Old habits die hard, especially at Christmas. As a tradition it offers a reassuringly familiar checklist of experiences after a busy and unpredictable year – and, no matter how little sense they make (do we really gain anything from pulling crackers except for a small pile of mess on the dinner table?), we return to our yuletide customs without fail.
Festive food and drink is a perfect example of this. The turkey, the stuffing, the Christmas pudding, the mulled wine, the eggnog; each has its own individual merits, of course, but indulging in all of them in one day is ridiculous unless you’re actively trying for indigestion. But each gives us that all-important, indescribable feeling of Christmas, so we persist at our peril. To hit all the positive psychological triggers that festive food and drink provides, without the digestive drawbacks of piling decadence after decadence on your poor stomach, would be a Christmas miracle, and getting creative with drinks, in particular, could be the answer.
There’s no reason why drinks can’t be evocative without being overly rich and competing with – rather than complementing – your Christmas food. That’s the philosophy on which mixologist and Grey Goose global ambassador Joe McCanta has based his collection of seasonal vodka cocktails, which are offered up as lighter alternatives to the likes of eggnog. “It’s actually a really heavy drink,” McCanta says, the slight strain in his voice suggesting he’s imagining trying to get through a glass.
“When you think about it, you’re taking something that has tons of cream, tons of eggs, and mixing it with heavy dark spirits such as cognac, bourbon or rum. And frankly, it’s hard to enjoy more than half a glass of eggnog for me.”
Mulled wine, another festive favourite, can be just as challenging for a stomach filled with food, and it’s a logistical nightmare if you want to do it right. “It goes too hot, or it sits for too long, it may taste one way at the start but by the time you’re serving guests half an hour into the party it tastes completely different,” says McCanta.
These drinks, he argues, are simply vehicles for elements that create a festive atmosphere. “Aroma is the single best way of triggering memory,” he says, calling out cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and clementine as the sensory equivalent of sleigh bells, stimulating memories of Christmases past and reminding you it’s that time of year when comfort and rest are the priority. Once you realise that, the drinks through which you recall those memories can be changed. And that is where vodka comes in.
“The greatest thing about vodka is that it’s by far the most versatile of any spirit,” says McCanta. “I don’t know any spirit from which you can make such varied types of cocktail as a Bloody Mary, to a Moscow Mule, to an Espresso Martini .” This flexibility, plus its lightness, means that a festive vodka cocktail can sit happily alongside the most indulgent turkey dinner, imbued with all manner of festive flavours from warming apple crumble to spicy ginger and soul-stirring nutmeg. So why not shake things up this Christmas with one of the following festive inventions?
Season’s Celebrations
“It’s an apple crumble in a glass,” says McCanta. “You’ve got cinnamon and nutmeg that are just kind of sprinkled over the top. It’s essentially just as easy to make as a gin and tonic, but so much more interesting.”
50ml Grey Goose La Poire
200ml cloudy organic apple juice
Build in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an apple fan and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and demerara sugar.
Sleigh Driver
“Blood orange and pomegranate: these are two ingredients that are totally in season in the Mediterranean during the winter months,” says McCanta. “So I was inspired by what you can get at this time of year and using that to the best of my ability.”
50ml Grey Goose Vodka
150ml fresh pomegranate juice
Splash of pomegranate blood orange syrup
Build in a wine goblet over ice, and garnish with a fresh wedge of lemon skewered with 3 cloves and a few pomegranate seeds.
Winter Scarves
“I love things like Bénédictine, which is a French liqueur that has 27 herbs and spices in it,” says McCanta. It certainly packs a festive punch, containing myrrh, clove, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg among other ingredients (including six that are a closely guarded trade secret).
30ml Grey Goose Vodka
22.5ml Bénédictine liqueur
2 lemon wheels
1 slice of fresh ginger
1 large cinnamon stick
60ml boiling water
Add all ingredients to a mug and stir, leaving to infuse for a few minutes. Enjoy warm, not piping hot!
Holiday Mule
“It’s about thinking outside of the box,” McCanta says, introducing his Holiday Mule. A sprig of fresh rosemary is inspired by what you might taste in your Christmas dinner, while at the same time adding a clever visual nod to Christmas trees and festive wreaths.
50ml Grey Goose Vodka
15ml fresh lime juice
200ml ginger beer
Freshly grated nutmeg
Sprig of fresh rosemary and fresh ginger
Build over ice in any glass you fancy!
Northern Star
“Clementine has a bit more of a floral quality to it [compared with orange],” says McCanta. “It’s not just bright citrus, it has a really unique flavour profile.” The star anise is just a garnish, so if you find it too divisive I’m told you can leave it off – although you’d perhaps have to rename the cocktail simply “Northern”.
50ml Grey Goose La Vanille (or substitute Grey Goose Vodka and gently rub the rim of the glass with a fresh vanilla pod)
200ml cranberry juice
1 wedge of fresh clementine, squeezed
Splash of Patrón Citrónge
Build over cubed ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a second wedge of fresh clementine and whole star anise.
Ginger Snap
“Ginger is so reminiscent of the lovely sweets we have during the holidays. Candied ginger plays a key part in the holidays for me. The raspberry [in the cocktail] has a subtle sweetness, but a hint of bitterness works brilliantly with the ginger spice, and the mint gives it a fresh lift. Plus I’m all about the visual impact of a drink and the vibrant green from the mint – and the rich red of the raspberries help to bring that festive look to the cocktail.”
50ml Grey Goose Vodka
300ml ginger ale
2 generous sprigs of fresh mint
6-8 raspberries
Build over ice in a rocks glass.
Prepare to celebrate moments big and small with Grey Goose Vodka
