Oh, how I love the holidays, and I am lucky enough to have a London team that share my passion for all things St Nicholas. We might have dedicated a few November afternoons to the pursuit of Christmas cocktail perfection. A noble cause and one we will gallantly take on yearly.

Celebrate the season with us and this stunning grapefruit spin on a cocktail classic. Made with a splash of gin, it’s a great crowd pleaser served with rosemary and sea salt toasted nuts and a good Christmas playlist.

We have been loving our “Silent Pool” Gin from the Albury Estate, notes of juniper, chamomile, lavender, citrus and honey perfume the air when you pop open the beautiful blue bottle. Otherwise “Three Seasons” by the Cambridge Estate is an all time favourite British gin and makes for a lovely Christmas gift wrapped in a Reed huckaback cloth.

Grapefruit Gin Sour

• Ingredients |
• ½ Pink grapefruit juice,
• 50ml Gin,
• ½ Lemon juice,
• 2 tbsp Simple sugar syrup,
• 1 Egg white,
• Handful of ice.
• Blackberries for garnish.

Method |

1. Put all the ingredients except the ice into a cocktail shaker or a large jam jar with a good seal. Shake well to combine.
2. Add a handful of ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds or until the sides of the shaker feel cold. Strain into festive glasses with more ice, or into coupe glasses, without ice.
3. Serve with a grapefruit twist garnish or blackberries and your favourite Reed napkin.

Pomegranate & Vermouth Mulled Wine

This pretty mulled wine recipe, had us at Pomegranate. The addition of vermouth adds wonderful depth and keeps it from becoming sickly-sweet. The JAN Shiraz Mourvedré Grenache 2018, is well priced and with notes of plum and peppery spice, it marry’s the pomegranate beautifully, but any spicy red will do.

Ingredients |

• 500ml Pomegranate juice,
• 100ml Red vermouth,
• 200ml Good red wine,
• 2 Oranges , sliced, plus extra to garnish,
• 2 tsp honey,
• 1 Cinnamon stick,
• 2 Cloves,

Method |

1. Add everything to a large saucepan set over a low heat and stir to melt the honey. Simmer gently for 10 mins.
2. Taste for sweetness, then strain into heatproof glasses and garnish with extra orange slices. Serve with obligatory crackling fire, good friends and an oversized Reed napkin.