Christmas cocktails are a great way to celebrate the festive season with your friends and family. They can add some sparkle, flavour and fun to your Christmas parties and gatherings.
Whether you prefer something sweet, sour, spicy, or refreshing, there is a cocktail recipe for everyone.
Here the Christmas.co.uk some great reasons why should enjoy cocktails at Christmas – and offer some very tasty recipes that are easy to make – and will impress guests!
Why people drink cocktails at Christmas
For a lot of people, drinking cocktails at Christmas is a special event in itself because it’s the only time of the year they indulge in the dainty marvels.
For others, this is a time to try a traditional cocktail or something new.
Here are some other reasons why cocktails at Christmas are worth considering:
Cocktails can help you relax and enjoy the moment
Christmas can be a stressful time for many people, with lots of preparations, expectations, and obligations. A well-made cocktail can help you unwind and savour the joy of the season.
· Cocktails can showcase your creativity and personality
You can experiment with different ingredients, colours, shapes, and garnishes to create your own signature drinks. You can also match your cocktails to your mood, theme or occasion.
· They can enhance your food and mood
Different cocktails can complement different dishes and cuisines, bringing out the best flavours and aromas. They can also boost your energy, warm you up, or cool you down, depending on what you need.
· Cocktails can make your celebrations more memorable and festive
Cocktails are not just drinks, they are also experiences. They can stimulate your senses, spark conversations, and create lasting impressions. They can also reflect the spirit of Christmas, such as by using seasonal fruits, spices, or colours.
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Jamie’s Christmas cocktail
It’s not entirely unexpected, but Jamie Oliver offers a cracking recipe for a festive cocktail – he promises all of the flavours of Christmas and really does deliver!
He uses infused vodka which is flavoured with bay, cinnamon, spices and herbs.
The process is straightforward and there’s a good mix of citrus fruits.
He starts with a warm pan, adds the cinnamon stick first, red peppercorns minus the seeds, lime peel, clementine and lemon.
He adds the mix to the vodka, puts the stopper in, gives it a good shake and there’s a festive drink ready!
Jamie also highlights that the creation is not only good for Christmas but for the months afterwards too.
Using this creation, Jamie delivers an impressive cosmopolitan cocktail.
Surprisingly easy and fun to do – this is a great way to impress guests.
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Christmas cocktail recipes to enjoy at home
Cocktails and Christmas, the ultimate combination! At this magical time of year, a simple G&T just doesn’t cut it. We aren’t criticising if you are G&T lover! We just think that – occasionally – your regular, go-to drink should be changed up for something a little bit different. So, why not at Christmas?
If you love Christmas cocktails already, what’s your favourite? A sweet and fruity strawberry daiquiri? A rich and creamy pina colada or the bitter tang of a negroni? Read on for cocktails that are perfect for the Christmas season.
Hot buttered rum
This is a wonderfully warming drink that would be ideal to serve after a long winter walk or a day of Christmas shopping. This is also a great cocktail to try if you enjoy mulled wine.
Ingredients
- 50ml golden rum
- ½ tsp of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg
- 1 tbsp of soft light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of softened unsalted butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
Method
Find a festive heatproof mug. Mix the sugar, butter and spices. Add the rum and top up with freshly boiled water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Champagne cocktails
Looking for a cocktail that can be enjoyed with a decadent late breakfast or brunch? Try a Kir Royale, an elegant combination of champers, cassis and a blackberry to garnish or a Mimosa which is half champagne or crémant, half fresh orange juice and a splash of Grand Marnier. Feeling retro? Go for Bucks Fizz, one-third champagne and two-thirds fresh orange juice.
How to decorate your Christmas cocktails
Decorating the glass rim is a fantastic way to add flavour, colour and interest to your Christmas cocktails. Don’t be afraid to experiment, Christmas is an excuse to be creative!
- Crushed frozen raspberries or cranberries
- Broken and crushed candy canes
- Cinnamon sugar
- Red and green sprinkles
Check out this craft blog from Debbee’s Buzz for a fun way to present any Christmas cocktail, buy glass baubles, pop out the silver top and replace it with a green or red striped straw. If your guests will need to place their drinks on a table, nestle the baubles in a stemmed martini or couple glass.
Artfully placed herbs, spices, fruit and sweet can make brilliant natural decorations. Try dried orange segments, cinnamon sticks, apples carved into flowers and sprigs of rosemary and mint.
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Make Christmas cocktails with us!
We really enjoyed this video offering simple ideas and easy-to-make cocktails by Mr Carrington.
It’s a fun video with some unusual takes on drinks that are not normally used in cocktails.
Though wrapping an ice cube in ribbon is one of the unusual ideas!
There are also supermarket drinks that get taste tested.
One infused gin gets prosecco added and pomegranate seeds that works well and the team recommend decorating the cocktail glasses to help deliver a festive vibe.
We even liked the melted chocolate with milk which was added to a zesty infused gin.
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What is the most popular drink at Christmas?
Christmas is about traditions and nostalgia. We do things because we always have. Eating turkey, even though we find it a bit dry and adding a 20p coin to the Christmas pudding because that’s what Grandma did.
And so, your Christmas cocktail of choice is likely to be a retro Snowball at a Christmas Eve party, a Bucks Fizz while opening presents and a Baileys Mudslide to sip in a post-dinner stupor.
Snowball recipe
- 50ml advocaat (a Dutch drink made of eggs, sugar and brandy)
- 10ml lime cordial
- 50ml lemonade
- ice and a maraschino cherry to serve
Mix all the ingredients together in an ice-cold glass and top with the cherry.
Bucks Fizz recipe
- 50ml of good quality fresh orange juice (not from concentrate)
- 100ml of champagne or crémant (prosecco is ok too)
Pour the juice into an ice-cold glass and then slowly add the champagne.
Bailey’s Mudslide
- 60ml of Baileys Irish Cream
- 7ml Smirnoff Vodka
- 7ml Chocolate liqueur or Kahlua (coffee) depending on personal preference.
Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker and serve over ice. Drizzle with chocolate syrup if you’re feeling fancy.
Non-alcoholic Christmas cocktails
With work dos, afternoon drinks with the girls, a cheeky G&T ‘because it’s Christmas!’ and mulled wine as you wander the festive markets, it’s very easy to overindulge in December.
So, if you’re feeling frazzled by the big day or are living a sober life, there are plenty of alcohol-free cocktail recipes to choose from on The Mindful Mocktail including a Virgin Bloody Mary and a Sunrise Mocktail. Or, as pictured here, a pina colada using just three ingredients!
All the recipes taste gorgeous and look stylish, so no-one would ever know they aren’t the real thing. They are also a selection of kid-friendly fruit juice-based cocktails that both youngsters and teenagers will love. Drinking these colourful mocktails will make them feel grown-up and you can sneak some immune system vitamins and anti-oxidants into their diet.
Ready-made cocktails
Christmas is a busy and stressful time and anything that makes life easier should be embraced. Ready-made cocktails are a brilliant idea and this Modern Winter Collection from The Buffalo is perfect for a relaxing, cosy night in or a catch up with your best friend.
This collection allows you to try new tastes without investing in full bottles of spirits you may never use again. It would also make a lovely gift.
Alternatively, you will find cans of ready-made cocktails in the booze aisle of your supermarket and near the tills at most train station M&S’s. They will have all the favourites such as a Mojito, Bellini and a Passionfruit Martini.
Cocktail recipes to enjoy at Christmas
Drinking cocktails at Christmas is a festive tradition that many people enjoy and the drinks can add cheer and warmth to the cold winter days, and also help you celebrate with your loved ones.
However, it’s important to drink responsibly and moderately, and to follow some simple tips, such as drinking water between cocktails, eating before and during drinking, choosing low-calorie and low-sugar options, and limiting your intake to one or two drinks per day.
By doing so, you can enjoy the benefits of drinking cocktails at Christmas without compromising your health and well-being. Cheers!
