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Mulled Wine

and festive cocktails with added spice

SERVES 10-12

How to make mulled wine

Ingredients

100g whole blanched almonds | 1 x 75cl bottle red wine | 250ml vodka | 100ml ruby port | 7 green cardamom pods | Fresh orange peel | 100g caster sugar

Method

Soak the almonds in boiled water for 10 minutes. Slice into thin slivers lengthways, dry roast for 7 minutes then leave to cool while you prepare the mulled wine. Put everything in a large pan on a low heat for 30 minutes - don't let it come to the boil. Garnish with toasted almonds and extra orange.

Instant wow factor

A super-simple way to take plain spirits and mixers out of the ordinary is to freeze individual garnishes into ice cubes. All it takes is just a little preparation beforehand. The perfect drink to serve them with is a gin-based cocktail, which really gives the ice cubes a chance to shine.

Take inspiration from the botanical makeup of the gin: go for classic lemon or lime slices with your Gordons or Tanqueray, rosemary with Gin Mare, cucumber for your Hendrick's, apple slices for Caorunn, and cardamom pods with No.3 London Dry Gin.

SERVES 1

Cranberry Whisky Sour

Ingredients

40ml Scotch Whisky | 20ml lemon juice | 10ml sugar syrup | ½ tbsp cranberry sauce | ½ egg white | Sprig of rosemary, to garnish

Method

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake (without ice), then add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with rosemary

SERVES 1

Long Winter Negroni

Ingredients

1 orange | 25ml gin, plus a little extra for flaming | 25ml Campari | 25ml Martini Rosso | 50ml cranberry juice | 50ml ginger beer | Ice cubes | Buy or make mini pavlova

Method

Using a vegetable peeler, take some slices of zest from the washed orange. Be careful not to take too much pith. Add to the cocktail shaker with the gin, Campari and Martini Rosso, and a few ice cubes. Leave for a minute or two to chill, then add the cranberry juice and ginger beer and stir. To serve pour into a martini glass, filtering out the ice. Top with a pavlova. Pour a little extra gin into a small pan and heat. Light with a match or a blow torch and pour over the drink.

Our favourites for Christmas