Bartender Inspiration - Cocktails for the Holidays

Bartenders all over the world both love & hate the Holiday season because it means first time drinkers, long hours & crazy requests! Never the less if you can look past the Grinch inside you there are plenty of ways to stay creative & be inspired by the festive period. Here are Cocktails For You here are some ways we've been playing around with flavours of the holiday spirit!

Name: Christmas Cosmo Ingredients: 40ml Vodka 20ml Mandarin Napoleon

25ml Lime Juice

40ml Cranberry Juice

2 Dashes of Cranberry Bitters

Method: Shake & Strain Although originally popularised by the infamous Sex & the City the inclusion of cranberries drives this definitely into the holiday season. Taking out the triple sec & substituting some Mandarin Napoleon drives this firmly into the festive season.

Name: Sloe Royale Ingredients: 25ml Sloe Gin Top up with Champagne Dash of Peychauds Bitters Method: Build

Celebration calls for bubbles! Using the basic formula of the Kir Royale substituting the Creme De Cassis for Sloe Gin instead gives a less sweet more dry kick to the cocktail. Sloe berries were historically picked after the 'first frost' as it made them taste better. The Peychaud's gives an extra layer of complexity & longer finish.

Name: Amelia

Ingredients:

50ml Vodka

30ml Wild Berry Puree

30ml Lemon Juice

10ml Elderflower Liqueur

10ml Sugar Syrup

Method: Shake & Strain

The Amelia cocktail is a modern classic from Employees Only in New York City. Although it might not necessarily seem like a festive drink of choice the wild berry purée gives it that Dark Forest Gateau flavour we all savour for after meal dessert!

Name: Winter Flip

Ingredients:

40ml Shackleton Whisky

20ml Pedro Ximenez Sherry

5ml Dark Sugar Syrup

1 Whole Egg

2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

While Flip's & Nog's were definitely a winter treat all over the Britain where they were first invented the classic recipes can be played with to bring out bigger flavour profiles than the classics. Using the raisin like flavours of Pedro Ximenez combined with the clove notes of Angostura bitters gives silky texture & full-bodied kick.

Name: The Grinch

Ingredients: 60ml Christmas Gin 20ml Lemon Juice 10ml Sugar Syrup Top up with The Basil Soda

Method: Build Although many of us love the festive period of New Year & Christmas there are definitely many of us who are the "Grinch" during this season. For those just wishing to escape all the fanfare & cold it good to try something that brings us back to more refreshing times whilst still being a little bit Christmassy.

Name: Mulled Wine Sour Ingredients:

40ml Red Wine (Rioja) infused with cinnamon, cloves & mace 20ml Cherry Heering 2 Dashes of Pimento Dram 20ml Egg White 10ml Sugar Syrup

Theres nothing quite like 'Hot Mulled Wine' during the Christmas period except that heat lets the alcohol escape so that's not always the best option. Here we keep all that alcohol in & throw in some Cherry liqueur as well as Pimento Dram to kick things up a notch.

Name: The Nutcracker Ingredients: 60ml Shackleton Whisky 2 Dashes of Black Walnut Bitters 10ml Demerara Sugar Syrup Method: Build & Stir Based on the New Years tale of the same name this cocktail takes the idea of an Old Fashioned then makes a spin of it with the addition of walnut based bitters. Although the flavours veer towards the sweet side for the drink it really bring out the warmth in your cheeks straight after. Few of these & you're ready to kiss under the mistletoe!

Name: The Winter G&T Ingredients: 60ml Sharish Blue Magic Gin

120ml Poacher Tonic 10ml Lemon Juice Method: Build & Stir The New Year always bring a little magic & theres no better way with this Gin & Tonic combo with a Gin that changes colour when you add Tonic water from BLUE to PURPLE. Throw in some candy floss that disappears if you add it to the liquid & a bauble to boot. DELIGHTFUL!