Think Christmas, think red? Add a punch of colour and flavours to your winter soirees with six red Christmas cocktail ideas that are sure to get you and your guests asking for yet another sip!
A few things are readily synonymous with the highly awaited time of the year, Christmas! Say, Santa Claus, sweet treats, stockings, a snowman, a Christmas tree, a trove of gifts, and of course, Santa hats. What binds these together is the colour red, which has become an inseparable part of the winter festivities. Bold, vivid and eye-catching — it’s always a good idea to splash some red in your Christmas soirees.
If you’re hosting your annual Christmas gathering at home, then it’s time to jazz up your preparations and make way for some cool colour therapy. And what other way to get the party going than sipping (or guzzling, you decide!) cocktails that are a visual treat imbued with hues of red and equally tantalising on the tongue!
Christmas cocktail: Camminata Nel Bosco
Literally translating to ‘walk in the woods’, Camminata Nel Bosco is a scintillating cocktail laced in bold hues of maroon. Straight from the spirited house of Cin Cin, where Italian fare meets fine drinks, this concoction is a robust revelation of flavours one sip at a time.
- When making this at home, mix and shake Jim Beam Bourbon and some thyme liqueur in a shaker and top it up with a berry shrub.
- Instagram: @cincinindia
Christmas cocktail: To the Beet
Hop on an adventurous trail of flavours with To the Beet, a radiant red cocktail that screams perfection in the way it is made and served. Ideal as a Christmas cocktail from the bar of Toast and Tonic, this drink exudes the exemplary taste notes of beetroot.
- Mix some roasted beetroot-infused Aberfeldy 12-year-old single malt, thyme, simple syrup and fresh lime squeeze and pour it into a coupe glass.
- Instagram: @toastandtonic
Christmas cocktail: SST Smoked Swirl & Tonic
A sophisticated yet buzzing spot in the heart of the city, take Christmas cocktail inspirations from the Middle Eastern lounge and bar Sette Mara in St. Regis Mumbai. A striking combination of aesthetics and flavours, SST: Smoked Swirl & Tonic is sure to take your holiday soirees a notch up.
- Assemble your trove of Bombay Sapphire gin, Campari and Tonic water and finish it with some cherry smoke. Crown the cocktail with an orange twist and rosemary, and serve!
- Instagram: @stregismumbai
Christmas cocktail: KTM
KTM can only make you think of the powerful, revving engines of the namesake bike? Think again. KTM, a drink from the speakeasy-style cocktail bar, PCO Delhi (Passcode Only), is a surprise in a glass. A ravishing tone of red, chilled, refreshing visuals and aptly dynamic, trying this cocktail at home can make you a star mixologist among your friends and family!
- Add some tequila and triple sec liqueur to a shaker along with black berries, mint, fresh lime and sugar. Give it a good shake and a fiery concoction all ready to be served.
- Instagram: @passcodeonly
Christmas cocktail: Santa vs Me
If it comes straight from the popular Japanese and Pan-Asian restaurant Taki Taki, then it is bound to be a guaranteed hit! A Christmas cocktail for every spirit lover, Santa vs Me is a playful spin to how you’d imagine your typical holiday evenings to be. Bensan Varghese, Corporate Beverage Manager, V & RO Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., tells us how to stir up this cocktail at home.
- Start with a fine pour of Prosecco and add to it hibiscus and red berries tea, fresh lime juice and cranberry reduction. Mix it nicely and top it with some berries or rosemary.
- Instagram: @takitakiindia
Christmas cocktail: O’ be Fab
O’ be Fab comes from one of the first ready-to-drink premium cocktail brands in India called O’Be Premium Cocktails. Add some vibrance and vivacity to your holiday gatherings at home with O’ be Fab, the brand’s own spin to the chic Cosmopolitan that comes bottled up and is all ready to serve and sip (chilled). Cosmos are as classic as it gets and make for a stylish drink to stir up for parties. What makes it is a good pour of vodka, triple sec, cranberry and a hint of lime.
Instagram @obecocktails
Read more:
One chef, one recipe: Ashish Bhasin makes spiced cranberry chicken shepherd’s pie
How did the traditional Christmas pudding find its way to India?