Top 10: Festive Cocktails You Need to Drink This WeekendBy Alicia Grimshaw
I We’re getting in the Christmas spirit (literally) by drinking all the spiced, fruity and chocolatey cocktails. Here are ten festive tipples you need to try this weekend. Happy sipping, London:
1. For a Coffee Cocktail: London Cocktail Club
What: Bump ‘n’ Grind – Stolichnaya Salted Karamel Premium Vodka, Coffee Liqueur and Vanilla Gomme
Why: London Cocktail Club are experts in pushing the alcoholic beverage boundaries. Their cocktail list has a wide selection of classics – expresso martinis, long island ice teas and mojitos among others. The bump ‘n’ grind cocktail is their latest offering to the menu, a combination of Stolichnaya Salted Karamel Premium Vodka mixed with vanilla gomme and topped with more coffee.
Price: £9.50
Where: Locations here
2. For a Quirky Cocktail: Duck & Waffle
What: Three Wise Men – Cognac, Truffled Dark Chocolate, Frankincense, Myrrh and Hay
Why: Rich Woods is at the top of the cocktail game. He’s the head of spirit and cocktail development at Duck and Waffle and Sushi Samba, and in 2014 he claimed first place in the UK and Ireland Bombay Sapphire’s ‘World’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition’. His latest cocktail is by no means ordinary with a combination of distilled dark chocolate and hay with cognac. It’s a bold drink, but by gosh, is it good.
Price: £14
Where: Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
3. For a Boozy Hot Chocolate: Hot Booze Hoxton
What: Chocolate Salty Booze – Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate with Dark Rum, Fresh Cream and Salty Sprinkles
Why: Hot Booze is a ew pop-up bar specialising in grown-up hot drinks. As well as the classics – mulled wine, spiced cider and boozy coffees, they’ve created a menu of original, delicious and unusual hot cocktails to suit every chilly palette. The salted caramel hot chocolate is made from scratch, with a generous splash of dark rum added for a boozy kick.
Price: £7
Where: 93 Kingsland Road, Hoxton, E2 8AG
4. For a Warm Cocktail: The Distillery
What: The Hottie Holiday
Why: Exclusively for the holiday season, expert mixologists at The Distillery have created three new festive cocktails including The Hottie Holiday served warm with a candy cane garnish and made from Jameson Irish Whiskey shaken with Milk, Wine Port and a home-made Christmas syrup using fresh ingredients from neighbouring Borough Market.
Price: £10
Where: Hilton London Bankside, 2-8 Suffolk Street, London SE1 0UG
What: Mulled Wine
Why: Aubaine are getting into the festive spirit by serving their own take on the much loved mulled wine. Favouring white wine over the traditional red, the chaps down at Aubaine also throw in oranges, lemons, cinnamon, star anise and cloves.
Price: £4.50
Where: Locations here
5. For a Potent Cocktail: Perkin Reveller
What: Angels Kiss – Tia Maria Coffee Liquor and Double Cream
Why: Overlooking the Thames on the historic Tower Wharf at the Tower of London, the Perkin Reveller provides not only excellent views, but cocktails to match. They’ve added four new Christmas cocktails to the menu, with our favourite the Angels Kiss – a strong helping of Tia Maria coffee liquor with layered double cream and topped with coco powder. Knock back a couple of these beauties and you’ll end up crawling home.
Price: £9
Where: The Wharf at The Tower of London, EC3N 4AB
6. For a Nutty Cocktail: Charlotte’s W4
What: Castatnet – Baron de Sigognac 10Yr Armagnac, Chestnut Purée and Crème De Noisette
Why: Tom, cocktail connoisseur at Charlotte’s W4 has been busy in the kitchen making, baking and creating different syrups and purees to use in his festive cocktails. His latest castatnet cocktail is a sour style cocktail made with Baron de Sigognac 10Yr Armagnac, shaken with dry oaky Oloroso sherry, creme de noisette, along with the earthy chestnut purée, egg yolk, and finished with spiced sticky honey and fresh lemon.
Price: £8.50
Where: 6 Turnham Green Terrace, London W4 1QP
7. For a Fizzy Cocktail: Foundation
What: Fizzmas Cracker – G.H. Mumm Champagne, Muddle Mandarin and Raspberries
Why: The creative geniuses who brought you the Crème Egg Mojito have added another sparkler to their collection. Forget Christmas crackers, all you need to crack into at your table is the Fizzmas Cracker. A clever concoction that would make Mrs. Claus blush, the Fizzmas Cracker, a Christmassy combination of G.H. Mumm Champagne, muddled mandarin, raspberries, and topped with a dash of cinnamon syrup. Nom.
Price: £8.50
Where: 5 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA
8. For a Classic Cocktail: Nola
What: The Yuletide
Why: Nola is a cocktail bar which takes influence from the culture and rich history of New Orleans, Louisiana. The bar serves quality interpretations of classic New Orleans libations; as well as daring new ventures with their signature cocktails and Hurricanes menu. The Yuletide cocktail brings together a range of different spirits – Noix St Jean, Amontillado Sherry and Bulleit Rye. Orange bitters and Abbots Bitters are added for a sweet citrus zing.
Price: £9.50
Where: 68 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3AY
9. For a Sophisticated Cocktail: Coq d’Argent
What: Alpine Sour – Hennessy Fine Cognac, Apricot Brandy, Lemon Juice and Aromatic Bitters
Why: Following the success of last year’s Lodge d’Argent winter pop up, City restaurant Coq d’Argent has once again created a magical Alpine themed winter wonderland. The bar has been transformed into a cosy chalet, complete with rustic wooden chalet walls, vintage skis, animal horns and cosy knits. Come for the Alpine Sour, a heavenly mix of Hennessy Fine Cognac, apricot brandy, lemon juice and aromatic bitters.
Price: £12
Where: No.1 Poultry, London, EC2R 8EJ
10. For a Berry Cocktail: Rudie’s
What: Berries Hammond – Appleton VX rum and Crushed Berries
Why: This Christmas, Rudie’s in Dalston is putting a Jamaican twist on the festive season. Adding an extra punch to your Christmas feast, Rudie’s has concocted their seasonal ruby red Jamaican, and aptly named, Berries Hammond cocktail – an enchanting mix of yummy crushed berries, Appleton VX Rum and dusting of icing sugar.
Price: £8.50
Where: 50 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 7XB
