Mocktails and Cocktails

Here are a few cocktails idea for your Christmas, along with a Mocktail version for the drivers or those who just don’t partake

 

Classic mulled wine

Serves 6

 

  • 750ml bottle red wine

  • 1 large cinnamon stick, or 2 small ones

  • 2 star anise

  • 4 cloves

  • 2 strips lemon zest, pared using a vegetable peeler

  • 4 tbsp caster sugar

 

  1. Put the red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon zest and sugar in a large pan. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins.

  2. Remove from the heat and cool, leaving to infuse for about 30 mins.

  3. To serve, heat without boiling, stir in the sloe gin (if using, see tip below) and pour into mugs or heatproof glasses.

 

Non-alcoholic mulled wine

Serves 6

  • 500ml pomegranate juice

  • 25g golden caster sugar

  • handful of frozen blackberries

  • 250ml apple juice

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 star anise

  • 4 cloves

  • 3 black peppercorns

  • 1 orange, quartered

 

  1. Put the pomegranate juice, sugar, blackberries and apple juice in a saucepan.

  2. Add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorns and orange.

  3. Heat gently until simmering. Taste for sweetness, then strain into heatproof glasses.

 

Classic eggnog

Serves 6 - 8

  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

  • 4 eggs, separated

  • 100ml sugar syrup

  • 100ml double cream

  • 500ml whole milk

  • 100-150ml brandy

  • Ice

 

1.      Put the vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and sugar syrup, and beat with an electric whisk until pale, about 2-3 mins.

2.      Add the cream, milk and brandy, and beat again until just combined. Strain into a punch bowl.

3.      Clean the beaters, then beat the egg whites in a clean bowl to soft peaks. Fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the milk and cream mixture in the punch bowl, then add the remaining whipped egg whites.

4.      Gently fold these in until the eggnog is fluffy and smooth. Chill until ready to serve. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to a day. Just before serving, add plenty of ice, then stir gently and ladle into tumblers.

 

Non-alcoholic eggnog

Serves 4 - 6

  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 100ml sugar syrup

  • 100ml double cream

  • 500ml whole milk

  • Ice

 

  1. Put the vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and sugar syrup, and beat with an electric whisk until pale, about 2-3 mins.

  2. Add the cream and milk, and beat again until just combined.

  3. Fill a large jug with ice, then strain in the eggnog mixture. Stir gently until the outside of the jug feels cold, then pour the eggnog into tumblers to serve.

 

Sloe gin fizz

Serves 1

  • 50ml sloe gin

  • 25ml lemon juice

  • 2 tsp sugar syrup

  • ice

  • sparkling water

  • lemon slice

  • fresh or frozen blackberry

 

  1. Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker and fill up with ice cubes.

  2. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold, then strain into a tall glass filled with more ice.

  3. Top up with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.

 

Apple & rhubarb cooler

Serves 1

  • ice

  • 25ml cloudy apple juice

  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tsp of the syrup from a jar of stem ginger

  • 100ml sparkling rhubarb soda

  • 1 rosemary sprig, to garnish

 

  1. Fill a tumbler with ice, then pour in the apple juice, cider vinegar, stem ginger syrup and stir.

  2.  Slowly top up with the sparkling rhubarb soda.

  3. Stir again with a sprig of rosemary and leave it in the drink as the garnish.

 

Poinsettia

Serves 1

  • 25ml triple sec

  • 50ml cranberry juice

  • 75ml champagne or prosecco

  • 1 fresh bay leaf, to garnish

 

1.      Chill the triple sec, cranberry juice, champagne and a martini glass in the fridge until cold.

2.      Pour the triple sec and cranberry juice into the chilled glass, then slowly top up with the champagne and garnish with the bay leaf.

 

Passionfruit & elderflower spritz

Serves 1

  • 50ml passion fruit juice

  • 25ml lemon juice

  • 2 tsp elderflower cordial

  • 150ml sparkling water

  • 1 tsp passion fruit seeds or a lime leaf (optional), to serve

 

  1. Make sure all the ingredients are well chilled before you start.

  2. Ideally chill a flute glass too. Pour all of the ingredients into your glass, taking your time when you add the sparkling water so it doesn’t overflow, then stir gently.

  3. Drop in a few passion fruit seeds to garnish and a lime leaf, if you like.

Claire Edwards