There’s a brilliantly festive respite from the daily grind that occurs between the more austere moments now known as Octsober and Dry January. ’Tis the season to raise a glass to friends and loved ones. It’s a time to revive fondly remembered traditions and initiate new ones. Of course, not every drink today needs to be strong or alcoholic at all to make the season scintillating and bright. The holidays are all about flavour – cinnamon and chocolate, nutmeg and ginger – beckoning you to embrace the merriest of times.
Lucky Jim
Named after Kingsley Amis’s 1953 bestseller, this classic martini variation first appeared in his book On Drink.
Serves 1
vodka 50ml
dry vermouth 5ml
cucumber juice 10ml
Combine ingredients in an ice-filled co*cktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
Pink G&T
Making liqueurs for the holidays does not have to be as time consuming or require as much forward planning as sloe gin. The best pink gin is made at home, and can be done just a week in advance.
Serves 1
homemade pink gin 50ml (see below), or sloe gin
tonic water 125ml
For the pink gin
cranberries or raspberries 300g, fresh or frozen are fine
gin 700ml bottle
sugar optional, to taste
Combine the cranberries or raspberries with the gin in a large jar. Let it sit for a week. Strain out the fruit. You can add a touch of sugar if you like but it really isn’t necessary. When the gin is ready, combine a double measure with tonic in an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries.
The dog’s nose
This forgotten Victorian classic was once all the rage, even making an appearance in Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers. It’s a savoury, complex drink that can be served hot or cold. Although it would have been heated with a loggerhead – a red-hot poker – back in the day, we suggest popping it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the hob.
Serves 1
gin 25ml
porter or stout 100ml
dark treacle 10ml
Combine the gin and treacle in a rocks glass or tumbler. Stir to loosen up the treacle. Add the porter and stir gently once more.
Christmas cheer chai
We created this dairy-free version of a Christmas classic, the Tom and Jerry, for the Henrietta Hotel Bar. This comfort sip can also be made without the rum.
Serves 1
unsweetened almond milk 60ml
chai tea bag 50ml, made to standard strength
simple syrup 5ml, or caster sugar
dark rum 50ml
Heat the almond milk and brewed chai tea in a saucepan. Combine the hot liquid, syrup and rum in a mug. Garnish with a grating of nutmeg.
Pomegranate and ginger highball
This is a simple and spicy sip for quenching your thirst during the celebrations.
Serves 1
pomegranate juice 100ml
ginger syrup 25ml
sparkling water to top
Combine ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass. Top with sparkling water. Stir gently. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Choc-orange bubbly
It just isn’t the holidays without a taste of chocolate orange. You’ll need to make the liqueur for this at least a week in advance.
Serves 1
chocolate orange liqueur 25ml (see below)
sparkling wine 100ml
For the chocolate orange liqueur
cacao nibs 100g
cognac 700ml bottle
orange 1
water 1 litre
granulated sugar 250g
To make chocolate orange liqueur, place the cacao nibs in the bottle of cognac and leave for a week. Slice the orange and place it in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Simmer covered on low heat for 20-30 minutes, then allow it to cool. Strain out the orange slices. Combine equal parts of infused cognac and syrup. Seal in sterilised bottles for future use. Combine the ingredients in a champagne flute or coupe and serve.
Do-it-yourself mull
Mulling syrup is available in shops but it’s not difficult to make at home and can be used in so many festive ways. Add it to a cup of brewed tea, hot cloudy apple juice, or use it in place of the sugar in a Tom Collins.
Makes about 1 litre
water 1 litre
muscovado sugar 500g
clementines or satsumas 6, sliced
cloves 6
star anise 2
cinnamon sticks 2
bay leaves 2
nutmeg ½, broken or grated
vanilla pod 1, split
allspice berries 5
ginger 1 thumb, sliced
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Set aside and let it cool. Strain and bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller are the authors of more than 30 drinks books, including Spirit of the Cane (Mixellany Limited)
