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Image / Editorial

Festive Cocktail Ideas To Try At Home This Christmas


By IMAGE
23rd Dec 2017
Festive Cocktail Ideas To Try At Home This Christmas

Marek Rozmarynowski, Fallon & Byrne’s resident cocktail fanatic, has some ideas…

I recommend looking at ways to jazz up your cocktails through the addition of delicate details, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel of the drink itself. There are so many simple ways to elevate any cocktail, these are some of my favourites:

Hibiscus flowers in syrup Add to your cocktail and watch it unfurl as it hits the liquid. It adds a delicate flavour and is very pretty to look at.

Edible flowers The Steenbergs range, stocked in Fallon & Byrne, includes cornflowers, marigolds, and orange blossoms, all of which can make lovely garnishes.

Coloured sugar and salt Instead of using white sugar or salt to coat the rim of your glass, why not add some colour? You could also have some fun with the rim for your margarita by using a coloured salt – pink Himalayan rock, blue Persian or red Hawaiian.

Dehydrated fruit Slices of dehydrated apple, orange or lemon look terrific nestling at the top of a Christmas cocktail. Freeze-dried berries are another simple way to garnish your drinks and add a little chill factor.

Liquid smoke Consider adding a teeny tiny amount of this to a whiskey or bourbon-based cocktail for an added flavour punch.

Consider dispensing with dessert proper and instead serving a fabulous dessert cocktail with some real wow factor. This also leaves room for cheese, allowing your guests to enjoy both a sweet and savoury end to their meal.

CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY MARTINI

Nothing says “party” like a signature cocktail, and Fallon & Byrne has created this one especially for IMAGE.

1  First, melt some chocolate and pour a small amount into a Martini glass. Place the glasses into the fridge to let the chocolate set and cool.

2  Dip some raspberries into the melted chocolate and place into the fridge to set. We like to dip just half of each raspberry, as it adds some colour to the drink.

3  Add 1.75 shots of raspberry-flavoured vodka and 1.25 shots of white cre?me de cacao to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well and double strain into your chilled Martini glass.

4  Spear the chocolate-covered raspberries onto a cocktail stick and garnish on the edge of the glass.