6 easy Christmas cocktail recipes to make at home and perfect for entertaining

Many people love a over the festive period and for those who love creating their own at home, then these recipes will certainly help.

Here are six cocktail from a variety of brands which are easy to make and don’t require many ingredients.

So for those who like an old fashioned with a twist or prefer a cream-filled cocktail, then they are in luck.

All people need is their cocktail shaker at hand and some ice. Get the drinks trolley at the ready as there are some pretty fun ideas.

Let’s take a look at some of the deliciously festive Christmas cocktail recipes.

Flaming Old Fashioned

Serves: One cocktail

Ingredients:

• Two tsp sugar syrup
• Two dashes of bitters
• Pinch of Maldon Smoked Sea Salt
• 60ml whiskey or bourbonOrangeSoda water (optional)

Garnish:

• Rosemary and cinnamon stick, soaked in high-proof spirit for a couple of minutes.

Method:

Firstly, start by soaking the rosemary and cinnamon sticks in some high-proof spirit for a few minutes. This will be the flaming part of the cocktail.

Take a tumbler and add the sugar, bitters and sea salt, stirring together. Then fill the glass with ice add the whiskey or bourbon and stir again. Add a splash of soda water if you like and a slice of orange.

Then take the soaked rosemary and cinnamon stick and carefully balance on the rim of the drink. Use a lighter or matches to ignite them–they should flame and smoke. The smell of the smoked rosemary and cinnamon adds Christmassy notes to your cocktail.

Rosemary Gimlet(Hernö)

Serves: One cocktail

Ingredients:

• 50mlHernögin
• 50ml rosemary syrup
• 60ml lime juice for the rosemary syrup
• 250g granulated sugar
• 250ml water
• Four sprigs of fresh rosemary

Method:

To make the rosemary syrup, heat the sugar, 250ml water and four sprigs of fresh rosemary in a pan. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from the heat and cool completely before straining into a bottle or jar. Add the gin, rosemary syrup and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain Into a chilled glass.

The Breakfast Martini

Ingredients:

• 50ml Barrel Drop Rum
• 15ml Lemon Juice
• 15ml Triple Sec
• One teaspoon of Orange Marmalade
• Orange peel garnish (optional)

Method: 

Add all your ingredients to your shaker, then add ice. Shake until everything is dissolved and super cold, then strain to serve. Garnish and enjoy.

Salted caramel rum hot chocolate

Ingredients:

• 25ml dark rum
• Two tsp think caramel or dulce de leche
• 150ml whole milk
• 50m milk chocolate
• Crushed hazelnuts

Method: 

Combine rum and caramel or dulce de leche until smooth. Warm the milk. Add dark rum and then add chocolate to the milk and stir. Pour into a mug then garnish with chocolate and nuts to serve.

Rummy Santa Punch

Serves: One jug

Ingredients:

• Gosling’s Gold Bermuda Rum 120ml
• Gosling’s Black Seal Rum 120ml
• Padró & Co.Red Vermouth 120ml
• 300 Ml freshly squeezed clementine juice (orange juice will work the same)
• 300ml cranberry juice
• Six peppercorns
• One stick of cinnamon
• One tsp ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp of sugar for each serve
• One star of anise

Method:

In a pan gently simmer together the clementine juice, cranberry juice and spices for 30 minutes making sure the liquid doesn’t boil.

Take off the heat and add the two rums, vermouth and then stir. Serve warm and simply add ½ teaspoon of sugar to the bottom of the glass, fill with the punch and stir.

Sanjay’s Apricot and Harissa Bellini

Makes five cocktails

Ingredients:

• One bottle (75cl) Prosecco

Apricot purée:

• 45g sugar
• Five tbsp water
• ½ tsp Spice Kitchen Harissa spice blend
• 200g ripe apricots, pitted and chopped

To garnish:

• Dried rose petals

Method:

First, make the purée. Combine the sugar, water and harissa blend in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat gently and simmer for three to five minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let everything steep in the liquid for about 15 minutes.

Add the chopped apricots to a blender, then fine strain (best through a funnel lined with filter paper) the harissa-spiced syrup directly into the apricots. Blend on high until completely smooth.

Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. To serve your Bellinis, slowly fill your glasses with Prosecco then carefully spoon two tablespoons of the apricot purée into each one.

Stirring takes away the clarity of the drink but you’ll really taste the lovely flavours this way. Garnish with a sprinkle of dried rose petals.