Be whisked away to a winter wonderland with wintry cocktail recipes and tipples that are as easy to make as they are fun to drink, including a zesty negroni and a warming espresso cocktail.
Imbue the cooler months with a dash of fun thanks to these delicious cocktail recipes. First up, a heady negroni that calls on top-shelf tipples from local distilleries Poor Toms and Regal Rogue, finished with honey-glazed orange and fragrant rosemary. For something a little darker, an espresso-heavy Irish coffee gets a fresh spin with an amaro that balances botanicals with bitters. The best part? You’ll find all the spirits you need, along with quality ingredients, available from David Jones.
Bitter orange winter negroni
Honey-glazed orange slices and aromatic rosemary make for a wintry take on the Negroni. A drizzle of honey syrup is optional, but feel free to skip the sweetness if you prefer.
Makes 2
INGREDIENTS
Large ice cubes, to serve
60ml Poor Toms Sydney Dry Gin
60ml Poor Toms Imbroglio Amaro
60ml Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth
Rosemary sprigs, to serve
Burnt oranges
½ cup David Jones Honey
¼ cup caster sugar
4 thin orange slices
Juice of 1 orange
METHOD
1. For the burnt oranges, stir honey, sugar and ½ cup water in a small fry-pan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add orange slices and simmer, turning occasionally, until syrup turns dark caramel and orange slices caramelise. Remove from the heat and carefully remove orange slices with a slotted spoon and place on baking paper to cool.
2. Transfer ¼ cup of the honey caramel to a heatproof bowl, stir in orange juice and 2 tbsp boiling water to combine.
3. Add a couple of ice cubes to your serving glasses. Pour half the gin, amaro and vermouth into each, add orange slices and a drizzle of honey syrup to taste, stir with a sprig of rosemary and serve.
The spiked long black
The classic Irish coffee makes a comeback this winter as the ultimate winter warmer; the addition of amaro adds gorgeous bittersweet complexity. You can use freshly brewed espresso coffee or French-press coffee. As with all cocktail recipes, the booze-spiked whipped cream on top is optional, although it’s delicious stirred through just before drinking.
Makes 2
INGREDIENTS
250ml hot black coffee, using David Jones Espresso Blend
120ml Mr Black Coffee Amaro
60ml Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey
Crushed coffee beans or coarsely grated David Jones Dark Chocolate, to serve
Whiskey-spiked whipped cream
200ml thickened cream
20ml Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
METHOD
1. For the whiskey-spiked whipped cream, whisk cream, whiskey and sugar in a bowl to soft peaks and set aside.
2. Fill two heatproof glasses with boiling water to warm them, then tip the water out and add half of the hot black coffee to each.
3. Add half the amaro and half the whiskey to each glass, top with whipped cream and crushed coffee beans or chocolate and serve.
Food styling by Emma Knowles; photography by Ben Dearnley