Let it be no secret that I LOVE Christmas! I always have, I always will! Holiday parties are always an excellent time for entertaining, and I love to have a signature cocktail to share with my guests! As the season of imbibing commences, here are a few of my favourite festive-inspired sips to keep spirits bright on these long cold winter nights.
Red Lights of Polski
I made a sweet beet of a treat with my polish potato vodka and it’s the perfect yuletide serve.
Recipe:
1.5 oz Luksusowa Vodka
0.5 oz Luksusowa Cherry Vodka
2 oz cranberry juice
0.75 oz sweet beet syrup*
1 oz eggwhite or aquafaba
Directions:
Dry shake without ice. Wet shake with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe or chilled rocks glass with a rock (I did this as I wanted more visual volume). Garnish with edible gold because it’s Christmas and we be getting ostentaious, obvi.
Sweet Beet Syrup
EASIEST! Grab a half bag of frozen beets, 2.5 cups of sugar, 2.5 cups of water, simmer on heat until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to infuse for 1 hour. Strain. BOOM. Enough for circa 20 cocktails.
Pomegranate and Molasses Sour
Everyone needs that one, extra special signature holiday cocktail and I have to say, I'm pretty excited about this one! Meet the Pomegranate and Molasses Sour with rosemary smoke! I honestly take my own hat off here; it is DELICIOUS… plus I got to play with my blowtorch! 🔥
Recipe:
1.5 oz Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Whisky (or rye whisky of choice)
2 oz fresh pomegranate juice
1 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz molasses
1 oz aquafaba or egg white (I used aquafaba)
Directions:
Dry shake without ice then wet shake with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Set a sprig of rosemary alight and circle the cocktail, before placing the smoking garnish.
There is so much holiday spirit in one glass! Usually, I would recommend Alberta Premium Cask Strength on its own because it is a special 2021 release and divine neat, but I just HAD to get an extra bottle to create a fire cocktail! The warm apricot and butterscotch tones play amazingly well with winter fruit and the rosemary smoke.
Are you a whisky purest or will give this Alberta Premium Cask Strength cocktail a try? CHEERS!
Whitley Neill Gin Baubles
I might have reached peak Christmas! I’ve made little cocktail baubles, which are a great way of serving up festive welcome drinks. I made a raspberry and rosemary sip alongside a rhubarb, ginger, and thyme offering.
You’re going to want to find plastic fillable baubles - yes, they are a thing. They freeze well. In each bauble I would pre-freeze a little dash of water and remove them from the freezer when you’re ready to build the cocktail and serve. The ice chills and dilutes the drinks.
OKAY LET’S FILL ‘EM.
For the raspberry:
1 oz Whitley Neill Gin
Raspberry Gin
3 oz Fever-Tree Canada aromatic tonic, a few raspberries, and a sprig of rosemary.
For the rhubarb:
1 oz Whitley Neill Gin Rhubarb and Ginger gin
3 oz ginger and orange Fever-Tree tonic water
0.25 oz ginger syrup
A handful of golden berries and a sprig of thyme.
Yippeeeee Ki Yaaaaay and merry gin-mas!
Raspberry Gimlet
Have yourself a merry little Gimlet ❤️🎅🏽! Okay, but the cranberry and Whitley Neill gin raspberry gimlets I have batched for Christmas are 👌! I made my own cranberry syrup and used the strained cranberries as a chunky cranberry sauce because waste not, want not. This is my favourite cocktail I’ve made this month and it’s REALLY easy!
Recipe:
2 oz Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin
3/4 oz cranberry simple syrup* (or 1 oz if you like things sweet)
1 oz lime juice
Directions:
Shake over ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cranberries on a cocktail stick for an extra festive colour pop!
*Cranberry syrup:
1:1:1 of frozen cranberries, boiling water and sugar, I used two cups because I wanted lots! Simmer for 10 minutes, leave to infuse for 30 then strain. Plus it smells great while you’re cooking them!
Old Fashioned
Let’s get Old Fashioned, baby! An Old Fashioned with Glenfiddich Whisky 14 Year Old Barrel Reserve is the perfect way to kick off my Christmas holidays! My favvvvvourite thing about this beautiful classic is how easy it is to make! See!
Recipe:
2 oz Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve
3/4 oz simple syrup
2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Maraschino cherry and orange to garnish!
You can build this in a mixing glass or stir it straight into a tumbler!
Okay, off to make three more of these and warble along to Frank Sinatra to myself in the mirror. I make my own fun!
Peppermint Vanilla White Russian
Recipe:
2 oz Beattie’s Peppermint Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Kahlua
1 splash of heavy cream
Stir ingredients together over ice in a mixing jar. Dip a chilled coupe glass rimmed with lemon juice into a multitude of festive sprinkles then carefully strain the liquid into the glass. Top with whipped cream, more sprinkles and a candy cane!
Blackberry & Rosemary Gin Fizz
Whitley Neill Blackberry Gin is GODLY! I made a Blackberry & Rosemary Gin Fizz with Whitley Neill's latest delight to hit the LCBO and it was the highlight of my week! I also made it in the snow, because it felt like the right thing today and fa la la la laaaaa I am feeling so Christmassy! I hope you like this cocktail and get to make it for yourself ASAP!
Blackberry & Rosemary Gin Fizz:
In a glass filled with crushed ice, add:
2 oz Whitley Neill Blackberry Gin
1 oz rosemary simple syrup
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon
Top with soda water and stir. Add a rosemary sprig, blackberries, and a little sprinkle of icing sugar to garnish!
Cheers, and happy December!
Cristingle
HELLO, your favourite zest pest coming at you with a crowd pleasing Christmassy cocktail featuring Whitley Neill Sicilian Blood Orange Gin 🍊👌! The Blood Orange is actually one of my favourites (although I say that to all the bottles 😉). I haven’t named this yet... and I’m not sure “Zest Pest” is totally appropriate soooo let’s go with “Cristingle”?!?
Anywhere - here’s how you pest… I mean tingle… umm…
1 oz Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin
1 oz Rosemary simple syrup
1 oz Fresh squeezed lemon
Mix over ice in a mixing glass. Pour into a champagne flute or coupe and then top with dry sparkling wine (I used Canevel which is available through private order). Garnish with rosemary and a dehydrated orange wheel because it looks beautifullll just like you… words from one zest pest to another 😅...