* In partnership with Isle of Wight Distillery & Bobby’s Dry Gin.
Whether you’re planning a small get-together or a bigger celebration over Christmas (covid restrictions permitting of course!) it’s good to have few go-to cocktail recipes in mind already. I love making quick and easy cocktails at home, especially now that restaurants and bars are closed here. Gin cocktails are my favourite and I thought I’d share with you two super easy and and impressive festive recipes that are bound to be crowd-pleasers.
F R E N C H 7 5 W I T H M E R M A I D G I N
French 75 is a classic gin cocktail that never lets you down. It’s quick and easy to make and doesn’t require too many ingredients. I like to mix mild, smooths gins with this cocktail as they complement the taste, rather than overpower it. Mermaid Gin is the perfect pairing with French 75 as it’s light and crisp. The bottle is absolutely gorgeous too which means it will look stunning on your drinks trolley or side table. Mermaid Gin is made at the Isle of Wight Distillery using fully recycled materials (including the cork and the seal). You can pair it with a tonic and cucumber, berries or lemons for a quick and easy drink. Of course if you really want to impress your guests this Christmas you can follow these simple steps to create the ultimate French 75 at home.
Recipe (single portion)
25 ml Mermaid Gin
1 tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp of sugar
Mix all three ingredients together in a cocktail shaker (with some ice).
Pour the gin mixture into a martini glass and top it off with your favourite sparkling wine.
O P T I O N A L S U G A R R I M !
Pour sugar onto a plate. Moisten the rim with a lemon slice and dip the glass in the sugar and twist few times. Voilà!
F E S T I V E A P P L E G I N C O C K T A I L W I T H B O B B Y ‘ S G I N
If you’re looking for a more Christmassy cocktail, this one will be a big hit with cocktail fans. My Festive Apple Gin Cocktail recipe was inspired by the wonderful Fuss Free Flavours Blog. Bobby’s Gin is ideal with this winter cocktail due to its unique blend of Indonesian spices and traditional botanicals. Spicy and fragrant on the nose, this gin will go well with most Christmas cocktails or simply garnished with a wedge of orange and a few cloves. Thanks to the beautiful Ikat pattern this gin bottle is probably one of the most stylish ones I’ve seen. It will look so chic on your bar cart that you won’t want to drink it (but you should of course).
Recipe (single portion)
25 ml Bobby’s Dry Gin
50 ml Sparkling Apple Juice
6 Cranberry Ice Cubes (see how to make them here)
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Slice of apple
1 Lime wedge
Pour the gin into the glass and top if off with sparkling apple juice. Add the ice cubes and all the other ingredients. It’s really that easy (although you will need to freeze the cranberry ice cubes the night before).
Happy cocktail making!
