Christmas Punch And Snacks

Black Christmas

Description/Recipe

Black Christmas is my dark twist on the popular espresso martini, and today I’m using Willoe Gin, a Canadian woman-owned gin brand with blackberry and hibiscus in the botanicals. I’ve boosted the blackberry element of Willoe using blackcurrant cordial – shoutout to everyone who grew up with Ribena! – to complement the coffee. And yes, I’ve used instant coffee for this recipe because life is too short to be pulling espresso shots during holiday season! You could totally use decaf if you prefer. To decorate the side of your cocktail glass (possible demo of glass rimming), simply dab some Ribena on your glass and roll it in a plate of instant coffee. To go along with my dark/goth holiday vibe, I have these matched with Devils on Horseback (bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese) – one of my favourite classic cocktail party bites of all time. The dates and the blackberry flavours of this drink taste amazing together, as do the earthiness of the bacon and coffee.

Other Ingredients (Ingredients are also mentioned above)

• Ice
• Blackberries
• Bottle of Ribena
• Mint leaves
• Instant coffee

Supplies Needed

• Glass pitcher (doesn’t have to be that big)
• Two martini glasses/coupes
• Plate for rimming glasses
• Garnish toothpicks

Santa’s On Vacation

Description/Recipe

Santa’s On Vacation is non alcoholic and contains the yummy Zamalek from Montreal, inspired by the traditional Egyptian karkadé hibiscus tea. I’m using Zamalek’s Sparkling Hibiscus to form the fruity red base of my beautiful tropical / Caribbean inspired holiday punch. Caribbean friends watching this will know that Hibiscus is also known in some parts as Sorrel, a popular holiday drink. My remix of Sorrel punch forms gorgeous coloured layers as the hibiscus soda sits on top of my orange juice, honey, rosewater and ginger mixture. (possible demo of gently pouring hibiscus soda into pitcher) I would suggest doing this last part in the pitcher in front of guests, so they can see the full sunrise effect, before you mix and pour it into glasses. I’ve got this paired with Jamaican patties (cut into halves)– to me patties are the perfect shareable holiday appetizer and I get to support a local business that makes them fresh.

Other Ingredients (Ingredients are also mentioned above)

• Ice
• Orange juice
• Honey
• Rosewater
• Ginger

Supplies Needed

• Cocktail umbrellas
• Large glass pitcher
• Long spoon that fits inside
• Two tall Collins glasses
• Straws

Christmas Kalimotxo

Description/Recipe

Kalimotxo is a red wine and cola drink that you see in a lot of Spanish speaking countries like Argentina and Spain, and today I’ve got Catena Malbec from Argentina as the main ingredient of my drink, along with Zamalek’s Zam Cola. The beauty of kalimotxo is that you can adjust the wine or soda levels to your liking. Catena Malbec is really deep and smooth so I’m still going to let it be the star of the show by adding around just 1/3 cola. Today I’ve Christmafied our drink by adding a little snow peak to our glass along with some holiday spices on top (possible demo of dusting spices on whipped cream). You could also use something extra flavourful like my favourite, Dr Pepper if you wanted a fun variation on this classic drink. Since we’re in Argentina for wine, my holiday appetizer for Christmas Kalimotxo is grilled steak bites served with chimichurri, the herbs and garlic go perfectly with the red wine. And if you’re veggie, you could also use grilled paneer or tofu.

Other Ingredients (Ingredients are also mentioned above)

• Ice
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Clove

Note: the cinnamon, allspice and clove, are blended together!

Supplies Needed

• Mini sifter
• One wine glass
• Two rocks glasses
• Straws