Classic snowball

You need

• 10-15ml lime juice or lime cordial
• 50ml advocaat
• 50ml sparkling lemonade
• ice
• 1 maraschino cherry to garnish 

Method 

Fill a glass with ice and add the lime juice or lime cordial. Pour the advocaat and lemonade over the ice and stir gently until the outside of the glass feels cold. Garnish with the maraschino cherry.

Chocolate eggnog

Chocolate eggnog. Photo: Shutterstock

You need

• 4 egg yolks 
• 150g caster sugar
• 500ml whole milk
• ¼ nutmeg, grated, plus extra to serve
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 300ml double cream
• 100ml bourbon

Method

Beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and thick. Warm the milk and nutmeg in a pan over a low heat until simmering. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the hot milk mixture, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Pour some of the chocolate milk mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking. Add a third of the milk and whisk again, then repeat twice more until all the milk is incorporated.

Pour the eggnog into a pan and add the double cream. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until thickened slightly. Add the bourbon, chill until cold, then pour into glasses and top with grated nutmeg to serve.

Mulled beer

You need

• 1 litre golden or honey ale
• 200ml apple juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 star anise5 cloves
• 6 tbsp light brown soft sugar
• 1 orange, sliced
• 50ml brandy

Method

Put the ale, apple juice, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, light brown soft sugar and orange into a pan set over a medium heat and warm through until steaming. Taste and add more brown sugar if you like. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy, then serve in mugs.

Gluhwein

You need

• 1 orange, halved and sliced
• 1 bottle red wine
• 200g caster sugar
• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 3 slices fresh ginger (peeled)
• 150ml brandy, rum, amaretto or schnapps

Method

Put the orange slices, wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and ginger in a large pan. Warm gently for 10 minutes. Add the alcohol, pour into glasses and serve warm.

Cranberry gin fizz

Cranberry gin fizz. Photo: Shutterstock

You need

• 150g caster sugar
• 300g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 200-400ml gin of your choice 
• 1.5 litres soda water
• 1 orange, cut into slices
• Ice cubes

Method

Put the sugar and 150ml water into a saucepan over a low heat and heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to medium-low and add the cranberries. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Leave to cool, then blitz to a smooth purée using a hand blender. To serve, spoon 1 tbsp of the cranberry purée into each glass, stir in a single or double measure of the gin and top up with the soda water. Garnish each glass with an orange slice and add a few ice cubes. 

Classic champagne cocktail

You need

• 1 sugar cube
• ¼ tsp Angostura bitters
• 10ml cognac
• 75ml cold champagne
• Orange peel

Method

Put the sugar cube on a small dish and drizzle with the bitters, turning a few times so it’s fully coated. Drop the cube into a champagne flute, then top up with the cognac. Slowly pour over the champagne. Twist the orange peel over to express the oils, then discard or loop around the stem of the glass.