FESTIVE COCKTAILS

CHRISTMAS FIZZ

Combine 100ml grand Marnier or Cointreau, 100ml vodka, 400ml pomegranate or cranberry juice. Pour into four Martini glasses filled with crushed ice, allowing room to top up with Prosecco. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

FRUITY CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS PUNCH INGREDIENTS

3 fruit tea bags

700ml boiling water

4 tbsp caster sugar

juice 1 lemon, plus 1 sliced lemon

1 small orange, sliced

200g blackberries, lightly crushed

fresh mint leaves

plenty of ice

500ml cranberry juice

chilled lemonade to top up

METHOD

1 Place the teabags in a large jug and pour over the boiling water. Add the sugar, stir well and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the teabags, allow to cool, stir in the lemon juice and then chill for 2 hours or overnight.

2 When you’re ready to serve, drop the lemon and orange slices into a glass jug and add the blackberries, mint and lots of ice. Pour over the chilled tea and cranberry juice. Just before serving, add a good glug of lemonade.

The right tea

Home-made iced tea makes the lovely fruity base of this drink. Berry teas are ideal for this, and I went for Twinings Strawberry & Elderflower tea with aromatic juniper

If you want to give this a little kick for the grown-ups, add a splash of white rum to each glass and give it a good stir

WHISKY SOUR INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp sugar syrup*

100ml whisky

75ml fresh lemon juice

1 egg white

plenty of ice

pared lemon zest

fresh or glacé cherries

METHOD

1 Place the sugar syrup, whisky, lemon juice and egg white in a shaker with lots of ice. Cover and shake until the shaker has condensation on the outside. Strain into two tumblers filled with ice. Garnish with the zest and cherries.

Sugar Syrup

To make sugar syrup, place 100g caster sugar in a small saucepan, add 50ml water and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and cool and chill.

ESPRESSO MARTINI INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp sugar syrup*

plenty of ice

100ml vodka

50ml Kahlúa

50ml strong espresso coffee, cooled

coffee beans to decorate

chocolate shards to decorate

METHOD

Place 1 tbsp sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker and add a good handful of ice. Add the vodka, Kahlúa and espresso. Cover and shake until the shaker has condensation on the outside. Strain into two glasses and decorate with the beans and chocolate.