Five Festive Cocktails

Today I made Five Festive Cocktails

Everybody knows the festive season is about eating and drinking too much. So if you're going to do it, you might as well do it it style ;) I love having fun, fruity, festive cocktails at family get together's. I made a collection of my favourites including; Hot Whiskey, Cosmopolitan, Black Russian, Cherry Screwdriver and a Mojito. Each Cocktail fits a different purpose and event. Like a Hot Whiskey after a long day out in the Cold Christmas Shopping. A Cosmopolitan for catching up with the girls. A Black Russian is perfect for those after an alcohol/caffeine buzz. A Cherry Screwdriver for a playful way of getting one of your 5 a day and a Mojito for a refreshing and fancy after dinner drink.

All good cocktails start with one vital ingredient.... Ice!! There are four different types of Ice. Cube, cracked, shaved and block/ball. Cubes are often used for basic mixing and shaking of drinks with juices or mixers. The larger the surface area of the cube, the slower it will melt, meaning less dilution of a drink - which is terribly important. Cracked ice is used for stirred cocktails. Crushed ice is  used in strong, stirred drinks like daiquiris. Block and ball ice are fairly large and melt slowly, so they're best used in punch bowls. Ball ice is basically a large block of ice that's been thrown into a special machine that rounds off the edges and turns it into a perfect sphere.

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 of Each)

For the Mojitos:

• 250mls Vodka
• 80mls "Wild About" Mint Syrup
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 140mls Club Soda
• 16 Ice-Cubes - Crushed
• 4 Wedges of Lime

Instructions:

1. Using a blender, crush the Ice and place into 4 Cocktail Glasses of choice, Filling right up to the top.

2. Fill a Cocktail shaker with Ice. Pour in Vodka, Mint Syrup and Lime Juice and shake vigorously - I love using Mint Syrup as I love the taste of Mojitos but I hate having the leaves in the glass as they always make their way up your straw at some point so this way you get the same great taste without the fear of eating leaves.

3. Pour mixture evenly into the four Cocktail glasses. Top each up with Club Soda. Place wedge of Lime on each glass to serve.

For the Cosmopolitans: 

• 125mls Vodka
• 125mls Gin
• 2 Drops of Orange Extract
• 80mls "Wild About" Raspberry Syrup
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 16 Ice-Cubes - Crushed
• 4 Wedges of Lime
• 4 Cherries
• Icing Sugar - To dust

Instructions:

1. Dust the top of each glass with Icing Sugar. Using a blender, crush the Ice and place into 4 Cosmopolitan Glasses, Filling right up to the top.

2. Fill a Cocktail shaker with Ice. Pour in Vodka, Gin, Orange Extract, Raspberry Syrup and Lime Juice and shake vigorously.

3. Pour mixture evenly into the four Cocktail glasses.  Place wedge of Lime on each glass to serve.

For the Black Russians:

• 125mls Vodka
• 125mls Tia Maria
• 60mls Chilled Coffee
• 160mls Cola
• 4 Wedges of Lemon - To Serve

Instructions: 

1. Fill a tall glass with Ice Cubes. Make a pot of percolated Coffee and leave to cool till chilled.

2. Fill a Cocktail Shaker with Ice. Pour in the Vodka, Tia Maria and Coffee and shake vigorously.

3. Pour into four tall glasses and top up with Cola. Finish the Cocktail with a wedge of Lemon. 

For the Cherry Screwdrivers:

• 200mls Vodka
• 200mls Orange Juice
• 8 Cherries
• 4 Wedges of Lime - To Serve

Instructions:

1. Place two Cherries into each Champagne Flute.

2. Pour 50mls of Vodka into each glass over the Cherries, the Cherries will flavour the Vodka. Pour the Orange Juice into the glass slowly so it stays on top of. 

3. Finish with a wedge of Lime on each glass.

For the Hot Whiskey:

• 280mls Jameson Whiskey 
• 400mls Boiling Water
• 4 Teaspoons Honey
• 4  Lemon Wedges 
• 4 Cocktail Sticks

Instructions:

1. Place a Teaspoon of Honey into each Whiskey Glass. Add a small amount of Boiling Water and stir to dissolve the Honey.

2. Add 70mls of Jameson to each Whiskey Glass and top up with Boiling Water while stirring continuously. 

3. Place the Cocktail Stick through the wedge of Lemon and place along the side of the Whiskey Glass - Which can be stirred through your drink as you drink.

"Take life with a grain of salt... a slice of lime, and a shot of tequila."