In many ways, the run up to Christmas is even better than the big day itself. OK, so you can’t legitimately stay in your pyjamas till lunchtime, but, at the same time, you don’t have sprouts to peel or distant relatives to dodge, either. One of the absolute best aspects of the pre-Christmas days and weeks is that no excuse is required for throwing a drinks party, other than its proximity to December the twenty-fifth. A party for close friends – why not? For work colleagues – sure! For people-you-play-squash-with-on-Wednesdays – what time?
The tree’s up, Alexa is playing festive tunes, and the pigs-in-blankets are ready to go – all that’s left to figure out is what’s on the drinks menu?
Champagne Cocktail
Fizz should probably make an appearance at some point. You can go all out on Prosecco, or you can lean into the party vibe with a Buck’s Fizz (added orange juice), Bellini (peach nectar) or classic Champagne Cocktail (sugar cube and a dash of bitters).
Clementine Margarita
You can’t go wrong with a Margarita. Although no one will judge you too harshly if you decide to go all out with a festive-flavours spin. At Edmunds, we take this classic cocktail to the next level with a little fragrant Kumquat liqueur but you can shake things up at home by adding clementine juice to the tequila/ Triple Sec/ lime juice combo.
Snowball
This 1970s retro crowd-pleaser is making a welcome comeback to the festive bar menu – rightly so –and is ridiculously easy to make. Simply pour equal quantities of advocaat and lemonade over ice in a highball glass before garnishing with a maraschino cherry. Up the sophistication quotient by switching lemonade for sparkling wine.
Sloe Gin Fizz
If your tastes run to hedgerow flavours in winter, a Collins-style cocktail made with sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, served over ice and topped with soda water, is just the ticket. Take the effort out of preparing one by ordering a ready-to-drink Edmunds Chambord Bramble.
Amaretto Sour
There’s something intrinsically Christmassy about an Amaretto Sour – which is the only reason you need to add it to your bar menu. Ours is made with Disaronno Originale and fresh lemon juice (roughly 2:1 ratio) to make a wonderfully rich, almondy*, yet fresh-tasting aperitif that everyone will want a sip of.
*Oddly enough, almonds are not among the seventeen herbs and fruits in Disaronno Originale, although there are apricot kernels!
