8 classy Christmas cocktails

Santa’s Christmas Delight

• 3 parts Irish whiskey
• 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
• soda water
• few drops of grenadine

Mix the ingredients together. Serve in a tall glass on ice. As a variation, try using ginger ale rather than soda water or Schweppes Russian. Father Christmas (aka Mum or Dad) will love it.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Christmas Champagne Cocktail

• 3/5th glass of chilled brut champagne or Spanish cava or Australian sparkling wine
• 1/5th glass cointreau
• 1/5th glass Absolut mandarin vodka
• 1 sugar lump

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve in a champagne flute and decorate with either a slice of orange or a few segments of tangerine.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Holly-tini

A festively coloured green version of the famous cocktail.

• 2 parts vodka or gin
• 1 part dry martini
• ½ part crème de menthe

Either mix in a cocktail shaker with ice or simply serve on ice in a martini glass.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Santa’s Cointreau Spritzer

This cocktail is an unusual variation on a standard spritzer

• 3 parts dry white wine
• 1 part cointreau
• soda water

Mix everything together, decorate with a twist of orange peel and a stick of celery.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Tanqueray Tang

• 1 part Tanqueray gin
• 1 part cherry brandy
• 2 parts freshly squeezed lime juice
• soda water
• 1 tsp sugar

Mix the above ingredients together over ice, adding soda water to taste. Serve in a tall glass and decorate with a wedge of lime. The ideal red and green Christmas cocktail.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Between the Sheets

Everybody loves oranges, satsumas and tangerines at Christmas, so this cocktail will be a sure-fire hit.

• 1 part cointreau or grand marnier
• 1 part brandy
• 1 part rum
• 2 parts freshly squeezed lime juice

Mix the above ingredients together and serve in a martini glass. Decorate with a twist of lime or orange peel and drop a few tangerine segments into the glass.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget

Cranberry Cheerer

This Christmas version of a Seabreeze always goes down well.

• 1 part vodka
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 1 part blood red orange juice

Mix the ingredients together and serve in a tall glass on ice. Decorate with a wedge of lime.

See also:

• Christmas entertaining on a budget