Festive cocktails

We love the ham, roast beef, rice and gungo peas, and not to mention the cake. When you think of your Christmas dinner your palates leap for joy. However, on the most celebrated of holidays, you cannot forget the beverages because what is a celebration without a good drink? So we solicited the expertise of Chef Noel Cunningham to give us a few recipes that should be a hit for your holiday get-togethers' as well as Christmas dinners.

Homemade Spiced Eggnog

Let the Christmas catch you in a good mood with this simple home-made eggnog. It is rich and creamy with the right flavour to get you grooving to your favourite Christmas tune.

Ingredients

12 egg yolks

3 cups milk

11/2 cups sugar

3tsp vanilla

2tsp grated nutmeg

rum, optional

Directions

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg in a large bowl.

2. Gradually add milk and sugar to the egg mixture until it has thickened slightly.

3. Set your burner on the lowest possible setting and heat your ingredients in a pan until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient!

4. Next add vanilla essence, rum if used and a teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

5. Serve with heavy cream on top and a sprinkle of fresh grated nutmeg.

Sorrel and Ginger Drink

A popular drink during this time of the year and of course should be served in every house. This is one of my favourite drink!

Ingredients:

2lb sorrel

12 whole cloves

ginger, smashed

10-12 cups water

1 orange peel

11/2 cups sugar (or more to taste. Granulated will give a better colour.)

1/4 cup rum (or more, to your taste)

Directions:

1. In a non-corrosive pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil with ginger, orange peel and cloves, then add the sorrel.

2. Stir continuously while the mixture boils for two minutes. Turn off the stove and leave to steep overnight.

3. Sweeten with granulated sugar then strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a jar and refrigerate. (Discard the spices left in the sieve).

Sorrel and Ginger Mojito

Take your regular sorrel recipe up a notch by adding some lime wedges, extra rum, mint leaves and a splash of soda water to get your holiday party on the way.

Ingredients

2oz rum

6oz sorrel juice (sweetened)

1 Lime (cut in wedge)

8 mint leaves

Splash of soda water

Direction

Muddle mint and lime together until the leaves are finely chopped. Pour in rum and sorrel, roll in a shaker and pour into rock glass garnish with fresh limes and mint.

Jingle Bell

The fuzzy flavours of this quick and easy cocktail is all you need this holiday.

Ingredients

1oz grenadine syrup

crushed ice

4oz ginger beer

4oz Lemonade

2oz Vodka

1/2 pomegranate

1 sprig rosemary for garnish

1 lime wedge for garnish

Directions

Add grenadine syrup to glass, then add crushed ice half way up then pomegranate and fill glass with remaining ice. Then pour on ginger beer and lemonade and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a wedge of lime.

White Chocolate and Peppermint Surprise

Get the perfect flavours of Christmas all in one glass with this rich and creamy white chocolate and peppermint surprise.

Ingredients

milk

chocolate syrup

2oz white chocolate liqueur

2oz white rum

3 Mint candy, crushed for garnish

Chocolate syrup for garnishing the inside of the glass (optional)

Small peppermint stick for garnish (optional)

8 ice cubes

Directions

1. Coat glass rim in chocolate syrup, then roll into crushed mints and put aside.

2. Blend together on high speed; milk, chocolate syrup, ice cubes, liqueur and rum then pour into prepared glass and serve with crush mints on top.

Chef Noel Cunningham

Website: www.chefnoelcunningham.com

Instagram and twitter: @iamchefcunny

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamchefcunny