Scottish Cocktail Recipes For Your Christmas Party
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a dram or two, would it? This guide will tell you how to make eight wonderfully festive cocktails to serve at your Christmas gathering, winter solstice party or on the day itself. We know how to party at Clootie McToot!
I had thought about providing a recipe for roast ‘Bubblyjock’ but couldn’t bring myself to do it. ‘Bubblyjock’ is a superb Scots word for turkey and at Christmas, it’s normally served with ‘cheston crappin’ or chestnut stuffing. I grew up on a farm and used to have two pet turkeys called Cranberry and Whitesauce. By their names, I’m sure you can tell what fate was supposed to befall them…
Happily, our two turkeys were destined to become family pets. Cranberry was my favourite and we were inseparable. She was a couthy turkey who loved to cuddle. When she got a cold I’d drive her back and forwards to the vet, and she’d sit in the front seat looking sorry for herself. I’m sure the folk of Abernethy thought I was a madwoman!
So, that’s why today you’re getting Christmas cocktail recipes instead of Bubblyjock! Each drink has a Scottish twist and is perfect to savour on wintry evenings next to the fire or when celebrating with friends this Christmas.
I hope you enjoy these festive tipples and join me in raising a glass to Cranberry, my favourite pet turkey.
Dashing Through The…Drambuie?
You’ll notice that a key ingredient to many Scottish cocktails is Drambuie.
Drambuie is an iconic Scottish liqueur. Scotch whisky, rare Scottish heather honey and aromatic herbs and spices create the perfect winter warmer. It’s often served alongside Cranachan, Scotland’s famous dessert, at Scottish gatherings like Burns Night and Hogmanay.
Drambuie is the oldest whisky liqueur in Britain and was born of a secret recipe concocted for Bonnie Prince Charlie by his apothecary.
Drambuie comes from the Scottish Gaelic phrase An Dram Buidheach and mean ‘the drink that satisfies’. It can be enjoyed over ice, in coffee or as a yummy cocktail. Got your bottle? Ok, onto our Scottish cocktail recipes!
8 Christmas Cocktail Recipes To Get The Festive Party Started!
Het Pint
In Scotland, this cocktail recipe is usually served on New Year’s morning. Het literally means “hot” and this warming cocktail would be carried in copper kettle by first-footers on their New Year rounds. Sometimes folk also had a Het Pint before a wedding.
This cocktail recipe serves 6-8 people.
Ingredients
4 pints of pale ale
1 level teaspoon o freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of sugar
3 eggs
½ pint of whisky
Method
- Pour the ale into a large pan.
- Add the teaspoon of nutmeg and bring liquid to a gentle simmer.
- Add sugar to taste.
- In a large bowl beat 3 eggs.
- Gradually stir in the hot ale. A word of warning: if the ale is added too quickly the eggs will curdle.
- Stir in the whisky then pour the liquid back into the pan. Don’t stop stirring as you bring the drink back to just below boiling.
- Serve in warmed mugs or tankards. The drink should froth and become clear and sparkling.
Hot Toddy
This is less of a cocktail recipe and more of a medicinal. If you catch a cold over Christmas a Hot Toddy is a classic Scottish drink that will soothe your sore throat and allow you to toast the season at the same time. If you like, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Ingredients
1 measure of whisky
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of honey
Optional squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Add whisky, honey and sugar into a tumbler then stir in boiling water. Drink while its hot!
Mulled Wine
This Scottish cocktail recipe for mulled wine should serve around 20 people. Perfect for a Christmas party or winter solstice celebration! If you’re having a wintry, outdoors gathering around the fire basket you can keep your mulled wine on a portable camp stove.
Ingredients
1 pint of water
Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3 oz of soft brown sugar
2 oranges
3 bottles of red wine
¼ pint of Drambuie
Method
- Add water, the cinnamon stick, nutmeg and sugar to a pan
- Peel the rind from the oranges and add to the pan with the orange juice
- Dissolve the sugar over a low heat, bring the liquid to the boil and then remove the pan from the heat
- Allow the flavours to infuse for 15 minutes
- Add the red wind and Drambuie then slowly warm the liquid again without boiling
- Keep on a low heat and serve in warmed glasses
Flora MacDonald
Named after the Jacobite heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Scotland in the wake of Culloden, this drink is as daring as its namesake. Consider this cocktail recipe a Scottish negroni.
Ingredients
2 measures of French vermouth
1 measure of Drambuie
1 measure Scottish gin
Method
- Mix the vermouth, Drambuie and gin together
- Try to remain upright
Manor Punch
Shake or stir? The choice is yours! This is another easy Scottish cocktail recipe that will go down well at any Christmas Eve party.
Ingredients
1 measure of single malt whisky
1 measure of Martini Bianco
A dash of Drambuie
Method
- Stir the whisky, Martini and Drambuie together
- Strain into a martini glass
- Serve with a cherry for extra festive points!
Rusty Nails
The perfect after dinner drink! And so easy its almost embarrassing to include a recipe for this cocktail classic!
Ingredients
1 measure Drambuie
1 measure whisky
Method
Stir together and serve in a liqueur glass (we told you this cocktail recipe was easy!)
Scottish Sparkle
Add a hint of glamour to Christmas Eve with our recipe for a Scottish Sparkle cocktail.
Ingredients
1 bottle of dry white wine
1 bottle of sparkling white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ Drambuie
¼ pint lemonade
Method
- Mix the dry white wine, lemon juice and Drambuie together in a jug and chill
- Add sparkling wine and lemonade
- Float rose petals (something Christmassy) on the surface for added flair and ensure there’s plenty of ice for serving
Café au Drambuie
Make your after-dinner coffee more indulgent with this Christmas concoction!
Ingredients
3 dessertspoons of Drambuie
1 dessertspoon of brown sugar
Freshly made, strong coffee (we recommend the Clootie McToot blend!)
Double cream
Method
- Add Drambuie to a heated glass
- Stir in the sugar and pour in the coffee to an inch below the rim
- Stir until the sugar dissolves
- Pour cream over the back of a spoon onto the coffee
- Serve while hot
Irish Coffee With Clootie Dumpling
Why not skip dessert and sip this decadent Scottish coffee cocktail. You might be wondering where the ‘Scottish’ part of this Irish coffee comes into play. The answer lies in the deliciously moist, fragrantly spice pieces of clootie dumpling sprinkled on the cream! Who needs Christmas pudding with a cocktail recipe like this? If you want to be a true Scotsman you could swap the Irish whiskey for a dash of smoky Laphroaig. The chewy spice of the clootie contrasted with the peaty depth of the Islay malt makes for an unusual and indulgent pairing of two Scottish classics.
Ingredients
50ml Irish whiskey
½ teaspoon of brown sugar
150ml freshly brewed black coffee
2 tablespoons of double cream
1 clootie dumpling (if you’re making this drink for yourself, you can freeze the leftover clootie dumpling)
Method
- Pour freshly made coffee into a warmed mug or glass
- Add whisky and sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved
- Lightly whip the cream until thick, then gently float the cream over the liquid
- Sprinkle with pieces of clootie dumpling. You can choose from our delicious range of traditional Scottish clootie dumplings depending on your taste.
Let me know if you try any of these Scottish cocktails for Christmas. Slàinte mhath and Merry Christmas from all at Clootie McToot!
Michelle xx
