Update your party menu with these three champagne cocktails – guaranteed to add some fizz to Christmas Day – plus one for the non-drinkers.
With Christmas Day only a few sleeps away, it’s time to pop open the champagne. The 25th permits the sparkling stuff with breakfast, lunch, and dinner (not that we needed an excuse) but even bubbles can be improved on with a few festive tweaks. We’ve compiled our top three champagne recipes to keep those glasses topped up well into the new year.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 bottle champagne, chilled
1L freshly squeezed orange juice, chilled
Method:
Half-fill six glasses with champagne, then carefully pour in the orange juice until the glass is full.
Jamie Oliver’s Wicked Champagne Cocktail
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3-4 pomegranates
Caster sugar (optional)
1 bottle champagne, chilled
Method:
1. First of all, cut your pomegranates in half and take their seeds out. The easiest way to do this is to hold one half of a pomegranate cut-side down in your hand and hit it with a spatula to make the seeds come tumbling out – make sure you’ve got a bowl underneath to catch them all.
2. Whiz the seeds for five to 10 seconds in a food processor, pour through a sieve and you’ll have some lovely pomegranate juice. If the pomegranates are particularly sharp, feel free to stir in a little sugar to sweeten, although this is optional.
3. Now, all you need to do is put about 5cm of pomegranate juice into a champagne flute, then top it up with your champagne.
Serves 5
Ingredients:
60g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp allspice
200ml rum
90ml lime juice
600ml champagne
Orange twist
Method:
1. Gently warm 60g of golden caster sugar in a pan with 30ml water and one tablespoon of allspice. Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved, then leave the mixture to cool. Strain through a sieve lined with a coffee filter (or a double layer of kitchen paper).
2. Pour 60ml of the spiced syrup into a cocktail shaker along with 200ml rum and 90ml lime juice. Shake with ice and strain between six flute glasses. Top up with 600ml champagne and garnish each with an orange twist.
For the designated drivers…
Makes 1.5 litres
Ingredients:
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Large bunch of mint
2 limes, quartered, plus slices to garnish
1l pomegranate juice
200ml lemonade
Method:
1. A day ahead, divide the pomegranate seeds between the holes in an ice cube tray, top up with water and freeze.
2. Reserve half the mint for serving, and tear the rest into a large jug with the lime quarters. Using a rolling pin, bash the mint and lime to release the flavours. Add the pomegranate juice and lemonade. Put ice cubes in each glass, then strain over the pomegranate mix through a small sieve. Garnish with lime slices and more mint.
To serve
Belmond Champagne Flute – set of 4 – £25, Belmond Wine Glass – set of 4 – £25, Belmond Tumbler – set of 4 – £25
Find everything you need to create a spectacular Christmas table.
