One measure is always equal to 25ml or 1 fld oz. A cocktail ‘jigger’ pours out one measure easily.
A Dash is a always just a few drops from the bottle. Bitters etc. are called for in dashes.
THE BEST WINTER AND FESTIVE COCKTAILS & HOT DRINKS: 21 To 30
Sugarplum Brandy
This Sugarplum Brandy Recipe is a mixer, not a cocktail. Home-made sugarplum brandy takes about 12 months to mature, so make it one winter for next winter. When a cocktail calls for brandy, try using this sugarplum one!
Ingredients:
- 1Kg or 2 lbs of ripe plums
- 1kg or 2 lbs of Demerara (natural brown) sugar
- 2 Litres or 2 & 3/4 pints of Brandy
Directions: Remove the stalks and leaves from plums, wash well in cold water and drain. Halve them and remove stones. In a very large, wide necked preserving Jar (Kilner or similar which has been sterilized and cleaned) arrange layers of plum halves each with a good coating of sugar. Cover the whole lot with brandy, seal and leave for 6 months (minimum) undisturbed at room temperature. Then strain and bottle. The Sugarplum Brandy will not be ready for another 6 months, but can be used on cocktails or drunk over ice on its own.
Lambswool
For this recipe cider is preferred to ale, (recommended) but a traditional ale can also be used.
Recipe Ingredients: Makes almost 2 Litres.
- 1 litre of cider (or real ale)
- 600ml double (heavy) cream
- 50g ground almonds
- 4 small cooking apples, cored (Bramley apples)
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (more for a garnish)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 150g brown sugar (demerara)
- optional: toasted flaked almonds for a garnish
Directions: Preheat the oven 120C. Prepare the apples in advance: time it so they are ready when you want to put them into the lambswool to serve. Core the 4 apples fully, getting rid of the pips. Lightly grease the baking tray. Place the apples on the baking tray about 6cm (2 inches) apart – they will swell up a little. Bake the apples at 120C for about an hour or so – so they become soft and pulpy and the skins are easy to pull off.
Make the Lamb’s Wool: In a large and tall (thick bottomed) saucepan add the sugar, and cover the sugar with a small amount of cider – heat gently and stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the ground ginger, grated nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon sticks – stir, turn the heat up, and bring the syrup to just under the boil for a couple of minutes. After two minutes turn down the heat and return the pan to a gentle simmer again, then slowly add in all the rest of the cider, stirring it slowly into the syrup. Leave it on a gentle heat to warm through.
In a bowl beat together the egg yolks and then slowly stir in the cream. Once the cider has been gently warmed through pour in the cream and egg yolks and stir it in. The Lamb’s Wool will now lighten in colour, to a creamy white, heat through for another 2 minutes gently, stirring continuously, keep the pan on a gentle heat, making sure the egg yolks and cream do not scramble or split. Then turn off the heat and leave while you get the apples ready.
Take the baked apples out of the oven to cool slightly for 10 minutes – they should now be soft and pulpy. Break open the apples and scoop out the baked flesh into a bowl, discarding the skin. Then take a fork and mash them up, while they are still warm, into a smooth purée. Add the ground almonds to the apple purée and mix in thoroughly.
Strain the warmed Lamb’s Wool mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean bowl or jug, removing all the whole spices and any lumps which you can discard. Then quickly swill out the saucepan with cold clean water. Return the clean saucepan to the stove and pour back in the strained Lamb’s Wool, then heat to a gentle simmer once more.
Once the lambs wool is warmed through add in the apple and ground almond purée into the saucepan, whisking it briskly into a frothy drink. Continue to gently warm everything through until it is ready to drink – taste and add in more sugar if needed.
Recommended tip: if you have used a tall saucepan, with plenty of space, you can carefully use a hand (stick) blender to blitz and froth everything up, or put the drink through a blender, a small amount at a time. This makes a really creamy, frothy and smooth drink, perfect for parties.
Then Either. Drink Warm – Ladle the Lamb’s Wool into heat-proof mugs or glasses and grate over a little nutmeg. Drink warm.
Or. Drink Chilled – Let the Lamb’s Wool cool in the saucepan, then cover with cling film, and chill in the fridge for 4 or 5 hours, (even overnight). When you want to serve it cold take it out of the fridge and whisk the drink to froth it up and break up any lumps which formed, pour into a serving jug, grate over a little nutmeg. Drink cold.
A Rye Looking Ginger Ale
There is nothing better to warm you up like a little rye whiskey and ginger ale. Simple, refreshing, and the simple flavours work really well with each other.
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 2 measures of rye whisky
- 5 measures of chilled ginger ale
Directions: Pour the whiskey into a tall ‘Collins’ glass, add 2 or 3 ice cubes, and top off with ginger ale.
A Christmas Carol
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 1 measure apple brandy
- 1 measure cointreau
- 1 measure Goldschläger
- 3 measures sparkling ginger beer
To garnish
- frozen raspberries
- frozen blackberries
Directions: Combine the apple brandy and cointreau in a cocktail shaker with some cracked ice. Shake then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Add a measure of Goldschläger, stir, then top up with sparkling ginger beer. Garnish with a few frozen blackberries and raspberries.
Rye & Bitters Winter Twist
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink.
- 2 measures Rye Whisky
- 1 large measure freshly-squeezed Clementine juice
- 1/2 measure ginger syrup
- dash of Angostura bitters, to taste
For the Glass Rim & Garnish
- Honey
- Finely crumbled gingersnap biscuits (cookies)
- Twist of Clementine peel, for garnish
Directions: Coat the Glass Rim: Spread a little honey on a plate and dip the rim of a chilled cocktail (martini) glass into it to lightly coat the edges. Then spread the crumbled cookies (break the biscuits up very fine, almost like dust) on another plate and dip the coated rim into the crumbs so that they adhere. Make the Drink: Pour everything into a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice. Shake all ingredients vigorously then strain into the martini glass. Garnish with a twist of Clementine peel. You can make your own ginger syrup: make a basic sugar-and-water simple syrup, then muddle and steep peeled, fresh ginger long enough that it is strong.
Winter Wonderland
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 1 measure Cognac
- 1 measure raspberry liqueur
- 1 measure fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar syrup
- 1 measure fresh apple juice
- Fresh winter berries to garnish
Directions: Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice and shake hard. Strain the drink into an ‘old fashioned’ rock’s glass (low-ball tumbler) and garnish with two or three mixed berries and serve.
CocoNogg
Ingredients: Makes just over 1.5 Litre. (10 Drinks)
- cream of coconut 2 x 425g (2 cans)
- fresh whole milk 300ml (1/2 pint)
- fresh single cream 150ml (1/4 pint)
- caster sugar 250g (1/2 lb)
- softened unsalted butter 115g (4 oz)
- vanilla extract 3 tsp
- 750ml (one bottle) White Rum
- 200 ml (1/3 pint) Vodka
- ground cinnamon ½ tsp
- ground nutmeg ½ tsp
Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend and transfer to a serving jug. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Makes just over 1 litre. Optional: Serve in glasses with a few ice cubes and a grating of fresh nutmeg on the top.
Scottish Apple Crumble
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 1 measure whisky
- 1 measure apple brandy
- 1/4 measure lemon juice
- Scant pinch ground mixed spice
- 1 tbsp apple sauce (Brambly Sauce)
- 1/2 measure sugar syrup
To garnish
- 1 shortbread biscuit, crushed to very small crumbs
- Scant pinch ground cinnamon
Directions: Place all the main ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some cracked ice and shake hard. Strain the cocktail into a small whisky rocks glass, ‘low-ball’ tumbler, half-filled with crushed ice and garnish with a sprinkling of the crushed biscuit crumbs and a scant pinch of ground cinnamon.
Winter Julep
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 1 & 1/2 measures Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar (muscovado)
- 1 peppermint tea bag
- hot water
- dash of lemon juice
- small mint leaf
Directions: In a heat-proof glass mug or Irish coffee cup brew the tea in fresh boiling water, just under the rim, for 4 minutes. Remove the tea bag. Add in the bourbon, dash of lemon juice and brown sugar, stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Garnish with a small mint leaf.
Berry Merry Kamikaze
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 2 measures vodka
- 1 measure triple sec – orange liqueur
- 1 measure fresh lemon juice
- Crushed ice
- Winter Berry Puree and a few winter berries for garnish
Winter Berry Puree
- 1 Punnet of winter berries
- 110g (4 oz) sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Directions: Make a quick winter berry puree, take most of the winter berries from the punnet (reserve some whole ones for a garnish) and add them to a saucepan with the sugar and water – slowly bring the pan just up to the boil, stirring and gently breaking the berries down into the sugar as it melts. Once all the fruit is broken down and like a puree / syrup strain through a sieve (to remove all the pips etc.) and place in a small jar to cool. Keep in the fridge. Making the drink: Pour all the main ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with crushed ice. Shake all ingredients together then strain into an old fashioned rock’s glass, garnish with a tablespoon of the winter berry puree on top and a few whole berries and serve.
Ginger Crumb
Ingredients: Makes 1 Drink
- 1/2 measure ginger liqueur (you can make your own)
- 2 measures vanilla vodka
- 3 measures apple cider
- Dash of lemon juice
- Drip of honey
For the Glass Rim & Garnish
- Honey
- Finely crumbled gingersnap biscuits (cookies)
- Orange zest, for garnish
Directions: Spread a little honey on a plate and dip the rim of a chilled cocktail (martini) glass into it to lightly coat the edges. Then spread the crumbled cookies (break the biscuits up very fine, almost like dust) on another plate and dip the coated rim into the crumbs so that they adhere. Add the liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker half-filled with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into the prepared glass, twist the orange zest over the drink and float the orange zest on top. Note: If you have no ginger liqueur then muddle 3 very thin slices of fresh ginger and 15ml (1/2 oz) of a simple sugar syrup into the cocktail shaker first.