Ten festive cocktails to try in London
Put the sickly-sweet mulled wine down and pick up one of these Christmassy cocktails instead.
Eggnog, Baileys, and good ol’ Champagne – there are plenty of drinks we associate with the Christmas period, but there’s always room for another.
This year, London bars are pulling out all the stops and creating festive cocktails perfect for the season. Here are 10 we can’t wait to try.
Kapara
OK, we said no mulled wine – but we meant no bad mulled wine. What about a mulled Malbec? Kapara in Soho is serving up a more considered take on the festive favourite, as well as a range of other winter serves. The Plum Darling is made with plum gin, jasmine-infused Noilly Prat and lemon, while the Chocolate and Orange blends brown butter-washed rum, chocolate and orange bitters, brown sugar and chocolate-orange crisp.
Bar Antoine, Four Seasons Park Lane
Forget a Christmas cocktail – Bar Antoine at the Four Seasons Park Lane has created a whole Christmas menu.
Titled the Noël Edition, highlights include the French Hills, which is made with Belvedere 10, yellow Chartreuse, vin jaune, mezcal, and ‘thé de Noël’ (Christmas tea, to you and me). If you’re hoping for a white Christmas, check out a festive twist on a Mai Tai, made with Eminente Ambar Claro rum, white cocoa, grapefruit, Lillet Blanc, orgeat, clarified milk and bitters.
Hot Toddy Terrace, The Brush East London Grand Café
The Brush East London Grand Café has opened a Hot Toddy Terrace with a menu dedicated to the warming drink. Riffs include the Elegant, which is made with Martell VSOP Cognac, honey, citrus and Telmont Brut Réserve Champagne, and the Smoked, featuring Ardbeg 10, agave, lemon and chamomile tea.
The K Bar, The Kensington
Whether it’s an advent calendar, edible decorations on the tree, or a tin of Quality Street, Christmas really is all about chocolate. The K Bar at the Kensington hotel has recognised that and created a tableside Chocolatini in honour of one of our favourite festive flavours.
The cocktail is made with Monkey 47 Gin, white and dark chocolate liqueurs, and chocolate bitters, and served in a Waterford Lismore Red Martini glass. You can enjoy it lounging by the bar’s Christmas tree, which is decked out in Waterford crystal baubles. Christmas pyjamas may be frowned upon, however.
The Alchemist
UK chain The Alchemist doesn’t do things by halves, and that, of course, goes for Christmas cocktails too. It has created three festive serves (gifts from the three wise men, perhaps?), including the Trifle, which is inspired by the traditional British dessert and features multiple layers of Ketel One Vodka, Sarti Sicilian Blood Orange Aperitif and tangerine jelly, topped with an Advocaat foam.
There’s also a cocktail inspired by one of the nation’s most polarising chocolates, the Bounty, and a playful twist on a chocolate orange.
The Rotunda Bar, Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge
Christmas with the whole family can be a struggle, and sometimes a hard drink is the only answer (but please drink responsibly). Your mother-in-law is nagging, your nephew is screaming, and the dog has eaten your grandpa’s new socks. A Martini will help – particularly one served tableside in a luxury hotel.
The Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge has taken this idea to heart, transforming its Rotunda bar into a frozen forest, with Martinis decorating its tree. Pick your perfect ratio, or opt for the Velvet Dirty Martini, which features Beluga Noble Vodka, Mozart White Chocolate, Rubis Chocolate Wine and gingerbread.
All Bar One
Absolut Vodka has partnered with All Bar One and a marshmallow brand to create a range of limited edition festive cocktails. The Berry Mallow Sour combines Absolut Citron, Absolut Raspberri, sour mix and raspberry syrup, and is topped with dark chocolate-covered raspberry marshmallows.
There’s also the Winter Mallow Margarita – a blend of Tequila, winterberry syrup and Maraschino cherries – and the Snowdrift Mallow Latte – which feature rum, Kahlúa and cold brew coffee.
Eve Bar by Adam Handing
Christmas is a time for overconsumption, which is – duh – quite bad for the planet. But you can help a little by opting for zero-waste venues, like the Frog by Adam Handling, which has a hidden underground cocktail space called Eve Bar.
Its festive offerings include the Merry & Bright, which blends London Dry Gin, cranberry and orange shrub, Aperol, AH Own Label, and London Essence soda, and the Yuletide Spirit, which is made with rye whiskey, pumpkin-spiced syrup, and pumpkin bitters.
Two Drops
Haters of sickly-sweet drinks, rejoice – Two Drops in Battersea Power Station has a Christmas cocktail for you. Its Mulled Negroni is a festive twist on the bitter classic, made with Downpour gin, Campari, Martini Rosso, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and dried orange.
And for those of you who aren’t averse to a sugar punch, check out the Clementine Rum Hot Chocolate, Irish Coffee and White Russian – all served alongside Two Drops’ signature toasties.
Mestizo
Have you ever had a Mexican Christmas? Well, now’s your chance to do so without stepping on a plane. Both of Mestizo’s bar/restaurants in Camden and Chelsea are offering the Mexican Christmas cocktail, which features Tequila Enemigo 55 Blanco, lime, agave, aquafaba and red wine, paying tribute to warm, nostalgic festive gatherings in Mexico.
There’s also the Let it Snow, featuring Tequila Enemigo 55 Blanco, grenadine, Coco López, pineapple and orange juice, for a ‘playful, colourful’ option reminiscent of Mexico’s sunshine.
You can also get two-for-one Frozen Margaritas on a Thursday – because Christmas should be about enjoying yourself, traditional flavours or not.
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