Mince Pie Sazerac

The final Advent Sunday cocktail is a sazerac with a twist – the dried fruit flavour of our mince pie cognac and sweet sherry:

Christmas Corpse Reviver #1

Photo courtesy of Jason Swihart, some rights reserved.

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for ‘rejoice’.  I’m choosing to rejoice in a Corpse Reviver #1.

Now this is a drink that is a long way from its more popular cousin, #2:  No citrus, no absinthe and instead, what is effectively a brandy-based Mannhattan with a Calvados twist and no time for bitters.

So there’s no call for bitters, and there’s no spritz of absinthe, so this leaves us with a seriously hard-hitting drink that’s going to punch the corpse back into life.

Believed to have been invented at The Ritz, Paris in the 1920s, Harry Craddock described this one as “to be taken before 11am, or whenever steam and energy are needed”, but, trust me, it is equally good later in the day:

1. Add 30ml mince pie cognac, 30ml Calvados and 30ml sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with cubed ice.
2. Stir for sixty seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Mince Pie and Sidecar

The second Sunday in Advent is upon us!  Another landmark on the path of expectant waiting and preparation; and another night for a warming mince pie cognac treat.

This week I’ve gone for a festive twist on the Sidecar as the orange and lemon of the brandy-based classic seem to be a good accompaniment to the candied peel and currants of the infused cognac.

1. Add 40ml mince pie cognac, 20ml triple sec and 20ml fresh lemon juice to a shaker of ice.
2. Shake well and strain into a chilled coupe.
3. Garnish with a reindeer napkin, Santa peg and a fox (what else?)

Christmas Champagne Cocktail

(c) 2010 Fox.  All rights reserved.  

If you’re like us here at House of Bourbon HQ, right now you’re spending Advent Sunday sat by the fire, basking in the glow of your Christmas tree, listening to some Christmas music and wrapping presents or Christmas shopping (depending on your level of organisation).

If so, you need just the right drink to celebrate having Christmas totally under control, and nothing says celebration quite like the Champagne Cocktail – especially given this festive twist.  That’s right, this is the first of our Advent Sunday drinks making use of the mince pie cognac we made earlier this week:

1. Sploosh a dash of bitters on a sugar cube and drop into a chilled champagne flute.
2. Add 10ml mince pie cognac and then fill the glass with chilled champagne.

Serve and smile. What do you mean it’s just us?