Leave A Special Festive Gin Out For Santa This Christmas

Leave A Special Festive Gin Out For Santa This Christmas

It's December and that means celebrations, festive sparkles, too much food and of course, plenty of drinks. Sick of mulled Wine? Hankering for something special? We can do better.

Whether you're hosting a party or treating yourself of an evening, here are some festive Gin drinks to wow your guests, and your taste buds.

Gin Hot Toddy

A winter classic, the Hot Toddy hails from Scotland and so is made with Whisky. Best known as a rumoured cure for the common cold, this one swaps Scotch for Gin, and you don't need to feel ill to drink it.

Drink it as a winter warmer but be warned, it's more boozy than it tastes!


Per serving:
- 50ml of a juniper forward Gin such as Sipsmith London Dry Gin or Hayman’s London Dry Gin
- 2 tsp honey
- Juice of half a lemon
- 75ml water
- Cinnamon stick to garnish

Warm all the ingredients slowly in a pan - it'll make your home smell amazing - until hot, but don't let it boil, then decant into glasses. Go for something with a handle for that traditional vibe, or some heavy based tumblers. Garnish with a thumb sized piece of lemon peel, twisted over the glass to release the oils in the skin, and a cinnamon stick.

Spiced Negroni

A festive twist on a classic, this is easy for anyone to make at home. Sure to please the purists, this recipe requires one tiny tweak to the usual ingredients, but it makes a huge impact. Plus, go nuts on the garnish to make this really special.

The inventor of the drink was Count Camillo Negroni, an Italian who became frustrated with the American tourists ordering what he deemed to be watery cocktails in the bars of Florence in the early 1900s - namely the Americano, a mix of Campari, sweet Vermouth and club soda - and decided to create his own, much stiffer version.

While the classic Negroni recipe may well be the easiest to make at home (one part Gin, one part Campari, one part sweet Vermouth), the perfect Negroni is different to everyone. This holiday season, make yours with a spiced Gin for something extra warming.


Per serving:
- 50ml Campari
- 50ml Sweet Vermouth (we like Cocchi, but you could also use Martini Rosso or something more special. Just make sure it's not too light or it'll disappear against the Gin)
- 50ml Spiced Gin such as Opihr Oriental Spiced London Dry Gin or Darnley’s Spiced Gin.

Chill the ingredients by adding them to a beaker or mixing glass with large cubed ice and stir with a bar spoon for 20 - 30 seconds. Strain into a short tumbler and add fresh ice (if you're really going for something that looks great and feels fabulous, add an ice ball). Garnish with a twist of orange peel and star anise.

Sloe Gin Fizz

What is the holiday season without some bubbles?! The beauty of this drink, is you can use whatever sparkling wine you prefer; Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or something else entirely. This is great for using up the rest of the bottle when you're just a bit sick of the same thing (it's a hard life, eh?)

Made with two types of Gin, this is a fabulously fresh drink with a slight fruity twist. Lip-smackingly good.


Per serving:
- 15ml London Dry Gin (use whatever you have in the cupboard)
- 15ml Sloe Gin (we particularly like Elephant Sloe Gin and 6 O’clock Sloe Gin)
- 15ml lemon juice
- Champagne, prosecco or cava, to top up
- Lemon twist to garnish

Which one do you like most? Let us know.


Cover image: Sipsmith Gin


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