Eat, Drink & Be Merry – Christmas Cocktails

On Friday night I went out with some girlfriends for a pre Christmas get together and as Christmas is a time to celebrate like no other time of the year, we started the evening with cocktails.

There are no shortage of bars serving cocktails, they seem to be having a moment and our choice of bar, didn’t disappoint. The Violet Hour in Didsbury Manchester, specialises in cocktails and mixology classes, whisky tasting evenings and is generally a great little venue for sampling alcoholic drinks with a difference.

My choice was called “The importance of being Earnest” and was a mix of rum and citrus juices, including, grapefruit and lime and came with a side order of citrus popcorn which was much more delicious than it sounds and highly recommended. Simply add strips of grapefruit zest and mix into your popcorn for a marriage made in heaven,

In our house on Christmas morning, we start as we mean to go on with a bucks fizz for breakfast but this year for a change I have found a few recipes with a slight difference to add to your fizz.

First up is Pomegranate Champagne Punch

Recipe

1.5 cups of pomegranate juice

1 cup Pear juice

0.25 cups Grand marnier or Cointreau

1 bottle of champagne

Mix together and pour over ice. It should make about 6 glasses from this quantity.

This is also a great drink for New Years eve. If its too strong for the day time, you might find this next one less so?

Ginger Sparkler

Recipe

2 Teaspoons finely grated ginger

0.5 cup of sugar

1 bottle of prosecco, cava or champagne

Boil the ginger, sugar and 1/4 of a cup of water until a syrup forms. Drain the syrup through a small sieve to discard the ginger. You can keep the syrup for up to a week in the fridge.

Pour 1 teaspoon of syrup into each glass and top up with fizz of choice.

Ginger is very good for digestion and an upset stomach so this is a perfect hair of the dog if you overindulge on Christmas eve?

Hot Buttered Toddy

Recipe

1 teaspoon brandy butter

Pinch of ground allspice

2 teaspoons Vanilla syrup

25ml whisky

Orange peel with cloves

Hot cider to top up

Place all the ingredients in a tall glass or latte type glass and top up with warm cider. 

This is a perfect boxing day drink after a long winter walk.

Just a recommendation from one cider drinker to any others out there. Waitrose supermarkets have a bottle of mulled cider by Heston Blumenthal. All you need to do is heat and enjoy. 

Cheers!