Winter warming cocktails
Luxembourg’s mixologists are thin on the ground this winter, with many bars closed for the festive season.
We caught up with four at Nasty Bar, Paname, Piano Bar and Airfield, who gave us their favourite winter cocktail recipes for the cold nights.
Paname’s Amaretto Aperitif
Super-simple to make and with a distinct winter markets almond theme, this aperitif promises to be refreshing and not too strong so you can tuck into more than one glass on Christmas Eve. For something a bit different, infuse the Amaretto overnight in a cup with a few sprigs of fresh thyme. And the pro-tip: put your serving glasses in the fridge overnight.
Recipe
1cl thyme-infused Amaretto
3cl white vermouth (Martini, or local brand)
Top off with half Crémant and half tonic (Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic recommended)
Fill up a wine or spritz glass with ice cubes. Add the Amaretto and white vermouth and stir, then top with Crémant and tonic, and give another stir. Add a sprig of thyme to serve.
Piano Bar’s Gingerbread Eggnog
Thomas at Piano Bar at the Royal has a spicy take on an all-time classic Christmas tipple.
Recipe
5cl Cognac VSOP
One fresh egg yolk or whole egg
2cl cane sugar syrup
10cl milk
one teaspoon of gingerbread spice mix
Pour the cognac, the milk, the cane sugar syrup and the gingerbread spice mix in the small half of your shaker. Stir all of the ingredients with a spoon. Make sure the spices have mixed in well with the rest of the ingredients. Add the egg yolk or whole egg. Shake once without ice to emulsify the mixture, add ice and shake again, strain in a tall tumbler glass or cocktail glass. Garnish with a small slice of gingerbread.
Nasty Bar's Christmas Grog
The folks at Nasty Bar have come up with this festive drink you can serve hot or cold, depending on your mood. Either way, rum is at the centre of this creation.
Recipe
3cl black tea
2cl cinnamon syrup
1cl maple syrup
2cl grapefruit juice
2cl lemon juice
2cl tangerine juice
3cl spiced rum
3cl overproof rum (so 100% proof if you can find it, or as strong as you can find)
1cl Amaretto
Mix together all the ingredients and pour into a mug. If you prefer to try it ready-made, Nasty Bar in Dudelange opens its window from Tuesday to Sunday for takeaway cocktails, hot wine and grogs, plus café, hot chocolate and beer. To see what they will be dishing up, opening times or to pre-order, check their Facebook page.
Airfield’s Mojito
Bartender Romain Hibon stirs up some citrus and mint flavours for a refreshing festive zing.
½ a lime cut into six pieces
2 teaspoons of cassonade (fine brown sugar)
1cl cane sugar syrup
12 mint leaves
4.5cl plantation rum
Rosport Classic (sparking water)
Mix the six pieces of lime, the brown sugar and cane sugar syrup. Stir briskly to release the lime juices and dissolve the sugar. Rub the mint leaves in your hands to release their scent and taste, then add them to the glass with the lime mix. Add the rum and some ice and mix. Finally, top up with Rosport Classic sparkling water and give a final stir before drinking.
Nasty Bar’s Nasty Time
Another Christmas cocktail from the rum specialists, this time involving home-made sweet potato and tangerine syrup (the recipe and method of making this is given below).
Recipe
2cl sweet potato and tangerine home-made syrup
2cl peach liqueur
4cl spiced rum
2cl Jamaican rum
For the sweet potato syrup, first take 250g of sweet potatoes and cook in water. When they are cooked, drain and add a half litre of tangerine or orange juice. Mix into a puree and add a half litre of still water and a kilo of sugar. Stir the sugar so it is thoroughly mixed. Freeze the mixture overnight, then defrost and filter or strain.
For the cocktail, mix together all the ingredients in a shaker or tumbler. Serve in a glass filled with ice.
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