The festive season is a time for Christmas cocktails (and mocktails for the drivers!) and having fun. Showcase your skills with these delicious festive drinks to help banish those dark nights.

Of course, Christmas isn’t Christmas without the smell of cinnamon and orange or a good mulled wine.  

Mulled Wine

100g Brown Sugar

1 Star Anise

1 Cinnamon Stick

4 Cloves

150ml water

2 clementines (thinly sliced)

1 lemon (thinly sliced)

150ml Cointreau

750ml Red Wine (handy for rescuing that not so good red!)

Twist of Orange and a star anise for decoration.

Place the sugar and star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves and water into a pot and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Simmer for a couple of minutes then leave to cool.  Decant to a jug.  Once cold, add lemon and clementines, Cointreau and wine.  Stir well, cover and place in the fridge.

Can be served either cold or warm.

Mulled Apple

This is a perfect winter afternoon pick me up as well as a part mocktail.

1ltr Apple Juice

Orange Peel Strips

1 Cinnamon Stick

3 Cloves

Sugar/Honey to taste

Add apple juice, orange, cinnamon and cloves to a pan and simmer for around 10 mins to infuse the flavours. Add sugar/honey to taste.

Serve with some orange peel and cinnamon for that festive touch.

As well as cinnamon and orange, you can’t have a Christmas Cocktail without fizz. Start the morning with some pizazz!

Amaretto Fizz

400ml Disaronno

600ml Orange Juice

2 Bottles of Sparkling Wine (75cl)

Strips and zest of an orange

Mix together in a jug Disaronno, orange juice and sparkling wine. Add orange zest and strips to each glass. Serve!

Orange and Cranberry Fizz

500ml Orange Juice

500ml Cranberry Juice

400ml Elderflower (Sparkling)

Mix together, in a jug, the fruit juices.  Add the elderflower and serve in tall, iced glasses.

Enjoy! 

While you're sipping your delicious festive drink, why not doing some last-minute Christmas shopping?

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