If there was ever a reason to make deliciously indulgent cocktails, it’s silly season and the lead up to Christmas. It’s well known fact that Mudder Nation enjoys a celebration, so get your cocktail shaker at the ready and give our top festive Christmas cocktails a try.
SLOE GIN FIZZ
Treat yourself to a sloe gin fizz, made with sloe gin and lemon juice and topped up with sparkling water. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.
How to mix your own
- 50ml sloe gin
- 25ml lemon juice
- 2 tsp sugar syrup
- ice
- sparkling water
- lemon slice
- fresh or frozen blackberry
Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker and fill up with ice cubes. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold, then strain into a tall glass filled with more ice. Top up with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry. Enjoy.
HOT BUTTERED RUM
Try rounding off dinner with some hot buttered rum. Sweet and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s a warming treat for cold evenings.
How to mix your own
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 100ml dark rum
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cinnamon sticks, to serve
Combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, then gradually pour in the rum and melted butter, and stir together. Evenly divide the mixture between two small heatproof glasses. Top each with 100ml boiling water and stir well. Serve with a cinnamon stick to garnish.
ESPRESSO MARTINI
Rumour has it that this cocktail was originally created in 1983 by bartender Dick Bradshell for a famous model. Supposedly, she walked up to the bar and asked for something that would “wake her up, then f*** her up”. Much like our Mudder Nation, this cocktail is known for being sophisticated, edgy and unexpectedly strong.
How to mix your own
- 1 part Kahlúa or Tia Maria
- 1 part Vodka
- 1 part Espresso
- Plenty of Ice
Grab a cocktail shaker and add all the ingredients. Shake Shake Shake (yes, this does count as your arm workout for the day), then pour into and martini glass. Simple and delicious.
CLASSIC EGGNOG
Get into the festive spirit with eggnog, a classic Christmas drink made with brandy, cream, eggs and vanilla. Serve with plenty of ice in tumbler glasses.
How to mix your own
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
- 4 eggs, separated
- 100ml sugar syrup
- 100ml double cream
- 500ml whole milk
- 100-150ml brandy
- ice
For this Christmas in a mug drink, there’s two key steps. Step 1- Put the vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and sugar syrup, and beat with an electric whisk until pale, about 2-3 mins. Add the cream, milk and brandy, and beat again until just combined. Strain into a punch bowl.
Step 2- Clean the beaters, then beat the egg whites in a clean bowl to soft peaks. Fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the milk and cream mixture in the punch bowl, then add the remaining whipped egg whites. Gently fold these in until the eggnog is fluffy and smooth. Chill until ready to serve. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to a day. Just before serving, add plenty of ice, then stir gently and ladle into tumblers.
MUDSLIDE TIME
It wasn’t possible to end this list without mentioning mud. This Mudslide recipe definitely tastes nicer than the mud at our events so sit back, relax and enjoy.
How to mix your own
- 1 part Kahlúa
- 1 part Vodka
- 1 ½ parts Irish Cream Liqueur
- Plenty of ice
Grab that trusty cocktail shaker once again, add all the ingredients, then you know the drill. Shake Shake Shake. Pour over ice and garnish with an optional chocolate flake on top, we highly recommend this.
We hope you enjoy these tasty cocktail recipes but please remember to drink responsibly.
After taking on this adventure in cocktail, why not take it up a notch and join us for muddy adventure in the new year on a Tough Mudder course?
