Amuseable Cocktails of Christmas

Each year, I host the Cocktails of Christmas for my family on all the nights I am back home leading up through Christmas morning. This year’s theme is Jellycats (past themes have included Taylor Swift Eras, Christmas songs, and Christmas movie characters). I spend a lot of time trying to pick the perfect recipes online which means admittedly we try them for the first time the night I make them. The only exception is the one cocktail that got voted back as the favorite from the previous year.

This year’s recipes include:

• Peach on Earth
• Orange You Merry (2024 winner!)
• Ornamentini (2023 winner)
• Winter Pear-fection
• Tira-Merry-Su Shots
• Berry Merry Bubbles

Peach on Earth

Ingredients:

• 2 oz peach puree or 1 oz peach syrup
• 3 oz ginger beer
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 squeeze of lime
• Garnish: mint leaves, peach slices, lime wedges

Instructions:

• Combine the ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, 1 Tablespoon of the peach syrup, and stir.
• Serve over ice. Add more syrup if desired.
• Garnish with peach slice, mint leaves, and lime wedge.

Orange You Merry

Ingredients:

• 1 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
• 3 oz orange juice
• 2 oz whiskey or bourbon
• ½ oz Cointreau
• ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• Ginger beer for topping
• Garnishes: cranberries, thyme, orange peel

Instructions:

• Add all ingredients except ginger beer to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
• Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into chilled glass.
• Top off with ginger beer and garnish with orange peel and fresh thyme (optional)

Ornamentini

Ingredients:

• 1 oz pomegranate juice
• 1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 oz citron vodka
• ½ oz Cointreau
• Pomegranate seeds or cranberries, for garnish
• Orange slice, for garnish
• Rosemary, for garnish
• Soda water to top

Instructions:

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add pomegranate juice, orange juice, citron vodka and cointreau. Shake for 30 seconds.
• Funnel into plastic ornament.
• Garnish with fresh cranberries, an orange slice and rosemary.
• Top with soda water once poured.

Winter Pear-fection

Ingredients:

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz spiced pear liqueur
• ½ oz pear juice
• ½ oz lemon juice
• Soda water to top
• Pear slice, thyme sprig, star anice for garnish

Instructions:

• In a shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, spiced pear liqueur, pear juice, and lemon juice.
• Strain the mixture into your prepared glass over fresh ice and top with soda water.
• Add pear slice, thyme, and a star anice for a festive touch.

Tira-Merry-Su Shots

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Kahlua
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 4 oz Baileys
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sprinkles (or cocoa powder)

Instructions:

• Divide Kahlua between glasses.
• Combine Baileys and heavy cream in a shaker and slowly pour over Kahlua.
• Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Berry Merry Bubbles

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup fresh cranberries
• 1 orange, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1½ cups pomegranate juice
• champagne

Instructions:

• Place fruit and rosemary into ice mold and add juice.
• Freeze overnight and add cubes to glass with poured champagne.