of gin
- 1 splash of lemon juice
- 1 splash of cranberry juice
- A pinch of Angostura bitters
- The white of an egg
- Clove
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Strain the mixture into a martini glass and garnish with a single clove.
Gin Cocktail with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce (without whole berries)
- 60 ml. from Geneva
- fresh lemon juice
- 2 drops of Angostura
- fresh rosemary leaves
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Add 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce to a cocktail shaker with the gin, lemon juice and bitters.
- Add ice, shake vigorously for at least 30 to 45 seconds, and strain through a mesh strainer into a chilled coupe glass.
- Tap a sprig of rosemary between your palms to gently release the aroma over the cocktail.
Christmas Coffee
One for coffee lovers cannot be missing from the list of Christmas cocktails.
Ingredients
- Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Whiskey
- Hot coffee
- Lightly whipped cream
- mint syrup
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Add the Jack and sugar to the hot glass.
- Add the coffee and cover it with the cream.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy cane on top.
(*) To make mint syrup: crush a mint candy and add it to a cup of hot water, stirring until the candy dissolves. Let cool and store in a glass.
Cranberry Margarita
The margarita is the quintessential festive cocktail. With a touch of cranberries it becomes a different Christmas cocktail.
Ingredients
- 60 ml cranberry juice
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- white tequila
- Cointreau (optional)
- agave syrup
- Fresh cranberries and lemon to garnish
Preparation of the Cocktail
- Mix all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty and cold.
- Pour into a glass rimmed with salt over ice cubes.
- Garnish with cranberries and lemon wedge.