Most but not all cocktails, need a sugar syrup so to start here’s an easy way to make yours. It keeps well in the fridge so can be made up in advance.

Dissolve 300 g of caster sugar into 150 ml of water over a low heat. Take off the heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved, there’s no need to boil it. Leave to cool and store in a sealed bottle or jar in the fridge.

Eggnog

This is a classic Christmas morning treat to get the day started with a zing. If you wish to make an alcohol-free version just leave out the brandy.

1 Vanilla pod split and the seeds scraped out.

100-1550 ml brandy

4 egg yolks

100ml of sugar syrup

100 ml double cream

500 ml of whole milk

Ice

Put the vanilla seeds into a large bowl with the egg yolks, sugar syrup and brandy. Whisk until fluffy and pale. Add the cream and milk and whisk again. Strain the mixture over a jug filled with ice and stir gently until the mixture feels chilled. Strain the Eggnog into tumblers to serve.

Chocolate Orange Cocktail

First, you’ll need to make the orange syrup using the sugar syrup you’ve already made. Add the zest of an orange or clementine and heat in a pan until just boiling. Cool and strain the syrup.

100ml vodka

100 crème de cacao

60ml of orange or clementine syrup

40ml orange or clementine juice

Grated dark chocolate to garnish

Ice

Chill 4 bowl or coupe cocktail glasses then damped the rim of each and dip into the grated chocolate. In a cocktail shaker combine the ice and remaining ingredients and shake. You may need to make two batches . Pour into the chilled glasses and enjoy.

Apple Brandy Christmas Cocktail

Dip the rim of four Martini or wide cocktail glasses in a saucer of water then in to a small dish of caster sugar. Store the glasses in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve.

200ml apple juice

1 cinnamon stick

100ml cognac or good brandy

50ml Disaronno

50ml Madeira wine

Juice of a lemon

Ice

Warm the apple juice in a saucepan with the cinnamon stick , bring to the boil then remove from the heat and leave it to chill. Discard the cinnamon and pour into a jug.

Add the cognac or brandy to the Disaronno, Madeira wine, lemon juice and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake until the mixture is chilled. Strain into your chilled glasses and top up with the spiced apple juice. Serve immediately.

Brandy Alexander

Mix 1tsp caster sugar with 1tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp of ground nutmeg. Set aside.

80ml brandy

50ml crème de cacao

50ml double cream

Ice

Take the brandy, Crème de Cacao, cream and ice and mix in a cocktail shaker until chilled. Strain and serve with a sprinkle of the spiced sugar on top.

Classic Snowball

Ingredients

100-15 ml Lime Cordial

50ml Advocat

50ml Lemonade

Ice

Marachino Cherries x 2 on a cocktail stick

Mix the ingredients in a jug with ice until chilled then strain and garnish with the cherries.

To make it more Christmassy substitute the lemonade with either Babycham or Prosecco.

Alternatively add some fresh ginger to a small amount of your sugar syrup, bring to the boil then cool. When cool, strain off and use it instead of the lime cordial.