Whether at a public bar or private party, the average drinker may not see the need for the abundance...
Cocktails You Can Give as Gifts
Jump to
Christmas is looming, and for the party-loving cocktail drinker, there is no better time
of year! But if you are not one of the most organized Christmas shoppers, then
December can also be a time of chaos and panic! Why not save yourself the
effort of browsing the shops for a mediocre gift and instead offer something
they will love, like a do-it-yourself cocktail jar?
In a large glass jar, you simply place the ingredients required for each cocktail. Here is a guide for some of the cocktails best suited to this gift idea, so you can pick the ones that will impress your loved ones?
Classic Manhattan
You can either pour your ingredients directly into an airtight jar, with directions for use on a tag around the neck of the bottle, or carefully portion your wet
ingredients into smaller bottles if you can find some, so that the recipient
can pour their own. The recipe for each Manhattan calls for 60ml whiskey
(preferably bourbon), 25ml dry vermouth and 2 dashes of angostura bitters.
Depending on the size of your jars, you could double, triple or quadruple the
ingredients as required so that they can enjoy more than one cocktail. Then
include one maraschino cherry for each cocktail you’ve created. On your
direction label, tell your cocktail drinker to pour all their ingredients into
a pitcher with ice and stir before straining into a glass and picking out a
cherry to garnish.
Bloody Mary
The ultimate hangover cure, this is the perfect Christmas gift that will help to dissolve the party hangovers! It does require a little bit of craftmanship to make it all work, however. You’ll need to make a spice mix, which contains 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce powder, 3 tbsp celery salt, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp ground mustard. Once combined, you’ll need three teaspoons of the mixture in a small ziplock bag and this will be your first ingredient in your Bloody Mary mix. You can then add a 150g (5.5oz) can or bottle of tomato juice – V8 is great if you can get it, as well as a 50ml vodka miniature and a mini Tabasco bottle. On the direction label, you should tell the recipient to add the spice mix, vodka and tomato juice to a glass with ice. Stir and then season with Tabasco to taste.
Baileys Hot Chocolate
A great choice for these cold winter’s nights, this is less of a cocktail and more of a
delicious dessert! It is also simple to construct: simply add 400g powdered
milk, 100g cocoa powder, 400g powdered sugar, 100g powdered coffee creamer and
a tsp of cornstarch and mix to combine together. Hang a miniature Bailey’s
bottle around the neck using twine and tell your gift recipient to simply add
warm milk and stir. Finish the jar with some marshmallows for the ultimate hot
chocolate design.
Pardon the interruption
Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.
There are lots of other cocktails that work great in jar format. Get creative and make
custom drinks for all the family!
Continue reading
The History of the Grasshopper Cocktail
Have you ever come across a cocktail as bright and glowing as the green, green Grasshopper? Made up of creme de cacao, creme de menthe, and good, old fashioned cream, this is a frothy, delightful blen... read more
The Travelling Cocktail Drinker: The Best Bars in Venice
After a day exploring the magical, historical city of Venice, you’ll be in need of some alcoholicrefreshment. Luckily, Venice is well prepared for the well-travelledcocktail-drinker, so you’ll have pl... read more
The Travelling Cocktail Drinker: The Best Bars in Buenos Aires
When you think of artisan cocktails and speakeasy bars, Argentina might not be the first place that springs to mind. Indeed, until fairly recently, the country was all about wine-drinking, being one o... read more
More to explore
A very fancy cocktail with an extremely glamourous namesake, the Mary Pickford cocktail was created...
James Bond’s cocktail of choice was a martini – shaken, not stirred, of course! But it seems spies t...
Bartender's top tip
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.