Winter Warmers
Mulled wine cocktail
Mulled wine evokes a heartening image of a warm, sweet and spicy red wine poured in the warmth of an indoors bar when it is cold and perhaps snowing outside. But we stumbled across this recipe for chilled mulled wine, and our guests all found it very moreish. A marked change from the traditional mulled wine but, to our surprise, every bit as uplifting and, with no risk of alcohol evaporation, it is enhanced both by the aniseed flavor of the star anise and the sliced citrus fruit and orange zest.
100g light muscovado sugar
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
150ml water
1 lemon
2 satsumas or clementines
150ml cointreau
750ml pinot noir
Twist of orange zest and star anise to serve
Put 100g light muscovado sugar in a pan with 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 150ml water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer for 2 mins, then pour into a large jug and leave to cool. Add 1 lemon and 2 clementines, both thinly sliced, to the jug along with 150ml Cointreau and a 750ml bottle light red wine, such as a Beaujolais. Stir well, then cover and chill for at least 2 hrs or overnight if you can.
Serve chilled or over ice, with a twist of orange zest and a star anise.
If you’d prefer to serve a traditional warm mulled wine simply warm through without boiling and serve in heatproof glasses.
The Christmas GINgle
A festive, fruity and spicy Gin cocktail from South Devon. Last month we told readers of a planned Christmas Cocktail from South Devon distillery Salcombe Gin. Now it’s December, we can bring you the recipe.
50ml Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’
75ml Luscombe Cranberry Crush
100ml Luscombe Passionate Ginger Beer 5ml fresh lime juice
3 thin slices of fresh ginger
10 fresh or frozen cranberries
A sprig of fresh mint Ice
Add Salcombe Gin, fresh lime juice, five cranberries and two slices of fresh ginger to a Boston shaker glass. Add ice and shake vigorously. Fill a large highball with ice. Double strain the mixture over the ice into the glass using a Hawthorne strainer and fine sieve. Add Luscombe Cranberry Crush followed by Luscombe Passionate Ginger Beer and stir. Garnish with five cranberries, a sprig of fresh mint and the remaining fresh ginger, sliced into thin julienne matchsticks.
Tequila Cocktails
Premium tequila is growing in popularity across all demographics. There are a growing number of brands available. Here we cite three winter cocktail recipes from Patrón, although you can use any premium tequila – that is, made from 100% agave fruit.
A touch of evil – Patrón Añejo
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This citrusy and modern digestif is not half-bad, it’s actually all good. Ingredients:
45g Patrón Añejo
60g Warmed apple cider
15g Fresh lemon juice
15g PX Sherry
1 dash Black Strap rum
Grated cardamom for garnish
Combine liquid ingredients in a mug and garnish with grated cardamom.
Touchdown Toddy
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You’ll want to go for two after one sip of this classic, spirit-forward cocktail that’ll keep you warm all season long
60g Patron Anejo
45g lemon Juice
30g honey
85g hot water
1 cocktail spoon ground cinnamon
3 drops vanilla extract
In the bottom of a sturdy mug, combine a pinch of ground cinnamon, honey, hot water. Stir to combine. Add Anejo, lemon juice, vanilla extract. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Espresso Society
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Perk up the evening with this sweet, spirit-forward coffee cocktail that has a modern tequila twist
25g Patrón XO Cafe
15g Patrón Citrónge Orange
25g whisky
30g Fresh espresso
30g heavy whipping cream
10g salted caramel syrup
Good quality chocolate for garnish
Combine XO Cafe, whiskey, Patrón Citrónge and espresso in a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously to chill and combine.
Strain into a small rocks glass.
To a clean shaker, add Heavy cream and caramel syrup and shake vigorously to whip together.
Carefully layer the cream over the top of the cocktail and garnish with grated chocolate.
Premium whisky cocktails
Glengoyne Julip
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Glengoyne Cask Strength
Gomme Syrup
Fresh Mint
Rhubarb Bitters
Crushed Ice
You don’t want to hide the strength or the main profile of the cask strength, so how about a traditional Julip? Laced with mint and finished with Rhubarb bitters, this is a true whisky-lover’s drink.
The Tamdhu 10-year-old Manhattan
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Pour double measure (50ml) of Tamdhu 10 Year Old
Add one measure (25ml) of sweet vermouth to compliment the unique sherry flavour
Add two dashes of bitters and stir with ice
Strain and garnish with an orange rind.
Smoky Welsh Martini
Penderyn Distillery was reopened a few years ago reviving the Welsh whisky market. Get a taste of Wales in your winter warmer.
75ml Brecon Gin
5ml Penderyn Peated Whisky
Simply pour the ingredients into a whisky tumbler, add ice and stir. Enjoy!
Welsh Coffee
25ml Penderyn Madeira finished whisky
3 heaped teaspoons granulated sugar
Strong black coffee
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 more tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a tall glass with a handle mix 3 heaped teasoons of sugar and a shot of Penderyn whisky. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Over the back of a spoon – to prevent premature mixing – pour the glass ¾ full.
To make the cream add the remaining ingredients and whip until soft and pourable. Pour the cream into the glass over the back of a spoon. Top with shaved coffee beans and serve immediately.
Baileys Chocolat Luxe
50ml Baileys Chocolat Luxe
1 piece(s) Raspberry
Half-fill a glass with ice. Place three ice cubes into a wine glass.
Add Baileys Chocolat Luxe. Using a jigger, measure 50ml Baileys Chocolat Luxe into the glass.
Add a skewered raspberry to garnish. Carefully pierce a single raspberry with an elegant skewer known as an ‘attelet’, and place across the rim of the glass to garnish.
St Nick’s Festive Fizz
50ml Johnnie Walker® Red Label® Blended Scotch Whisky
150ml Schweppes Slimline Elderflower Tonic
1 slice orange
5 cloves
Add ice to a glass.
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
Pour in Johnnie Walker Red Label.
Add 50ml Johnnie Walker Red Label to the glass.
Top up with Schweppes Slimline Elderflower Tonic.
Pour in 150ml Schweppes Slimline Elderflower Tonic, or enough to fill the glass.
Garnish with a clove-studded orange slice.
Cut a slice of orange and push 5 cloves into the slice. Place on top of the drink to garnish.
Add 10ml of lemon juice and 10ml of Grenadine to bring out that flower power!
Old Fashioned Christmas
35ml of Smirnoff No. 21® Vodka
50ml Apple Juice
1tsp Cranberry Sauce
1pinch(es) Cinnamon Powder
1piece(s) Orange Zest
1piece(s) Star Anise
Fill a glass with ice.
Fill a glass mug with ice cubes.
Add Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, apple juice, cranberry sauce and orange zest into the glass.
Using a jigger, measure 35ml Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, 50ml apple juice, 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce and orange zest into glass.
Stir thoroughly.
Stir with a bar spoon until the mixture is well combined.
Garnish with cinnamon and star anise.
Sprinkle cinnamon powder over the drink and place a star anise on top to garnish.
That’s 12 (above) – I don’t have images for the following …
Chocolate Martini
A chocolate-coloured cocktail
Martinis have a reputation as a summer drink, but with darker ingredients suited to winter such as shaved chocolate they can be made as a drink for all seasons.
140ml best quality vodka
60ml clear Crème de Cacao
Shaved dark chocolate and a dark chocolate chunk
Pour both liquors over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously. Wet the rim of a martini glass. Dip the rim in shaved dark chocolate flakes. Drop a chunk of dark chocolate in the bottom of glass. Pour in the liquid. Serve. Make sure you have enough ingredients to make more, as nobody drinks just one.
Blueberry Martini
A blue-hued or berried cocktail
1/2 ripe lemon
15 blueberries, fresh or frozen
45ml premium vodka
45ml Cointreau
60ml lemonade
Ice
Add the blueberries to the glass side of a Boston-style cocktail shaker, squeeze in the juice of the lemon half, and muddle until berries are well crushed.
Fill metal side o shaker with ice and pour in the lemon/blueberry mixture.
Add vodka, Cointreau, and lemonade.
Join shaker halves and shake briskly for 15-20 seconds.
Strain into chilled martini glasses.
Garnish with skewered blueberries.
Spiced Irish Coffee
A stock creamy Irish coffee
A nice twist on the traditional
For the pumpkin spice whipped cream:
110g heavy cream
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice – or cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg
For the Irish coffee:
350g freshly brewed hot coffee
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons Irish whiskey
For the pumpkin spice whipped cream:
Whip all ingredients to stiff peaks.
For the Irish coffee:
Divide all ingredients between two glasses.
Pipe the whipped cream onto each drink.
Sprinkle with pumpkin spice.
Make sure you use very finely powdered pumpkin spice for this, otherwise you will end up with tiny pieces of spice in the whipped cream
