Christmas Cocktails

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I love Christmas, I am one of those people that can't wait to put up my tree, I hang Christmas lights (that kind of stay up all year, or until they stop working) and  it's just a fun time of the year. You get to spend time with your family, feeling grateful for all that you have been blessed with.

It's summer in Australia at Christmas so we need a few cold refreshments to help us celebrate during the festivities.

Here I have a few of my favourite Christmas cocktails. Hope you love them as much as we do.

Holly Daze

This ones fun, and really nice to drink. Originally we made this with whipped cream, but we prefer it with ice cream.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml vodka
20ml banana liqueur
20ml midori
vanilla ice cream
ice

Shake the vodka, banana liqueur, midori and ice in a cocktail shaker. 

Place a scoop of ice cream into a cocktail glass of your choice, I like the one pictured. 

Strain the vodka mix over the ice cream.

Enjoy!
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Christmas Party on the Beach

Here is one of my favourite cocktails. It is beautiful-to look at and to drink. Very refreshing, lovely to drink on a hot summers day.

Here is how you make it: 

Serve 1

30ml vodka
30ml peach schnapps
1 dash grenadine
150ml orange juice
Ice
Shake vodka, schnapps, juice and ice in a cocktail shaker.

Pour grenadine in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the mixture on top carefully.

Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't have a cocktail shaker (or can't find it like me), just make it all straight in your glass, works beautifully both ways. And I really never strain it, as I love sucking on ice cubes, and I love my cocktails really cold.

Enjoy!
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Santa's Strawberry Sensation

This is a simple one, it has a touch of elegance to it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8
​
450g strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon icing sugar
160ml vodka
1 bottle of sparkling wine
crushed ice

Blend strawberries and icing sugar in a blender until pureed. Pass through a fine sieve. Cover and chill.

Half fill champagne glasses with crushed ice. Divide chilled strawberry puree among the flutes. Top each with 1 tablespoon of vodka and fill with sparkling wine.

Enjoy!
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Prancer's Punch

We tried this one with soda water the first time we made as per recipe, but felt it needed some sweetness so changed the recipe to top it with lemonade instead. We enjoyed this one.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml light rum
60ml dark rum
30ml lime juice
1/4 teaspoon triple sec
dash grenadine
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
top up with lemonade

Combine all ingredients except lemonade in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass half filled with crushed ice. Top up with lemonade, to taste.

​Enjoy!
​

Mistletoe Margarita

You can't go wrong with a margarita and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

40ml tequila
20ml grand marnier
20ml lime juice

Shake all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Spread salt onto a sheet of baking paper or on a plate. Using the limes that you squeezed, rub a little lime onto the rim of your glass, dip the rim of the glass into the salt .

Strain into your salt rimmed cocktail glass. 

​Enjoy!
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Santa's Boozy Watermelon Slushy

Now this cocktail is not only easy to make, but it is good. This is refreshing and just the perfect party drink in summer. It really is a festive Christmas cocktail.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 2-4, depends on glass size

1kg piece seedless watermelon, chilled
½ cup orange-flavoured liqueur
1 tablespoon grenadine
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 cups crushed ice
Small watermelon wedges, to serve
Lime wedge, to serve
​
Method 1-No Pulp: Cut rind from watermelon and discard. Chop watermelon into pieces. You need 600g (about 4 cups). Place in a blender. Blend until pureed. Strain through a sieve into a large jug to give 2 cups watermelon juice. Discard pulp. 

Add liqueur, grenadine and lime juice to watermelon puree. Stir well.
​
Just before serving, place 1 cup crushed ice in each glass (1 cup-capacity) Divide watermelon mixture over the ice. Decorate with small wedges of watermelon.
​

Method 2: With Pulp: Cut rind from watermelon and discard. Chop watermelon into pieces. You need 600g (about 4 cups). Place in a blender. Blend until pureed.

Add liqueur, grenadine and lime juice and ice to watermelon puree. Blend until the ice is crushed.

​Divide watermelon mixture into your serving glasses. Decorate with small wedges of watermelon and lime.
​
Enjoy!
​

White Christmas

So easy, two ingredients and a blender. This is so refreshing.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8

1 litre passionfruit sorbet
750ml prosecco

Place half the sorbet and half of the prosecco in a blender and blitz until combined. Pour into 4 champagne flutes. Repeat with remaining sorbet and prosecco.

Enjoy!

North Pole Iceberg

I really love this one, one of my favourites.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

30ml cointreau
30ml gin
1/4 lime, juiced
sparkling wine
Blue curacao
1 cup ice

Blend cointreau, gin, lime juice and ice in a blender. Pour into chilled glass. Top with sparkling wine and drizzle with blue curacao.

​Enjoy!
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Cracker Cosmo

We really liked this one, easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 2

10ml Citron Vodka
20ml Vodka
30ml Cointreau
60ml Cranberry Juice
1 lime wedge
1 cup ice

Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lime.

Enjoy!
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Watermelon Wonderland

A lovely summer Christmas Cocktail.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 8

​125ml white rum
60ml triple sec
500g watermelon (peeled & chopped)
1 teaspoon grenadine
ice

Blend all ingredients except ice until smooth. Divide the ice among glasses. Pour watermelon mixture over ice cubes. Garnish with a watermelon slice.

Enjoy!
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Mistletoe Mojito

A classic, an absolute favourite of mine.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml light rum
1 lime, juiced
2-4 sprigs of mint
2 teaspoons caster sugar
soda water
ice

Lightly muddle the mint & sugar with a splash of soda with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze the lime into the glass, add rum and shake with ice. Strain over cracked ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with mint.

Enjoy!
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Salty Reindeer

​To be honest, this isn't my favourite, I would prefer sugar on the rim, but then it would be a sweet reindeer, not a salty one. It was still good, just not a favourite.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

​60ml gin
grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
lime
ice

Dip a lime moistened glass rim into salt. Pour gin over ice in glass. Fill with grapefruit juice to taste. Garnish with a slice of lime.

​Enjoy!
​

The Grinch

This is a fun one. It's Christmas, there's always a grinch.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
40ml lemon vodka
30ml melon liqueur
40ml sweet and sour mix
20ml lime cordial
lemonade
soda water
ice

Mix all ingredients except lemonade and soda water. Strain into a glass with a couple of ice cubes and fill with equal parts lemonade and soda water. Garnish with a lemon circle.

Enjoy!
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Mrs Claus' Margarita

This was fabulous, we loved it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
30ml tequila
15ml cointreau
30ml fresh lime juice
30ml bottled pineapple juice
4 fresh mint leaves
1 cup ice cubes

Combine ingredients in jug of a blender, blend on high speed until well combined. Pour mixture into a salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a small wedge of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!
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North Pole Iced Tea

This one we loved and it such a beautiful blue colour.

This is how you make it:

Serves 1

​20ml gin
20ml vodka
20ml white rum
20ml cointreau
20ml blue curacao
lemonade
ice

Build in a highball glass, add ice to glass. Add gin, vodka, white rum, cointreau and blue curacao, fill with lemonade. Serve with a wedge of lime.

​Enjoy!

Christmas Cranberry Crush

This is so good, a alcohol based slushy, divine. It is very refreshing, very easy to sip on, and perfect for a warm Australian Christmas.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 6 

250ml vodka
250ml cranberry juice
200ml cold sugar syrup
6 large limes, juiced

In a large jug add the vodka, cranberry juice, sugar syrup and lime juice, mix well.

Pour into a large container, cover and freeze overnight.

Once frozen, stir and spoon into glasses.

Serve with a wedge of lime.
​
Enjoy!
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Frosty's Frozen Daiquiri

I love frozen cocktails, they are just perfect on a hot summers day, and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

45ml Bacardi
30ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
2 cups of ice

Pour all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Pour into your serving glass.

Garnish with a lemon circle.
​
Enjoy!

Star Strawberry Daiquiri

We love daiquiri's in our house, and this one is delicious.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
60ml white rum
30ml strawberry liqueur or creme de fraises
30ml lemon juice
ice (crushed)
4 strawberries

Pour the rum, strawberry liqueur, lemon juice, strawberries and ice into a blender. Process for 20 seconds till ice is completely crushed. Pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with a strawberry.

Enjoy!
​

Elves Eggnog-Rompope

I love eggnog, it is absolutely delicious, and I will be making this again and again and again. I love the rum in it, I love the cinnamon on top, I love that it is cold, it's great for a hot Australian Christmas.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 4-6

5 cups full cream milk
1 ½ cups caster sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
10 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup white rum
Pinch of ground cinnamon

I​n a 3-4 litre saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and cinnamon stick. Place over a medium-low fire, stirring often, heat until it comes to a full boil. Turn off heat and remove the cinnamon stick.

Immediately, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly, add the hot milk, whisking rapidly at the same time, until all the liquid has been incorporated.

Place the mixture back into the pan and return to the stove over very low heat. Stirring frequently, continue cooking, not boiling, for another 5 minutes. Make sure that at this point it does not boil, because it will curdle.

Remove from the stove and let it cool. Add the vanilla and rum and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator overnight and serve in your favorite holiday glass, sprinkle the top with the ground cinnamon.
​
Enjoy!
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Happy Hurricane

This is the colour of Christmas in a glass. 

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1
​
45ml dark rum
45ml light rum
30ml passionfruit syrup
45ml orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon grenadine
ice

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange circle and cherry.

​Enjoy!

Pink Snowball

This one we had instead of dessert after dinner. It is so good.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1
​
40ml licor 43 (cuarenta y tres)
20ml kahlua
fresh strawberries, about 4
vanilla ice cream, about 2 scoops

Mix licor 43, kahlua, strawberries and ice cream in blender until smooth and serve. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

​Enjoy!

Merry Berry Beauty

This is delicious.
Super easy and quick to throw together, this Christmas Cocktail is a great way to start a party.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8-10

Ice
500ml Vodka
900ml Lemonade
900ml Raspberry and Cranberry juice
Fresh mixed berries
​
Chill all ingredients in advance.
Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl.
Add fruit.
​Serve over ice.

Enjoy!

Gin-gle Bells Sparkling Punch

This is a great summer party drink and as Christmas is in summer for us, this is a great Christmas Party drink. It's so easy to throw together and looks so festive.

Here is how you make it: 
​
Serves 10

​125g punnet raspberries
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 cup dry gin
750ml bottle sparkling crisp apple juice, chilled
375ml can lemonade, chilled
750ml bottle sparkling rose wine, chilled

Berry Ice Cubes:
250g punnet strawberries, hulled
600ml bottle raspberry flavoured soft drink
​
To make berry ice cubes, cut strawberries into quarters. Divide half the strawberries among two x 12-hole ice cube trays. Fill with raspberry soft drink. Freeze. Reserve remaining strawberries in a covered container in the fridge. 

Up to 1 hour before serving, combine raspberries, lime, gin, apple juice and reserved strawberries in a large serving jug. Cover and refrigerate to chill.

Just before serving, add lemonade, rose and berry ice-cubes. Serve immediately. 
​
Enjoy!
​

Frosty's Frappe

I love coffee, I love Baileys. So I love this. So if you are like me, this is such a beautiful cocktail, you need to try it

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

80ml Baileys
80-120ml milk
1 cup ice cubes
1 tablespoon instant coffee
Chocolate topping (optional)

Place the baileys, milk, ice cubes and coffee in a blender, blitz until almost smooth.

If using chocolate topping, swirl it around the rim of your glass.

Pour in the Baileys mix.
​
Enjoy!
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Blitzen Bliss

This ones easy to drink, we loved it.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 9

250ml vodka
2 tablespoons lime juice
Angostura bitters
1 litre guava juice
1 litre dry ginger ale
1/4 cup mint leaves
ice

Mix vodka and guava juice, refrigerate until needed. When serving add dry ginger ale, lime juice, 5-6 drops of bitters, mint leaves and ice cubes.

Enjoy!
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Christmas Party Punch

We really loved this one, a great party drink. Original recipe said champagne, any sparkling wine you like to drink will work, and as I couldn't find tropical soft drink, I used tropical juice.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 20

375ml vodka
125ml malibu
750ml prosecco
250ml apple juice
500ml tropical juice
1.25ml lemonade
variety of fruits

Chill all ingredients in advance. Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Add fresh fruit and serve.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Pina Colada

This is a classic and is a great summer cocktail, drinking this always makes you feel like your on holidays.​

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

1 cup ice cubes
30ml white rum
30ml dark rum
80ml pineapple juice
20ml sugar syrup
40ml coconut cream
Dash of angostura bitters
Garnish:
Pineapple pieces and leaves
Cocktail umbrellas or frangipani flowers

In a cocktail shaker place the ice cubes, white rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, sugar syrup, coconut cream and angostura bitters. Close the lid and shake, shake, shake. Until mixed well.

Pour into your glass, add some more ice cubes if you like. Garnish with pineapple pieces and leaves.

Festive Fizz

This one my husband liked, as he does like his rakija, me and my daughter, not so much.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml slivovitz (plum brandy)
15ml lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
soda water

Blend all ingredients except the soda in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass and top up with soda.

Enjoy!
​

Santa Sling
​
This one was good to, not my absolute favourite, but would definitely make it again next Christmas.​ We originally made one with soda water, them decided to make the second one with lemonade, as we thought it needed some sweetness.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml gin
30ml cherry brandy
30ml lemon juice
soda water or lemonade
ice

Combine all ingredients except soda in a glass half filled with ice. Stir and top up with soda water or lemonade, to taste. Garnish with lemon and cherry.

Enjoy!
​

Happy Holidays

This one is fun, both in colour and in drinking it. Will definitely be having this again.​

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml white rum
30ml blue curacao
20ml coconut cream
pineapple juice
ice

Blend rum, curacao and coconut cream in a blender, to combine. Pour into a glass with ice, fill with pineapple juice. Garnish with a pineapple slice.

Enjoy!
​

Christmas Eve Sunset

This one looked pretty, was it my favourite, no, but would have it again next Christmas Eve.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml tequila
30ml banana liqueur
7ml blue curacao
ice

Mix tequila and banana liqueur in mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into glass. Drop blue curacao through the centre of cocktail to achieve a two tone effect.

Enjoy!
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Christmas Day Sunrise

A classic, it always tastes good.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 1

60ml tequila
orange juice
dash of grenadine
ice

Put ice in a highball glass. Add the tequila and then orange juice. Top with a dash of grenadine. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Enjoy!
​

Sweet and Sour Season

This is easy to drink, festive.

This is how you make it:

Serves 1

20ml vodka
20ml midori
lemonade
cranberry juice
ice

Build over ice in a highball glass. First Midori, then vodka, then fill with equal parts lemonade and cranberry juice.

​Enjoy!

Santa's Spritzer Slushy

Think aperol spritz, but in a slushy form, and better. This is delicious. You do need to make the slushy in advance, which is great for parties, as it frees you up on the party day.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 8-10

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 4 to 6 oranges)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
1/3 cup sugar 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
2 cups bitter orange liqueur, such as Aperol 
1 x 750ml bottle prosecco

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Warm over medium heat to just below a simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the liqueur. Set aside to cool completely.
​
Pour into an 20cm baking dish and freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
​
Scrape the surface of the frozen mixture with a fork to form large shards of ice. Spoon about 1/2 cup into champagne coupe or any glass you like and top with prosecco.

Enjoy!

Santa's Screwdriver

A classic, it always tastes good.

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

60ml vodka
Fresh orange juice
ice

Pour vodka over ice cubes in a highball glass. Top up with orange juice to taste. Garnish with an orange circle.

​Enjoy!

Merry Mulled Wine

This is more like a Christmas in July drink for us as our Christmas season is in middle of summer, but we love it, the flavours are delicious, you can taste the lemon and the orange and the cinnamon, so I added it for those that have a white Christmas.

Here is how you make it: 

Serves 10

2 litres (8 cups) red wine
750ml (3 cups) water
500g (2 cups) sugar, you can reduce this amount if you like
1 orange, cut into eighths
1 small lemon, cut into eighths
3 cinnamon sticks
​
Place all of the ingredients into a large saucepan. Place over a very low heat and stir for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. After that, keep heating the wine slowly until it is almost boiling, but do not allow it to boil. The longer it is left on the heat, the better it is.

​Then sip and enjoy all night long. 

Enjoy!
​

Elves Eggnog

I love eggnog, it is so good, and so easy to throw together, this version especially. 

Here is how you make it:

Serves 1

30ml dark rum
30ml brandy
15ml sugar syrup
1 egg
90ml milk
Ice

Pour rum, brandy, sugar syrup, egg and ice into a blender, blend for about 30 seconds, until frothy and mixed well.

Pour into serving glasses and top up with milk.

Enjoy!

Santa's Sugar Syrup

This is used in many cocktails, is easy to make. I store mine in the refrigerator.
​

Here is how you make it:

250ml white sugar
250ml cold water

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cold.
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Merry Christmas!