Mulled cider
Ingredients for 2 litres
- 1.5l cider, no- or low-alcohol cider or sparkling apple juice
- 400ml apple juice
- 75g dark brown sugar
- Zest of 1 orange, pared into strips
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- A few tablespoons of rum or bourbon (if you are having the alcoholic version)
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, cover and put on a very gentle heat for 20-30mins. Strain and serve.
Gingerbread martini
Ingredients for 4 serve:
- 200ml vodka
- 50ml hazelnut-flavoured liqueur
- 25ml herbal digestif or liqueur (e.g. Pastis or Fernet)
- 50ml ginger syrup
Pour the syrup into a 500ml bottle along with all the alcohol and 100ml cold water. Shake and serve in chilled glasses.
Festive negroni
Ingredients for 4-8 serves:
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 200ml gin
- ice
- 100-200ml vermouth
- 100-200ml Campari
Toast the cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom and peppercorns for 5 mins. Then tip all the toasted spices into a jar, pour over the gin and seal to infuse. Leave for at least 24 hours.
Strain the gin and fill tumblers with ice. Add 25-50ml each of the gin, vermouth and campari. Garnish with a slice of orange peel and serve.
Christmas hot chocolate
Ingredients for 4 serves:
- 700-800ml milk
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 110g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
- 110g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Heat the milk with the sugar and vanilla and a pinch of salt until bubbling. Whisk in the chocolate until fully combined and serve straight away with mini marshmallows on top!
Sloe gin fizz
Ingredients for 1 serve:
- 50ml sloe gin
- 25ml lemon juice
- 2 tsp sugar syrup
- ice
- sparkling water
Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker and fill up with ice cubes. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold, then strain into a tall glass filled with more ice. Top up with sparkling water and stir gently. Feel free to add a slice of lemon or a festive garnish of your choice.