The festive season is upon, and I am really feeling in the Christmas spirit already! I've already done about half of my present shopping, I've eaten several mince pies and I'm planning on checking out the Christmas markets this weekend. Speaking of spirits... this is the time of year where I like to treat myself to a festively themed tipple. I am a huge fan of cocktails and as I am not a big drinker in terms of volume, when I do drink I like to have something of good quality that really wows in the taste factor. Both of these cocktails are so easy to make, but with tasty results. I can't decide which one I like best!
I was recently sent these two new flavours from J2O's New Midnight Range. Midnight Amber is an orange and lemon juice with winter spices, and Midnight Forest is a cherry and orange juice with a hint of chocolate. The cocktail I've made with the Midnight Forest is called the Midnight Martini, which is a recipe from the J2O website. The cocktail I've made with the Midnight Amber is my own invention, which I have christened Amber Sky.
To make the Midnight Martini I put some ice in a cocktail shaker and added half a bottle of J2O Midnight Forest (approx 137ml) and 50ml Martini Rosso (Red Vermouth). I shook it up then poured it into a martini glass. I garnished the drink with some orange peel on the rim of the glass.
The Midnight Martini was sweet and fruity, it felt dark and mysterious and I loved the berry hue that the mixture created. I certainly felt like a sophisticated cocktail and I can imagine if you servied this at a Christmas party it would go down very well!
To make the Amber Sky I filled a large wine glass with ice, then poured in half a bottle of J2O Midnight Amber (approx 137ml), 50ml Cointreau and topped it up with lemon and lime soda. I garnished the drink with a slice of orange.
The Amber Sky is a bright and sunny drink which cheers up these dark winter nights, it has a fruity taste but with a hint of winter spices which warm your tastebuds. It felt like the ideal drink for the festive season and I think a Christmas breakfast or brunch would be the perfect setting for a cocktail like this.
What's your favorite festive drink? Let me know in the comments!
NB. I was sent the J2O to make cocktails with, but I was not required to write a positive review.
