Mouthwatering Christmas Cocktails

Edinburgh’s top style bar chain is helping festive revellers enjoy some seasonal spirit by launching a range of fun and unique cocktails, all inspired by scents and tastes of Christmas.

The award-winning Montpeliers (Edinburgh) Group, whose portfolio includes Tigerlily, Lulu, Opal Lounge, ricks, Indigo (yard), Assembly, Montpeliers of Bruntsfield and Candy Bar, has created a collection of luscious cocktails that are guaranteed to perk up any Christmas night out.

The lists have been devised by Scotland’s award-winning bartenders and can easily be replicated at home when throwing your own Christmas Party.

Standard and unusual spirits, combined with traditional festive elements such as thyme, cranberries and even Christmas pudding, have been used to create the likes of Sticky Fig, Christmas Thyme and Christmas Pudding Batida.

Jamie MacDonald, head bartender at Tigerlily, said: “Our bartenders have tried to evoke all the Christmassy smells and tastes in this range as well as adding a bit of glitter and sparkle with the inclusion of some champagne-based cocktails.

“This year our cocktails are very seasonal with rich, warm, and comforting flavours. For example Moët’s Red Nose, which blends Campari, Cinzano Rosso, Plymouth gin and Moët & Chandon Champagne, or Nuts About Christmas: Skyy vodka, Frangelico and fresh blueberries.

“We base our cocktails on traditional favourites but with the addition of a few extra ingredients, this can take a drink onto another level. A perfect example
of this is the Moscow Mule - a classic cocktail that can take on a whole new flavour just by adding a few different spirits. This year we have devised the Cherry Spiced Mule which by adding Cherry Marnier, Morgans Spiced Rum, lime juice, bitters and ginger beer has given this cocktail a whole new taste sensation.

“Everyone enjoys a drink at Christmas and people tend to be more adventurous in their tastes over the festive season which is why cocktails are always the most popular choice at this time of year, rivalling champagne, spirits and beers.”

Here are some of the best tipples on offer:

rick’s cocktail list:

Date & Apple Mai Tai – Date infused Appleton VX, apple juice, Crème d’Abricot, Grand Marnier, fresh lime & Old Fashioned Bitters.

Cherry Myrrh – Bowmore 12 year old, Cherry Marnier, apple juice, heather honey and egg white.

Old Fashioned Winter – Auchentoshan 3 Wood, Drambuie, Old Fashioned Bitters, orange.

Sticky Fig – Bacardi 8 year old, Cherry Marnier, cranberry, vanilla gomme, fresh lime, egg white and fresh fig.

Christmas Thyme – Jack Daniels Single Barrel, pear, thyme, lemon juice & Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial N.V.

Sloe Mule – Plymouth Sloe Gin, Campari, lime, ginger beer & blackberries.

Christmas Pudding Batida – Sagatiba Vehla, Christmas pudding & fresh lime.

Holly Berry – Grand Marnier, Cariel vodka, blackberries, Crème de Mure & lemon.

Candy Bar’s cocktail list:

Santa’s Been – Bacardi 8 year old rum, Courvoisier V.S.O.P & full cream milk.

Christmas Affair – Bombay Sapphire gin, Cockburn’s port & orange bitters.

Le Grand Present – Grand Marnier, hot chocolate & whipping cream.

Basil Me’ Goose – Grey goose vodka, fresh lemon & basil leaves.

Nuts About Christmas – Skyy vodka, Francelico & fresh blueberries.

Moët’s Red Nose – Campari, Cinzano Rosso, Plymouth gin & Moët & Chandon champagne.

Not your Average Bow-Tie – Bowmore 12yo whisky, orange bitters & sugar.

After Hours – Auchentoshan 3 wood whisky, crème de cacao dark, single cream & mint.

Opal Lounge cocktail list:

Stollen Mule – Amaretto, Cariel vodka, Cinzano Rosso, lemon juice & Angostura Bitters.

Wu Xiang Mulled Wine – Red wine, Cherry Marnier, sugar, Chinese 5-spice & orange.

Vixen Royale – Plymouth Sloe Gin, Chambord & Moët & Chandon Rosé.

Princes Gift – Drambuie, lemon juice, Angostura Bitters, blackberries & ginger.

Edwardian Bellini – Jack Daniels Single Barrel, pear purée, lemon juice, Xanté & Moët & Chandon Champagne.

Old Fashioned Christmas – Woodford Reserve, Plymouth Sloe Gin & orange marmalade.

Opal Christmas Flip – Auchentoshan 10yr, Grand Marnier, Mozart Black Chocolate Liqueur & Goldschlager.

Montpeliers of Bruntsfield cocktail list:

Festini – Absolut Mandarin, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice, fresh lime, orange bitters.

Snowflake – Bacardi 8yo, vanilla schnapps, Moët & Chandon Champagne & mint.

Carol Slinger – Bombay Sapphire gin, Cherry Marnier, fresh lemon & soda.

Five Gold Rings – Remy martin, Apple Schnapps, fresh lemon juice & apple wedge.

34th Street – Absolut Vanilia, Crème de Cacao White & chocolate spiral.

Hollytini – Plymouth gin, Noilly Prat, Crème de Menthe.

Yule Mule – Skyy Vodka, ginger beer, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice & bitters.

Indigo (yard’s) cocktail list:

Hot Toddy – Bowmore Whisky, cinnamon gomme, honey, cloves and nutmeg (served hot).

Spiced Dram – Morgans Spiced Rum, Drambuie, pear, vanilla gomme and bitters (served hot).

Chocolate Orange – Woodford Reserve, Baileys, Cointreau and orange bitters.

Cherry Spiced Mule – Cherry Marnier, Morgans Spiced Rum, lime juice, bitters and ginger beer.

Rum and Raisin Punch – Bacardi 8yo, sugar, orange bitters and apple juice.

Mint Chocolate Crunch – Cariel vodka, Baileys, Mozart white chocolate liqueur & mint.

Cherry Sling – Cherry Marnier, mint, lemon and Moët & Chandon champagne.

Festini – Finlandia Cranberry, Cointreau, Crème de Mure, pineapple and Moët & Chandon champagne.

Tigerlily’s Cocktail List

Sloppy Joe’s - Rich citrus notes from Grand Marnier combined with dark fruits of the LBV Port, Bacardi Oro & pineapple juice shaken with some Cuban flairs.

Vanilla Cobbler - Skyy Vanilla vodka, Cherry Marnier, sweetened cream.

Old Thymer - Jim Beam 8yr Bourbon gently married with fresh thyme, heather honey & bitters.

Clover Club - Plymouth gin, raspberry syrup & fresh lemon shaken with a sharp upper lip.

Rum Coco - Mount Gay Xo Rum, Black chocolate liqueur & espresso enhanced with Noilly Rouge and Kahlua.