BENGALURU: As the air turns crisp and the festive cheer begins to fill the city, there is nothing quite like indulging in a creamy cup of eggnog or an aromatic sip of mulled wine sangria. The tradition of Christmas drinks dates back to the medieval ages, when midwinter festivals brought communities together to foster camaraderie and combat the chill.
While the Romans in the medieval ages preferred warming wines with spices, nowadays, Gen Z prefers ordering cinnamon-spiced lattes, reflecting the timeless traditions of Christmas drinks.
With the rise of crafted cocktail bars and do-it-yourself drinks, the cocktail landscape has evolved into a vibrant one, featuring a colourful array of beverages, from espresso martinis to gingerbread sours, which embrace modern creations along with honouring past traditions. Here’s a list of best cocktails for spreading the Christmas cheer.
Not Your Usual Jingle Bells
Ingredients
Dates coffee infused syrup - 30 ml
Whiskey- 50ml
Hazelnut froth ( garnish)
Magical Spoon( garnish)
Preparations: Combine 50 ml of Whiskey and 30 ml of dates coffee-infused syrup in a shaker. Shake well to blend. Strain into a glass and garnish with hazelnut froth and add a magical spoon.
Buon Natale
Ingredients
White rum - 45ml
Lime juice - 15 ml
Sugar syrup - 10 ml
Orgeat syrup - 15 ml
Pineapple juice - 60 ml
Banana and smoked litchi froth(for garnish)
Preparations: Combine white rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, orgeat syrup, and pineapple juice in a shaker. Shake well, strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with banana and smoked litchi froth for a tropical, smoky finish.
Christmas Butter Beer
Ingredients
White Rum- 20ml
Caramel Syrup- 15ml
Vodka - 20ml
Egg White - 1ml
Toit Beer Hefeweizen - 200ml
Vanilla Syrup- 15 ml
Preparations: Combine white rum, vodka, caramel syrup, vanilla syrup, and egg white in a shaker. Shake well without ice for froth, then strain into a chilled glass. Top with Toit Hefeweizen beer, gently stir, and serve.
Recipe credit: the Yard, Doddanekundi
Dragon Cocktail
Dragon fruit slices - 2
Agave spirit - 20 ml
White wine - 120ml
Red Merlot wine - 30ml
Five spiced maple syrup - 10ml
Preparations: Add dragon fruit slices, agave spirit, white wine and red Merlot wine as well as five spiced maple syrup into the saucepan, and boil it slowly. Serve with spices and slice of dragon fruit in an old fashioned glass.
Classic Mulled Wine
Ingredients
Mandarin orange slices - 30ml
Indian spices - 2 bar spoons
Wine spirit - 30ml
Red wine - 120ml
Preparations: Add orange slices, Indian spices, wine spirit, and red wine into the saucepan, boil it slowly and stir. Serve the mulled wine in an Irish mug and garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange slices.
Recipe credit: Manoj Alphonse, Beverage Head at Bellona hospitality
Eleven Elves
Ingredients
Dates-infused bourbon - 60 ml
Mulled wine - 90 ml
Lime juice - 15 ml
Preparations: Combine dates-infused bourbon, mulled wine, and lime juice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a brandy balloon glass without ice. Garnish with date leather and a cinnamon stick.
Drunken Reindeer
Gin- 60 ml
Home-made berry Christmas syrup- 22.5 ml
Select bitter-15 ml
Lime juice- 15ml
Vegan foam- 4 drops
Preparations: Combine gin, homemade berry Christmas syrup, select bitters, and lime juice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a coupe glass without ice. Top with vegan foam and garnish with printed rice paper.
Recipe credit: Copitas at Four Seasons Hotel
Gingerbread Sour
Ingredients
Bourbon whisky-60ml
Gingerbread syrup -30ml
Lime juice -20ml
Roasted pineapple juice -60ml
Preparations: Combine bourbon, gingerbread syrup, lime juice, and roasted pineapple juice together. Shake well with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass.
Sweet & Sour Fruit Punch
Ingredients
Cranberry juice: 1 cup
Orange juice: 1/4 cup
Apple juice: 1/4 cup
Pineapple juice: 1/4 cup
Ginger ale or Sprite: As needed
Vodka: 1/4 cup (adjust as desired)
Jalapeños: 2 (Can use green chilies)
Salt: 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon stick: 1
Star anise: 3-4 pods
Cloves: 2-3
Sugar and salt: To rim the glass
Ice cubes
Fresh cranberries: To garnish
Sprigs of rosemary: To garnish
Preparations: In a large jar, combine cranberry juice, orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Stir well. In a mixer, crush chilies with salt. Add it to the juice blend and stir. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes. Refrigerate until it’s chilled. Before serving, rim the edges of the glasses with a mix of sugar and salt. Add ice cubes to each glass. Pour 1/4 cup vodka into the glass. Top with 1/2 cup of fruit punch. Add a splash of ginger ale or Sprite. Decorate with sprigs of rosemary and fresh cranberries for a festive and aromatic presentation.
Recipe credit: Surekha Rajesh
Santa’s Lil Helper
Ingredients
Tequila -60ml
Lime-20ml
Santa syrup 30ml ( in-house syrup contains Pomegranate, cranberry and all spices )
Egg white - Optional
Preparations: Combine tequila, lime juice and Santa syrup , shake well with ice, and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Recipe credit: Harry Simon Peter, Beverage Manager at Sanchez
– Curated by Ritika Sarkar