Majestic Guides: The Best Christmas Cocktails

08 October 2021

The Best Christmas Cocktails for the Festive Season

Christmas is the perfect time to add some festive flair to your drinks, and we've got the perfect delicious yet easy cocktail recipes.

The nights are drawing in, Christmas lights are starting to appear, and everything is set for joyful gatherings with family and friends. Making the festive season enjoyable for you and your loved ones is now easier than ever, with our collection of simple Christmas cocktail recipes up your sleeve.

So, if you don’t feel like paying for overpriced cocktails at an overcrowded bar, here’s our winter selection of essential mixes that are a joy to drink and refreshingly quick to concoct. DIY festive fun never sounded so effortless.

Whisky Mac

Ingredients:

50ml Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
25ml Lyme Bay Ginger Wine
Lemon twist or slice of crystallised ginger (optional garnish)

Method:

Chill your glass – use a tumbler and fill with ice to chill it.
Pour the Glenfiddich 12 and Lyme Bay Ginger Wine into the glass over fresh ice.
Stir gently for a few seconds to combine and slightly chill.
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel or a slice of crystallised ginger if you like a bit more aroma and spice.

Matured in American and European oak Sherry casks to create the perfect balance of a creamy and smooth flavour. It’s perfect for blending with Lyme Bay Ginger Wine to make a classic festive Whisky Mac.

From the Lyme Bay Winery in east Devon comes this classic ginger wine. Bursting with smooth ginger and carrying that spiced kick, it’s perfect with whisky when making a classic Whisky Mac, paired with a warm mince pie.

Kir Royale

Ingredients:

10-15ml Chambord
Jean-Noël Haton ‘Classic’ Brut Champagne

Method:

Add your Chambord to a flute glass
Top with Champagne. Layer the two, or mix as desired!

The perfect Champagne to top a classic Kir Royale for the festive celebrations. Expect notes of stone fruits, red berries, citrus, and dried fruits that perfectly complement the fruity flavours of Chambord.

This rich, creamy liqueur is made from red and black raspberries, Madagascan vanilla, and XO Cognac. Try topping this up with Champagne in a glass to create a deliciously classic Kir Royale.

Snowball

Ingredients:

50ml Warninks Original Advocaat
50ml lemonade (chilled and fizzy – use clear, not cloudy)
25ml fresh lime juice (or 10ml Rose’s Lime Cordial for the retro version)
Ice
Optional garnish: maraschino cherry or lime wheel

Method:

Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice.
Add Warninks Advocaat and lime juice (or cordial).
Stir gently to combine.
Top up with lemonade, giving it a light stir to keep the fizz.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry or a festive lime wheel.

From one of the original producers of advocaat in the Netherlands, where the liqueur is originally from and has been produced since 1616. It’s a must-have in a classic Christmas Snowball cocktail with lemonade and lime juice.

Negroni

Ingredients:

25ml The Gardener French Riviera Gin
25ml Campari
25ml Cocchi Storico Vermouth
Slice of orange to garnish

Method:

Add all ingredients into a tumbler glass
Fill with ice
Stir until the glass is chilled
Garnish with a slice of orange

The star of the show in your Christmas Day Negroni, this world-famous Italian apéritif is made by influencing bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit to create its trademark vibrant red colour and delicious bitter taste.

Cocchi is one of the leading family-owned wineries in Piedmont renowned for the quality of its vermouths. Made using the same recipe created by Giulio Cocchi in 1891, this is a must-have in a Negroni or over ice.

Born in the French Riviera, this citrus-led gin from Brad Pitt and Tanqueray’s ex-Master Distiller is bold, elegant, and unmissable in a Negroni. Perfect for sipping with good company after a festive feast.

Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

50ml of Michter’s No1 Rye Whiskey
One teaspoon of simple syrup or one crushed brown sugar cube
2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Orange peel to garnish

Method:

Place the simple syrup or sugar cube, bitters and the whiskey in an Old Fashioned glass and mix.
Fill with desired amount of ice
Stir until the glass is chilled
Garnish with orange peel

Experience American whisky history with every sip this festive season. Named to honour Michter’s heritage harking back to America’s first whisky company, discover peppery and spiced notes with a hint of refreshing orange and sweet toffee.

Festive Mocha

Ingredients:

25ml Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry
25ml Mozart Gold Chocolate Cream Liqueur
50ml freshly brewed espresso
75ml milk
Optional toppings: whipped cream, chocolate shavings, dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon

Method (for hot version):

Brew your coffee and set aside.
In a saucepan (or milk frother), gently heat the milk until steaming, but not boiling.
Add Mozart Gold, Harvey’s Bristol Cream, and the espresso to a heatproof mug.
Stir in the steamed milk.
Top with whipped cream and finish with chocolate shavings or a dusting of nutmeg.
Serve immediately while warm.

Method (for cold version):

Add Harvey’s Bristol Cream, Mozart Gold, espresso, and milk to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well until chilled and creamy.
Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with grated chocolate or a dusting of cocoa powder.

This superior quality blend of Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez Sherries brings flavours of smoky oranges, vanilla, toffee, caramel, nuts, and raisins to create the ultimate festive mocha.

For more than 60 years, the Mozart Distillery has crafted premium chocolate liqueurs in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Mozart, where it gets its name. Combine with a shot of espresso and Harvey’s Bristol Cream to create the perfect festive mocha.

The Easy Option

If you’re looking for an easy way to craft the perfect cocktail every time, try our range of pre-mixed serves including the Kocktail Christmas Crackers. The perfect gift for the cocktail lover in your life.