Hangover blues beat the bulge at Christmas

Research released today by Coca-Cola Great Britain reveals that nearly one third of women (27%) in Britain claim that getting a hangover, not gaining extra pounds, is the worst thing about drinking too much at Christmas time.

Their male counterparts (22%) also confirmed that ‘who ate all the pies’ is less of a worry when a throbbing post party headache and festive hangover is on its way!

Other usual suspects continuing to get the blame from the booze blues include dozing off in front of the TV, feeling too unwell to eat Christmas dinner, family arguments and making a pass at someone you shouldn’t! So, if you’ve ever been guilty of any of these festive felonies then Coca-Cola Great Britain has just the remedy for you.

Julia Davidson, resident nutritionist from Coca-Cola Great Britain said:

“These results show that people are tired of overdoing it during the festive season and want to banish the hangover blues. Try pacing your evening with soft drinks – they not only taste great on their own, but can provide the perfect key ingredient for a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail.”

Coca-Cola Great Britain has enlisted top London bartender, Andy Pearson from Roast to create a range of delicious and festive non-alcoholic cocktails using drinks from the Coca-Cola Company.

He says: “Coca-Cola Great Britain offers a wide range of soft drinks suitable for drinking on their own or mixed as part of a cocktail this Christmas. The company has something for everyone - whether it’s a pure fruit juice such as ‘Minute Maid’, a still fruit drink like ‘Oasis’ or a low sugar option for those watching the calories.

“Here are my ideas for a breather from alcohol this Christmas – there’s no need to compromise on flavour, non-alcoholic cocktails taste just as good as the real thing.”

Gentle Collins
A ‘Collins’ is usually a long drink featuring a spirit, a citrus juice, a sweetener and a sparkling ingredient. This is the gentler non-alcoholic version to spruce up your Christmas brunch.

Ingredients:
8 fresh grapefruit chunks
1 tsp honey
5ml ginger syrup
Top up with ‘Schweppes Straightcut’ Grapefruit & Mandarin

Method:
Crush the grapefruit and honey, add the ginger syrup and top up with ‘Schweppes Straightcut’ Grapefruit & Mandarin. Serve in a sling glass.

Responsible Passion
A combination of luxurious passionfruit and mango makes this a festive fruity little number.

Ingredients:
10 fresh mango chunks
1 fresh passionfruit
1 tsp caster sugar
50ml ‘Five Alive’ Citrus Burst
25ml ‘Five Alive’ Tropical Hit

Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass.

62nd Cosmo
Based on the classic cosmopolitan cocktail, this is a simple yet tasty creation guaranteed to bring extra glamour to your Christmas celebration.

Ingredients:
1 orange wedge
1 lime wedge
½ tsp caster sugar
75ml ‘Minute Maid’ Red Grape & Raspberry Juice Drink
Orange spiral

Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange spiral.

Spice Grove
The spiciness of this cocktail evokes memories of fragrant Christmas foods and would be the perfect accompaniment with mince pies.

Ingredients:
5 apricots
150ml ‘Minute Maid’ Orange Juice
3cm fresh ginger, grated

Method:
Take out the apricot stones, crush the apricots in a cocktail shaker. Add the ginger and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a highball glass.

Fruit Burst
A heady combination of strawberries and basil makes this a deliciously fresh and fruity cocktail, perfect as an alternative aperitif.

Ingredients:
6 fresh strawberries
1.5 basil leaves
2.5ml lemon juice
150ml ‘Oasis’ Summer Fruits

Method:
Crush 5 strawberries and basil in a cocktail shaker. Add the ‘Oasis’ Summer Fruits, shake and strain into a martini glass. Make a cut in a strawberry, put a basil leaf inside and place on the rim of the martini glass to garnish.

*The survey was conducted by BMRB on behalf on Coca-Cola Great Britain among 1,015 adults between 15th – 18th November.