What better this Christmas than curling up in front of the first with one of your favourite cocktails. From Cosmopolitans to the non-alcoholic version of the famous Bloody Mary, a Virgin Mary, this is our guide to happy cocktailing this Yuletide.
VIRGIN MARY
INGREDIENTS
200ml tomato passata
2 spring onions
finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
half tsp Tabasco sauce
half tsp Worcestershire sauce
couple of ice cubes
1 tbsp chives, chopped
METHOD
In a blender, mix the passata, spring onions, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and ice cubes. Blend for two minutes, or until smooth.Top with chopped chives.
COSMOPOLITAN
INGREDIENTS
35ml vodka
15ml Cointreau
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
25ml cranberry juice.
METHOD
Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice and cranberry juice into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake hard and then strain into a coupe glass or small Martini glass.
APPLE TIZER
INGREDIENTS
1 part apple vodka
1 part apple juice
3 parts sparkling wine
frozen raspberries
METHOD
Combine the apple vodka and juice in a glass.mTop up with sparkling wine and garnish with the frozen
raspberries.
SNOWBALLS
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon, juice and zest
3 tsp golden caster sugar
1 small free-range egg
50ml whisky, gingerale or lemonade
METHOD
Mix together the lemon juice and zest and caster sugar in a small bowl. See aside for at least half an hour. To make the cocktail, place the egg, whisky and one tablespoon of the lemon mixture into a cocktail shaker. Top up with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a a glass and top up with ginger ale.
FIRESTARTER
INGREDIENTS
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes Tabasco
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash soy sauce
50ml whisky
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
splash tomato juice warmed through
METHOD
Pour everything apart from the tomato juice into a heatproof glass or mug and stir well. Top up with the hot tomato juice
PISCO SOUR
INGREDIENTS
50ml pisco
50ml lime juice
25ml sugar syrup
1 dash bitters
half a free-range egg white
1 cherry, stem attached
METHOD
Place all of the ingredients except the cherry a into a cocktail shaker and shake. Strain into a rocs glass and garnish with a fresh cherry on the stem