Warm your cockles with these cosy winter cocktails

By Aimee Townsend

Turn up the fire and grab your favourite book, it’s time to ignore the winter weather and get cosy next to the tree with one of my festive winter warmers. Christmas might look a little different this year with significantly less parties and sequins but even though there may not be any guests to dazzle, you can still enjoy a festive tipple (or two) to make the season merry.

Candy Cane Vodka Shots

Ingredients

1 Bottle of your favourite Vodka

1 Packet of Peppermint Candy Canes

1 Sprinkling of Sugar to garnish

Instructions

Find a large empty bottle or container and pour in your desired amount of Vodka. Crush up about ¾ of the Candy Canes (more if you’ve used a bigger bottle of Vodka) and add them to the bottle. Leave for a few hours or overnight to infuse. Wet the rim on the shot glass using a lemon or water and dip into the sugar to garnish, pour in vodka and enjoy.

Mulled Cider

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 litre Dry Cider

60ml Rum

250ml Ginger Tea

40g Brown Sugar

2 Clementines or Satsumas

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Bay Leaves

4 Cloves

Instructions

Pour the Cider, Rum and Herbal Tea into a pan, add the sugar and put over a low heat to mull. Halve the clementines and stick a clove into each half then add to the pan. Break cinnamon sticks in half then add to the pan, add in the bay leaves and leave to infuse as the pan comes to the boil. Once near boiling turn the heat down so it remains warm and ladle into heatproof glasses to serve. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Cranberry Gin Fizz

Ingredients (serves 4)

125 ml Gin

250 ml Cranberry Juice

500 ml Tonic Water

Frozen berries to garnish

Ice

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a shaker and pour over ice.

Festive Holiday Punch (non-alcoholic)

Ingredients (serves 5-6)

500ml cranberry juice

250ml of orange juice

1/2 bottle of sparkling apple or ginger ale

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients in a large punch bowl and serve with a ladle.