Christmas drinks: From home-made cocktails to mulled wine, here are some Christmas drinks to make this year

Cocktails don’t have to be complicated and for those made at home, simplicity wins. For many easy drinks, you just need a few ingredients. Just offer one or two tried and tested recipes, then add a garnish and they will look as professional as they need to be.

Mulled Wine

There is something depressing about the quality of ready-made mulled wine, so make your own. This is a welcome drink for Boxing Day morning when everyone is out and about, perhaps walking off the Christmas excess. Don’t bother with glasses, just pour into teacups or mugs.

Rather than throw everything into the mix which can end in gritty, boiled-out aromas, I like to make a spicy syrup and then add it to the wine. That way you can make a non-alcoholic version as well as a regular one.

Take an orange, cut it in half and stud the peel with a dozen cloves. Place in a pan and add half a pint of orange juice, a piece of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, a couple of cardamom pods, 50g granulated sugar and the juice of a lemon. Gently warm these ingredients then leave them to infuse, preferably overnight. Next day, strain the syrup and use it to add the spicy element to your chosen base wine. The advantage is that you don’t need to boil the wine, just heat it gently, so all the alcohol stays in the wine and doesn’t evaporate. Use a good value robust wine for this, such as Tesco’s Lateral Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (£4.39) , which is perfectly drinkable on its own, but will provide the right depth and flavour for your mix. For the non-alcoholic version, try McGuigan’s Zero Shiraz (£4.25 Tesco) or apple juice. If you run out of cinnamon sticks, add a slug of Giffard’s Cannelle Cinnamon syrup (Latitude Wine £9.99).

Margaritas

Tequila is the spirit of the moment, and everyone loves a Margarita so mix up enough for pouring as your guests arrive. This is a simple cocktail, using a measure of tequila, half a measure of Cointreau or Triple Sec and a splash of lime juice, poured over ice. To make a less alcoholic version, use freshly squeezed orange juice instead of triple sec. One of the key features of a Margarita is the salt rim on the glass, but don’t overdo it. Run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass, and dip the rim, or maybe just half the rim in coarse salt. You don’t need special glasses for a Margarita. A classic cocktail glass looks good.

Vodka Martini

Dame Joan Collins is now an ambassador of food and drink for Marks and Spencer, so it was an honour to meet her and her charming husband Percy at a dinner which showcased the M&S Christmas range. What was surprising is that Dame Joan much prefers a Vodka Martini to champagne, even an expensive champagne, so the evening started with a Vodka Martini, made in her preferred way, with just a hint of vermouth and absolutely no groceries, by which she means no olives, lemon peel or a pickled cocktail onion. The phrase ‘shaken, not stirred’ has become part of the language around Martinis, and really determines how cold you like your Martini. Shake it with ice and it becomes cold very quickly. If you don’t have a barman at your party to shake your cocktails, then stirring with ice does just as well.

New on the shelves is Broken Clock Vodka, made in the North of England using botanicals from the historic Shandy Hall, close to Thirsk which was once the home of writer Laurence Sterne. The vodka is pot-distilled and has a clean, aromatic style with notes of pepper, rose petal and red apples and it works well in a Vodka Martini. Broken Clock vodka is available from Yorkshire Vintners (01765 601701) at £36. Try it also in a Windfall Mule with slices of apple and fresh lime juice topped up with ginger beer and farmhouse cider.

Gin cocktails

A gin and tonic is the easiest and most welcome lunchtime aperitif and York Gin makes a delicious G&T. They have also come up with their own recipes and kits for easy Martinis which they have been selling in York’s Christmas market and in their shops but are easy to put together yourself.

Perfect for parties is a Rhubarb and Raspberry Martini, with York Rhubarb Gin, shaken with ice and a spoonful of Rhubarb and Raspberry jam, strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with a raspberry.

Rum cocktails

Rum always goes down well at this time of year and Warner’s have developed a new Spiced Botanical Rum using roasted dandelion roots as well as cinnamon, vanilla, pink peppercorns, orange peel and other natural flavouring ingredients to make a light, golden rum. This works really well in a traditional rum and coke or made into a fresher version of a Dark and Stormy, which Warner’s have called Light and Breezy. It is a great-tasting cocktail to make in advance using a generous slug of Warner’s Spiced Botanical Rum, a splash of lime juice, a dash of Angostura bitters, a touch of brown sugar syrup, topped up with ginger ale.

Liqueurs

Many cocktail recipes call for flavouring syrups of ginger, banana, raspberry and passionfruit. Head straight to Latitude Wine in Leeds for these ingredients. They have a full range of Giffard’s top-quality liqueurs that will add a dash of flavour to your favourite cocktails.

Garnishes

It is always good to have a range of garnishes handy to brighten up a cocktail. A slice of orange, a twist of lemon peel, or a spring of mint adds interest and flavour. Watch out for Mixologist’s Garden, a range of freeze-dried fruits in resealable bags which are handy if you just want a single cocktail and don’t need a whole fruit salad in the fridge. Now being rolled out through Asda stores at £2.75.