Whether you plan to turn up, or settle in this holiday season, we wanted to curate some festive cocktails to get you in the mood. These three cocktail recipes are sure to add some life to your office party, relieve the pressure from gift shopping, or even make Rudolph blush!
Winter Forest
First up, we have this seasonal take on the classic gin soda. Monica, our resident mixologist from our beloved Inglewood cocktail nights, incorporated notes of cranberry and ginger whilst keeping the spices of the winter gin the star of the show.
- 2 ounces Confluence Winter Spice Gin
- ½ ounce Cranberry Ginger Syrup (see recipe below)
- 6 ounces Limonata (Lemon Italian Soda)
- cranberries and rosemary sprig for garnish
- 1 large ice cube, or 2-3 medium
Add ice to glass, dose gin, Cranberry Ginger Syrup and top off with Limonata. Stir, creating an even ombre colour. Garnish with cranberries and Rosemary or greenery of choice.
Watch the tutorial on YouTube here.
Cranberry Ginger Syrup
- 25g peeled and cubed ginger root (about 1 inch)
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup water
Using a small pot, lightly simmer all ingredients for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve, and let syrup cool before use.
Yields 1 cup of syrup.
Dasher's Dram
Nelson, our very own reigning Canadian Coffee & Good Spirits Champion, was inspired by the classic Doc's Dram for his recipe. This is the perfect cocktail for cozying up next to the fireplace this holiday season.
- 1½ ounces Park Maple Rye
- ¾ ounces Confluence Winter Spice Gin
- ½ ounces Campari
- ¾ Lemon juice
- 1 Teaspoon apple butter
- 1 Dash Cardamom bitters
- 1 Apple fan
Shake all ingredients with ice, single strain into coupe glass. Garnish with cranberries and an apple fan.
Candy Cane White Russian (dairy free)
Monica incorporated oat milk to make this cocktail dairy-free, while still keeping it creamy and decadent.
- 1 ounce Confluence x Rosso Espresso Vodka
- ½ ounce Kahlua
- ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 whole candy cane
- 1 crushed candy cane for garnish
- 4 ounces Oatly
- 1 large ice cube, or 2 medium
Rim glass, first with maple syrup, then crushed candy canes. Fill glass halfway with ice. Dry shake (using a shaker with no ice) Confluence x Rosso Espresso Vodka and 1 candy cane for 30 seconds. Fine strain into glass. Top off with 4 oz of Oatly (shake well before using). Stir.
Tip: If you're making multiple cocktails, or would simply like more candy cane notes, you can infuse the vodka with candy cane pieces instead of dry shaking. Add 5 grams of broken candy canes for every 1 ounce of vodka. Let sit in a jar for 12 hours.
Try 'em out for yourself, and don't forget to tag us so we can see your creations! Also, a HUGE shoutout to our friends at Confluence and Park for inspiring these recipes.
