If you intend holding a drinks party over the next few weeks, a few cocktails will certainly add to proceedings. Buying individual cans of cocktails is one option (Marks & Spencer has the very tasty Marksologist range) but these can be quite pricey. Some drinks companies sell ready-made cocktails in larger servings – Craftcocktails.ie is a personal favourite. Given the time of year, you might want to offer a mulled wine, easy to make and always popular, but make your own using good spices and decent wine.
Making cocktails can be a time-consuming process, and you don’t want to keep your guests thirsty. Unless you have a willing and very able mixologist on hand who can create a cocktail in a few seconds, it might be a better idea to make large batches of a few cocktails ahead of time, refrigerate and serve in jugs or punch bowls. The three recipes today come courtesy of Irish Kitchen Cocktails, a very useful book by Oisín Davis (Nine Bean Rows).
His Fridge Door Cocktails take only a few minutes to make and produce 10-15 servings. The three below can all be made the day before and finished off when your guests arrive. Davis also has a great recipe for mulled apple and whiskey, a great alternative to mulled wine. For those not drinking alcohol, why not try a seasonal alcohol-free mulled wine.
