It’s feeling a lot like Christmas and after the year we’ve all had, cocktails are very much in order. These recipes come courtesy of West Country craft gin producers GinJar, and Hullabaloos Lemonades.
GinJar pride themselves on taking a different route to traditional gin companies. With “Refreshingly Twisted” as their mission statement, they distil their gin in small batches from British grain spirit and infuse it with botanicals including lime, chilli, elderflower and rhubarb & ginger. For more details of their range go to www.ginjar.co.uk.
Hullabaloos drinks are handmade in Somerset using traditional methods with No Baddies and No Bubbles. This means you can be assured there are no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives in any of our range. You will find that they taste great not only as a mixer but also as a refreshing soft drink. For more information and recipes check out www.hullabaloos.co.uk.
Now…on to the cocktails!
Raspberry Bellini
Why not start off your Christmas Day with this refreshing alternative to the traditional Bellini?
Fill a glass with half prosecco/champagne and half Hullabaloos Raspberry Lemonade. Serve chilled.
French 75
Or to get your Christmas day off to a refreshingly twisted start, why not try a French 75?
Ingredients
50ml Elderflower GinJar Gin
15ml fresh lemon juice
7.5ml simple sugar syrup
Sparkling wine, champagne, prosecco or cava
Ice (optional)
Combine gin, lemon juice and syrup in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled champagne glass (filled with ice if preferred). Top up with champagne and serve with a lemon twist.
Gin Mint Julip
While preparing lunch over the Christmas break, why not try a refreshing cocktail?
Ingredients
8 mint leaves
25ml sugar syrup
50ml of GinJar’s Lime Out
Crushed ice
Lime to garnish
Place mint leaves in a glass and lightly muddle to release the mint oil. Fill glass with crushed ice, pour gin and add more crushed ice to top, lightly swirl and finish with a lime wedge – enjoy.
Elderflower Collins
Maybe you’d prefer an easy to prepare classic?
Take 1 shot GinJar Chromosome 16 and top with Hullabaloos Elderflower Presse. Add plenty of ice.
Negroni
Just before eating, a Negroni is a great aperitif.
Ingredients
25ml GinJar’s Burnt Orange Gin
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
Ice
Orange to garnish
Pour the gin, vermouth and Campari into a cocktail shaker with ice and stir well (10-20 seconds). Strain into a tumbler and add one large piece of ice with a twist of orange to serve.
Moscow Mule
When you have eaten too much and after a little snooze, try a Moscow Mule to get the party feeling started.
Ingredients
50ml Ginjar’s Rhubarb and Ginger Gin
10ml lime juice
120ml ginger beer
Fresh mint sprigs
Muddle the mint and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, add the R&G gin and ginger beer. Pour in a hi-ball glass or copper mug filled with ice and stir gently.
Orange Russian
To finish off Christmas Day, Ginjar’s Burnt Orange makes a lovely Orange Russian.
Ingredients
20ml Burnt Orange GinJar Gin
15ml coffee liqueur
15ml triple sec, or similar orange liqueur
50ml cream
Fill a rocks glass (or small tumbler) with ice – the larger the cubes, the better. Add all your ingredients and stir until combined. Garnish with a fresh slice of orange and serve immediately.
