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Jeneral Holiday Tips: 3 Must-Try Cocktails For Holiday Cheer

My husband and I have had a decent amount of leftover wine, brandy and general alcohol bottles from our wedding laying around for a few months. From time to time, we get explorative and create nifty cocktail recipes and celebrate among ourselves. So much so that we’ve both deemed ourselves to be cocktail aficionados (at least in our minds). We even curated our wedding cocktail menu and provided recipes to our bartenders!

I am exceptionally fond of researching cocktail recipes that enhance the vibes of the season; Christmas especially. In effort to find the perfect Christmas cocktail, I have been scouring the internet (by internet I mean Pinterest) unabashedly and found a few winners.

Whip up the cranberries folks! Here are 3 Must-Try Cocktails that are sure to bring holiday cheer:

1.

Mulled White Wine

First up, mulled wine!

Ever heard of a Christmas scent? Well, you’re in for a treat with this one!
Trust me, nothing smells more festive than the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and honey.

I came across many variations of this recipe but decided to go ahead with a mix of my own. Martha Stewart advises choosing a white that’s not too acidic, so I went with Apothic White which is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Grigio. Not too acidic and full of flavour.

Ingredients – Serves 3

750 ml (1 bottle) white wine
1 cup of water
1 orange, sliced
– leave a few for garnishing
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp honey
5-6 cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
3-4 star anise (I found these at my local Asian grocer)

Directions

In a pot, over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Lower the heat, let wine slightly simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove from heat.
Serve warm.

Note: Adjust the amount of sugar to your needs; you may need less or more. This depends on both the wine you use and your personal taste.

2.

Cranberry Apple Sangria

Ingredients – Serves 3

750 ml (1 bottle) white wine
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1 cup apple cider
1 cup Seltzer water
1/2 cup whole cranberries
2 apples, diced and tossed with lemon juice
Sliced apples, for garnish

Directions

Add fresh fruit to a medium pitcher. Pour wine, cranberry juice, apple cider, and seltzer over the fruit.
Stir to combine.
Cover pitcher and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve with thin apple slices for garnish.

3.

Vanilla Cranberry Mimosas

Christmas brunch + Mimosa’s = DUH!!

Not much needs to be said about this easy 3 ingredient recipe. Just try it!

Ingredients – Serves 3

1 1/2 ounces of vanilla flavored vodka
1 1/2 ounces of cranberry juice
Champagne or Prosecco (I used Prosecco for this)
Fresh cranberries (for garnishing)
Whole Vanilla Beans

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, combine the vanilla vodka, cranberry juice and ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a champagne flute. Fill the glass to the top with sparkling wine. Garnish if desired.