Watch: dashes and splashes for Christmas cocktails

Christmas in Dingle

The Dingle Whiskey Distillery is not in the business of creating megabrands, nor do they distil for anyone else. Their scale is modest, their approach is artisan and they have rekindled the tradition of independent distilling in Ireland.

The company’s vodka is distilled in small batches of 500 litres in their copper pot. Distilling vodka in copper is most unusual but you can taste the difference. This vodka is as pure as the environment in which it is made. You’ll also get a touch of sweetness and a creamy texture that takes a lot of people by surprise.

1 Chill your Martini glass. Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add lots of ice and shake vigorously. Using the cocktail strainer, double strain it into the chilled glass.

2 Using a lemon peeler, dig into the skin of a lemon and peel a medium sized strand. Curl in your hand. Garnish your cocktail with the lemon twist.

Teelings apricot Liberty sour

In the heart of the Liberties in Dublin, a city steeped in whiskey history, the Teeling Whiskey Distillery opened in 2015 as the first new distillery in over 125 years. It might be open only one year but brothers Jack and Stephen Teeling have a rich family history in whiskey making, with their ancestor Walter Teeling operating a distillery nearby during the 18th century.

There must be something in the family recipe as it is the fastest growing whiskey in Ireland and their flagship whiskey, the Teeling Small Batch, has won four awards for its smooth flavour. Sweet and fruity on the palate with good mouth feel, it is perfect for a Christmas cocktail.

1 Add the whiskey, egg, lemon, apricot nectar and Sauternes to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Add ice and shake again.

2 Double strain into a whiskey tumbler and add a little more ice. To decorate, add two heavy dashes of Angostura bitters.

Watch a variation demonstrated by Chad in our video below: the Teeling mandarin sour.

Bertha gets her Revenge

A homage to Big Bertha, the oldest cow ever recorded who died in Sneem in 1992, in this cocktail she certainly gets her revenge. Made at Ballyvolane House in Cork, this is the first Irish distillery to produce a small batch Irish milk gin from whey alcohol.

The idea for Bertha’s Revenge was conceived in April 2015 by school friends Justin Green and Antony Jackson. Although gin is enjoying a serious revival, Bertha’s Revenge takes it to a new level incorporating a mix of 18 locally foraged and grown plants, natural local spring water as well as the milk of Irish dairy farmers. In this recipe, we also use Ruby’s Irish Cranberry Liquer, which is made by the Hughes family in Northern Ireland. In selected stores and online at www.rubybluespirits.com

1 Add the gin, cranberry liqueur, allspice bitters, cinnamon syrup, cranberry juice and lime to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously.

2 Double strain into a tall glass and add crushed ice. Top with sparkling prosecco.

3 Roll the cranberries in powdered sugar and garnish.

Coole Swan Pear Strudel Martini

On a picturesque family farm outside Navan in Co Meath, the milk produced by the grazing cows has one destination: bottles of Coole Swan. The fresh cream mixed with Belgian chocolate and single malt Irish whiskey produces a cream liqueur which has won many awards, including best liqueur at the San Francisco world spirits competition, the Oscars of alcoholic beverages.

Developed by husband-and-wife team Philip and Mary Sadlier, Coole Swan is smooth and fresh tasting, yet demands your attention with the spicy, sweet and nutty tones of its triple distilled whiskey. This cocktail is warm and comforting and is sure to impress as an after-dinner treat.

1 Add the vodka, cinnamon syrup and a dash of the black walnut bitters to a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake and then double strain into a short whiskey tumbler with a flared rim. Clean the shaker and add the Coole Swan and cream. Shake until the cream starts to thicken.

2 Using a spoon and strainer, layer this over the first mixture. Garnish with a slice of pear and a cinnamon stick and serve.

From cocktails to canapés and from dinners to desserts, find more Christmas recipes from Irish Country Living's food magazine online every weekend in December.