Christmas Cocktails

For the Christmas bring on a few festive cocktails with a taste of the season. For all these use unsweetened cranberry juice.

 

Poinsettia Cocktail

• ½ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 2-3 oz Champagne or good sparkling wine
• Cranberries for garnish (optional)
  

Put the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a Champagne flute and serve with a few cranberries on top.

 

Christmas Martini

• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz vodka
• ½ oz Cointreau
• ½ oz lemon juice
• 2 tsp simple syrup
  
• Slice of lemon peel for garnish (optional)
  

Chill a cocktail glass. Put the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into glass and serve with the lemon peel on a skewer.

 

Rudolph's Sleigh Sidecar Cocktail

• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 1¼ oz Cognac or good brandy
  
• ½ oz Cointreau
• ¼ oz ginger syrup or ½ tsp grated ginger or a pinch of dried ginger
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Ginger slice and/or slice of lemon peel for garnish (optional)
  

Chill a cocktail glass. Put the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the cocktail glass and garnish.

 

Christmas Margarita

• 1½ oz cranberry juice
• 1½ oz Tequila (use blanco or reposado)
• 1 oz Cointreau
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• cranberry and lime wedge
• flaky sea salt or coarse salt
  

Chill a Margarita glass and rim with salt. Put the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into the cocktail glass and garnish with a wedge of lime and a cranberry on a skewer.

 

Pepperment Alexander

• 1 oz Peppermint schnapps
• ½ oz Vodka
• 1½ oz Creme de Cacao
• 1½ oz Heavy cream
• Mini candy canes
  

Crush some of the candy canes into fine chips. Chill a cocktail glass and rim with the crushed candy cane. Put the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into the cocktail glass and garnish with a candy cane.

Peppermint Alexander