Put a twist to holiday parties with these easy-to-do Christmas cocktails

Posted at 1:10 pm December 20, 2011

Tags: Alcoholic Beverages, Bars, Beverages

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By Nikka Garriga

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN—A celebration is never complete without cocktail drinks that best compliment the roundup of stories and holiday traditions of gift-giving and family bonding.

And if you’ve got your own bar loaded with sparkling wines and liquors, you can add a little more kick to the usual holiday booze with these quick cocktail fixes.

Santa Shot. The term “small but terrible” is probably what best describes this drink since a shot leaves quite a woozy after-effect.

According to Mario Gatmaitan, Food and Beverage Manager of the Boracay Garden Resort, the Santa Shot is most recommended as an appetizer and also goes well with pika-pika.

Ingredients:

1 part Grenadine Syrup

1 part Green Crème de Menthe

1 part Jagermeister

Layer all ingredients using the smaller end of a jigger. Turn a teaspoon over and place it on top of the shot glass while pouring the three parts in. This way, you’ll get that perfect maroon-green-red layering of the Santa Shot.

Red Christmas. This particular beverage is a hit among the ladies and wine fans since the ingredients used are not too heavy in terms of alcohol content. “The sparkling wine makes it a really light, refreshing cocktail drink and is best served either before or after dinner,” Gatmaitan says.

Ingredients:

1/2 part Cointreau

90 ml. cranberry juice

60 ml. sparkling wine

Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice in a champagne flute then add the sparkling wine. For best results, chill the flute for about 15 to 30 minutes before mixing all the ingredients.

Snowball. This cocktail drink is common among the Europeans as the go-to winter beverage and will remind you of chilled version of cappuccino with alcohol.

Ingredients:

1 part Tequila Rose Liqueur

1/2 part Kahlua

3 drops vanilla syrup

30 ml. evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients with ice and blend until it turns smooth with a hint of frappe on top. Pour them on a brandy snifter and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.You can also top the Snowball with cherries on the side and/or chocolate sticks for a more appetizing look.

When making your own holiday drinks, Gatmaitan says it helps to have an idea of your guests’ preference to determine just how much alcohol should be served.

“The good thing about making or improvising your own drinks is that you have control over what you can offer. You can reduce the kick by lessening the amount particularly those liquors with high alcohol content,” he advises.

And, of course, get the most out of the holiday feasts by remembering to drink in moderation.

(The Santa Shot, Red Christmas and Snowball are signature holiday beverages also offered at the bar of the Boracay Garden Resort.)

Get more information on Boracay Garden Resort