Cocktails You Can Give as Gifts

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.

There are lots of other cocktails that work great in jar format. Get creative and make
custom drinks for all the family!