Five Christmas cocktails to make at home, chosen by London’s best mixologists
Impress your guests throughout the holidays with these seriously stylish serves
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What do you greet your guests with on Christmas Day? Champagne is an obvious choice, but for hosts looking to impress this season, an imaginative cocktail is the way to kick off any party. Here to prove that cocktails don’t have to be complicated are five of London’s best bartenders, who have all created unique tipples more than worthy of a toast or two.
It may sound easier said than done, but award-winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, has a few key tips to bear in mind when trying to smoothly serve cocktails. “Drinks that can be topped off to order, or that can be batched and poured for a big group of friends or family are best,” he says. “Prepare in advance by making a spiced syrup, which is so much easier than trying to make a batch of mulled wine and then having to add more spices, sugar and brandy in questionable quantities when you need a top up.”
Chetiyawardana also reaffirms the classic advice to go overboard on ice. “You’ll need way more ice than you expect. Add a load of ice to your order. Then double it. Or better yet, clear out a freezer drawer, get good moulds, then each time you make a cup of tea, empty the moulds into the tray, then refill. This way, ahead of your party, you’ll have plenty of good ice frozen and ready to go.”
“Shaking drinks is hard to do at volume. Try a pitcher of cocktail, a punch, or a batch you can top with a mixer or bubbles if you’re serving a group. But freezing your own cubes, or large-format ice, is a great way to improve your drinks. Fill a one or two litre ice cream tub with water and freeze overnight (you can decorate it with fruits, herbs and edible flowers too) is great to chill larger format drinks.”
Now you know how to ensure your hosting goes off without a hitch, what about some stylish serves to inspire your mixology game? Here are our favourite easy Christmas cocktail recipes to make at home, featuring recipes from Mr Fogg’s, Sticks’n’Sushi and Kudu. Cheers.
Christmas Tree Margarita by Lyaness
For many, the fresh and woody scent of pine is synonymous with Christmas – and Chetiyawardana couldn’t agree more. Working out of his Sea Containers-based bar Lyaness and eponymous outpost, Mr Lyan, in Hoxton, his top serve this season is the Christmas Tree Margarita. “Pine is one of my favourite ingredients, as well as scents, which I associate strongly with Christmas,” he explains. “What’s also great about having a real tree around, is that it can help be a part of your cocktails and food! Spruce, douglas fir and pine are all delicious – but if you’re snipping a branch of a wild tree, just make sure it’s not yew!”
Recipe
Ingredients
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Blanco tequila 50ml
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Pine and orange shrub syrup* 15ml
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Fresh lime juice 20ml
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Sugar syrup 10ml
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Tajin To garnish
Method
- To start, make the pine and orange shrub syrup by adding three sprigs of pine and one slice of orange to a jar and cover with 500ml cider vinegar. Allow to infuse in a dark cupboard for three days then strain into a pot and put on a medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Keep on a gentle boil, then remove from the heat and add 300g golden caster sugar and whisk until dissolved. Allow to cool, then keep refrigerated.
- When it’s time to make the cocktail, start by sprinkling some tajin or salt on a saucer. Rub half the rim of a coupette with a citrus wedge then dip into the tajin, wiping any excess from the inside of the glass.
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker, then shake very hard with cubed ice. It should frost the outside of the shaker well.
- Double strain into a coupette and garnish with an orange wedge or sprig of pine.
Casamigos Blanco Tequila
Warm Glow on High by Mr Fogg’s
A more classic but no less inventive riff on a margarita comes from Mr Fogg’s: the collection of 10-strong bars span Soho to The City and all transport guests back to the Victorian era as they step into the world of globe trotting fictional explorer Phileas Fogg. Group bars manager, Simone Spagnoli, has come up with the perfect zingy cocktail to liven up any party. He says: “This is a riff on a classic margarita, with the addition of red berries syrup and cranberry juice giving it a Christmas glow-up, alongside the unmistakable aroma of yuletide. Ideal for those who like a sharper sipper on Christmas day.” You heard it here first.
Recipe
Ingredients
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Patrón Silver tequila 35ml
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Fresh lime juice 20ml
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Cointreau Noir 15ml
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Monin Spiced Red Berries Syrup 5ml
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Cranberry juice 30ml
Method
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, pour coarse salt onto a shallow plate and dip the wet rims in the salt to coat it evenly.
- Add the Patrón Silver tequila, Cointreau Noir, Monin spiced red berries syrup, cranberry juice and lime juice to a shaker filled with ice, cover and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
The S’more Coffee Cocktail by Sticks’n’Sushi
Looking for a cocktail pick-me-up to cure that post-dinner slump? Look no further than Sticks’n’Sushi’s festive twist on an espresso-martini-come-Irish-coffee. Vicky Vecchione, head of bars, says: “The S’more Coffee Cocktail is a decadent, winter-ready serve that blends indulgence with a playful twist. Think rich coffee liqueur, velvety chocolate, and toasted marshmallow – a grown-up nod to the classic fireside treat!” Plus, having eschewed dairy milk for soya cream, this is suitable for all your vegan guests too.
Recipe
Ingredients
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Coffee liqueur 40ml
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Vodka 25ml
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Cold espresso 35ml
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Soya single cream 100ml
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Vanilla syrup 25ml
Method
- Pour the coffee liqueur, vodka and espresso into a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir gently to chill.
- Whisk the soya cream and vanilla syrup together in a bowl until slightly thickened – you’re aiming for soft peaks, like lightly whipped cream. This will make four-five portions, so keep chilled and use within a couple of days.
- Top with a generous spoonful of vanilla foam, ideally with a soft serve look.
Queen of the Desert by Kudu
Christmas calls for champagne, obviously. But if by the 25 December, you’ve had enough of the neat stuff, incorporate it into a seriously simple cocktail to change up the flavours and impress your guests. Brian Tapera, head bartender of South African-inspired restaurant Kudu in Marylebone, says: “Champagne is always impressive, so this cocktail is a super-easy buildable tipple for any time of day during the festive season!” Welcome cocktails have never looked so easy.
Recipe
Ingredients
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St Germain Elderflower liqueur 35ml
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Roku gin 15ml
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Cap Classique sparkling wine To top up
Method
- Build in a flute and garnish with lime or lemon peel.
Adonis by Café Deco
Refreshing G&Ts may be synonymous with summer but Benedict Clancy, general manager at Bloomsbury’s favourite restaurant and wine bar Café Deco, is here to prove they work for Christmas too. He explains: “We drink G&Ts on Christmas Eve, a tradition we inherited from my granny who would come home to gin and tonics after midnight mass. I know it’s a summer drink for lots of people but to me it’s so festive!"
For something that is bound to use bottles you already have in the cabinet, look to Clancy's Adonis serve that utilises sherry and fino. "Our Adonis is a very nice Christmas time aperitif – it’s bitter without being difficult, and is quenching but not too potent.
“Adonis is the name of a musical that opened in 1884, which at the time of the cocktail’s creation was the longest-running Broadway show of all time. A totally gorgeous statue comes to life, discovers how ghastly humanity is, and begs to be turned back into stone. How times change.”
Recipe
Ingredients
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Fino sherry 45ml
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Amontillado 5ml
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Sweet red vermouth 25ml
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Orange bitters Two dashes
Method
- Stir well over ice and strain into a pretty little liqueur glass.
Read more: The expert’s guide to creating a chic festive dinner table
