After the year we’ve had, I’m excited to raise a glass to the end of the year and you can never go wrong with cocktails. What I love about cocktails is that there’s one for everyone, whatever your tastes, there is always a cocktail for you. And as we settle into the Christmas season, we thought we’d collect some of our favourite festive cocktails for you to try at home. 

Mulled Wine

Lets start off with a Christmas classic. Even talking about mulled wine, I can almost smell that familiar scent of cinnamon filling the room. What I love about this, is how easy it is to make.

Ingredients

• 750ml bottle red wine
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 2 strips lemon zest
• 4 tbsp caster sugar

1. Put your ingredients into a large pan and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes
2. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes
3. Reheat when you want to serve and enjoy!

Snowball

Another Christmas classic that is a favourite for the festive season

Ingredients

• 10-15ml lime juice or lime cordial 
• 50ml advocaat
• 50ml sparkling lemonade
• Ice, to serve
• 1 maraschino cherry (for the garnish)

1. Fill the glass with ice before paring your ingredients in and stir together gently
2. Add your maraschino cherry on top as your garnish
3. Enjoy!

Buck’s Fizz

Is it even Christmas if you don’t start your day with a fun Buck’s Fizz. This, for me, is the ultimate Christmas cocktail. So simple to make but not too strong, and there’s nothing more festive than bubbles.

Ingredients

• Orange juice
• Chilled champagne

1. Fill your glass about half way with orange juice
2. Slowly top up the glass with champagne. You can change the ratio, depending on how strong you want it
3. Enjoy!

Eggnog

This creamy Christmas cocktail is a much-loved festive drink. Definitely one of the sweeter drinks on our list. 

Ingredients

• 50g caster sugar
• 4 eggs yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 397g can of condensed milk
• 100ml brandy

1. Put the sugar and 74ml of water in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, then cool and chill.
2. Beat the yolks and the vanilla until smooth, before mixing in the condensed milk, brandy and cooled sugar syrup.
3. Pour into a jug and chill for (at least) 2 hours and serve within 24 hours over ice. 

Christmas Punch

This cocktail is perfect for Christmas parties and will make the room smell very festive.

Ingredients

• A bunch of red grapes
• 750ml prosecco
• 1L cloudy apple juice
• Ice
• 250ml sloe gin
• 50ml herbal liqueur (such as Jägermeister)
• 1 ball stem ginger (finely sliced, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup)
• 3-4 sprigs rosemary
• 1 clementine (finely sliced)

1. Before serving, froze the grapes and chill the prosecco and apple juice for the best taste
2. Add a handful of frozen grapes and ice into a 2-3 litre punch bowl, then pour in the rest of your ingredients
3. Stir in well and serve  

Mudslide

This fun cocktail is perfect for those chocolate-lovers out there or for people who enjoy a creamier drink

Ingredients

• 50g dark chocolate
• Ice
• 60ml coffee-flavoured liqueur
• 60ml vodka
• 60ml Irish cream liqueur
• 100ml double cream

1. Melt 30g of chocolate and dip the rim of the chilled glass into it. Then put the glasses in the fridge, stood upright, to chill in a cool dripping pattern.
2. Add ice, coffee-flavoured liqueur, vodka, Irish cream liqueur and double cream into a cocktail shaker and shake until the shaker is cold.
3. Add a few ice cubes into the glass and pour the mixture in. 
4. For a bit of decoration, grate some chocolate over the top and serve with a (paper) straw

Hot Buttered Rum

The perfect sweetly spiced cocktail is the perfect drink to end the night on. A warm treat for those cold evenings.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 100ml dark rum
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (to serve)

1. Put the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, before stirring in the rum and melted butter.
2. Pour the mixture into heatproof glasses, topping off each with boiling water and stir well. 
3. Serve with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!