If you’re anything like this, menu planning for the festive period starts early. As soon as the trick-or-treat sweets are polished off, we’re in Christmas prep mode. For us, Christmas cocktails are as key to the menu as the dishes themselves, and we usually plan a drink for each course.
Here are a few of our favourite Christmas cocktail recipes, with some perfect pairing ideas.
Good Tidings Club
50ml Festive Edition – Manchester Gin
7.5ml Dry Vermouth
7.5ml Rose Vermouth
7.5ml Lemon Juice
5ml Cherry Heering
1 x Egg White / 1 x Dash Foamer
Shake and double strain into coupe
Pair with: Warm mince pie and plenty of clotted cream
Ode to Joy Martini
50ml Festive Edition – Manchester Gin
7.5ml PX Sherry
15ml Dry Vermouth
2 x Dash bitters
Stir over ice and Strain into a Nic & Nora
Garnish with flamed orange
Pair with: Blue cheese and crackers
One Eyed Rebel Colada
50ml One-Eyed Rebel Spiced Rum
50ml Pineapple Juice
20ml Fresh Lime Juice
20ml Orange and Cassia Coconut Cream
20ml Orange Juice
15ml Dandelion & Burdock Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice. Fine strain into a large stemmed tumbler either neat or over ice.
Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Pair with: Key lime pie
Tonka Espresso Martini
50ml Manchester Spirit Tonka Vodka
15ml Coffee Liqueur
30ml Espresso
10ml Gomme
All ingredients to a shaker with ice. Wet shake (with ice), then dry shake (without ice) and fine strain into a martini glass.
Garnish: Coffee beans. The wet/dry shake will give you a velvety foam to sit the coffee beans onto.
Pair with: Baked Camembert
Coffee Godfather
40ml Manchester Spirit Coffee Vodka
40ml Irish Whiskey
20ml Amaretto
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a tumbler and serve over ice.
Garnish: Orange peel
Pair with: Chicken parfait, melba toast and plum chutney
Let us know your favourite festive drinks, and be sure to follow along on Instagram, where we’ll be releasing details of our annual Christmas Cocktails competition soon! Better at drinking cocktails than making them? Visit Three Little Words this festive season, our cosy cocktail bar in the heart of Manchester.