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Five Festive Alcohol-Free Cocktails to ask for at your Christmas Party. Or make them for yourself when the inlaws take over your home for the festivities.

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The cold has settled in, November has come and gone and now we only have a couple of weeks left until Christmas… Now, if you’re anything like me then you love the feeling of Christmas but hate the build-up. The peppermint flavours, the lights in the street and the look of faux-surprise on people’s faces when you give them a gift that they totally weren’t expecting. But the rush of needing to buy presents, remembering that one cousin you forgot to buy for and the dreaded Christmas party that you don’t want to go to but have to because “Oh, come on it’s Christmas!” Yeah, I could live without that in a heartbeat.

But try as we might, we can’t stop Christmas from coming around every year. We can however help you moderate your drinking and stay sober while still staying festive this holiday season with these alcohol-free cocktails that are perfect for the holiday season!

1. Espresso Martini

We all need to stay up late some nights to finish up the wrapping, enjoy the last few hours of the party or even just binge-watch Hallmark Christmas movies. An Espresso Martini is the perfect way to enjoy a delicious alcohol-free drink whilst having the caffeine to wake you up!

Ingredients:

2 shots of cold espresso

1 shot Lyres Amaretti

½ shot maple syrup

1 large egg white [or egg substitute]

[Optional]

3 coffee beans [for garnish.]

Method:

1. Add the 2 shots of espresso to your shaker [Don’t add the ice just yet!]
2. Add 1 shot of Lyres Amaretti.
3. Add ½ shot of Maple Syrup.
4. Add 1 egg white or egg white substitute [No Yolks!]
5. Shake vigorously for 25-30 seconds. [Careful, this part can get messy!]
6. Add ice and shake again for 5-10 seconds.
7. Strain into a Martini glass.
8. [Optional] Add 3 coffee beans to garnish 

2. Yule Mule

Perfect for when you’re feeling festive, the Yule Mule has quickly become one of the best-selling drinks at Yada’s own bar on Green Lane this holiday season. It’s the perfect drink for when you have friends over and want to have a treat, or for when you’re at the table ready to eat your Christmas Dinner!

Ingredients: 

4 shots of cranberry juice.

2 shots of Mockingbird Tequila.

½ a lime.

Ginger Beer

[Optional] 

Rosemary sprig and a slice of lime [for garnish]

Method:

1. Fill your shaker with ice.
2. Add 4 shots of cranberry juice.
3. Add 2 shots of Mockingbird Tequila.
4. Squeeze in half a lime and shake until cold.
5. Add ice to a highball glass.
6. Strain shaker into glass.
7. Top off with Ginger Beer.

[Optional] Add a Sprig of Rosemary and a slice of lime as a garnish.

3. Cran-Apple Cider

Why do so many Christmas Cocktails contain cranberries? I was wondering the same thing but I have to admit they really do embody the colour and taste of Christmas. So have a try of this Cran-Apple cider recipe if you like to feel a little sweet, a little fancy and a whole lot Christmassy!

Ingredients:

[Serves 2]

4 shots Smashed Apple Cider [or whatever brand of AF apple cider you prefer!]

4 shots of cranberry juice

Half a lemon

Soda water

[Optional]

Sugar for rim

Lemon Twist

Method:

1. [Optional] Sugar the rim of the flute glass by holding the glass upside down, running a lemon wedge around the rim then rolling it in sugar. 
2. Fill shaker with ice.
3. Add in 2 shots of Apple Cider.
4. Add Cranberry juice to the shaker.
5. Squeeze in half a lemon. 
6. Stir [not shake] the mix.
7. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes to the flute glass.
8. Strain into the flute glass and top off with Soda water.
9. [Optional] Add lemon twist for garnish.

4. Cosmopolitan

Do you want an alcohol-free cranberry classic? Go no further than a Cosmopolitan! While they can be drunk year-round, I find that they’re the perfect drink to have at any Christmas Party. With their sharp cranberry taste and rich red colour; they look great, taste great and with 0% alcohol in them, I can guarantee that you’ll feel great!

Ingredients: 

45ml Lyres White Cane Spirit

15ml Lyres Orange Sec

30ml Cranberry Juice

15ml Lime Juice

7.5ml Sugar Syrup

Lemon peel

[Optional]

Lemon Twist

Granulated Sugar

Method:

1. [Optional] Sugar the rim of the Martini glass using a lime and granulated sugar.
2. Half fill a shaker halfway with ice.
3. Add 45ml of Lyres White Cane Spirit.
4. Add 15ml of Lyres Orange Sec.
5. Add 30ml of Cranberry Juice.
6. Add 15ml of Lime Juice.
7. Add 7.5ml of Sugar Syrup.
8. Add in a lemon peel and shake until all contents are mixed and cold. 
9. Strain into a Martini glass.
10. Garnish with a Lemon Twist on the rim of the glass.

5. Mulled Wine (Non-Alcoholic)

Here it is, the classic Mulled Wine recipe! Every year I’m pretty sure I drink my body weight in mulled wine around Christmas. Every market, every party and even just going up to my Nan’s house for a visit I end up drinking 3-4 mugs full! It’s the most classic of all Christmas drinks as it both warms you up and mellows you down, perfect for that Christmas Night to wind down after all the chaos. Here’s our alcohol-free recipe that we like to serve whenever we can!

Ingredients:

[Serves 6]

1 litre grape juice

125ml Orange juice

75ml Stryyk Not Vodka

2 cinnamon sticks

4 Star Anise

4 whole cloves

A pinch of nutmeg

1 orange, sliced thinly

Method:

1. Add grape juice to a saucepan and put it on the stove top.
2. Add in the Orange Juice.
3. Add in Cinnamon Sticks, Star Anise, Cloves, Nutmeg and Orange Slices.
4. Heat gently for 20 minutes until hot.
5. Take off heat and add the Strykk Not Vodka. 
6. Strain and then serve!

Festive Alcohol Free Cocktails

And there you are! Not quite five golden rings, but five glorious Cocktails to make during this holiday season! If you happen to make any of these cocktails, take a picture and tag us in it on social media @YADACollective! Have any other cocktail ideas you think we ought to try? Let us know either through DM’s or by dropping into the bar! 

Happy Holidays and hope you all have a great new year!

We have lots more on the way to celebrate Dry January, so stay tuned! You can check out what’s happening here!

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This blog was mulled by Chrys one of our inspirational mixologists at our YADA Bar in Derby