Christmas Craft Cocktails
Travel Distilled tries some new ready-made cocktails from Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits with simple suggestions for turning them into Christmas Craft Cocktails.
There are some fantastic craft cocktails available now in both bottles and cans, as good as any you’ll get in cocktail bars anywhere. They’re a quick and easy – and affordable – treat to have on hand at home. Some of the best I’ve tasted are from Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits and they’ve come up with some very simple ideas to turn them into instant Christmas craft cocktails.
The Perfect Cosmo
After a stressful day my wife wanted a drink ‘now’, as she sat at her desk to do some work. I showed her the four cocktails I had from the Thomas Ashbourne range, but it was the Perfect Cosmo that appealed the most. When she took the first sip she said, ‘Mmmm, that is the perfect Cosmo. It’s delicious, just what I needed.’
What she didn’t know before she tried it was that it ought to be the perfect Cosmo as the cocktail recipe was produced in collaboration with none other than Sarah Jessica Parker herself. The Cosmo was the cocktail she and the other Sex and the City women always drank.
The cocktail was strong, too. We’d just been looking at some canned gin cocktails, which were only 6% ABV (12 proof), but the Perfect Cosmo was a perfect 20% ABV (40 proof). The vodka was clearly a quality one, and there’s Triple Sec in there too. The promised flavors of sweet strawberry and tart cranberries and lime swirled around in the glass, and I was only allowed one quick sip. That’s how good it was. A shame we only had the one, but probably just as well as we’d have argued over the second.
Christmas Craft Cocktail Tip: Add frozen cranberries to the drink.
The Classic Old Fashioned
Not wanting to let my wife drink alone, my choice was the Classic Old Fashioned. This was even stronger at 25% ABV (50 proof), and is made with an un-named but premium bourbon whiskey. It showed. It all comes down to the ingredients, as any chef or bartender will tell you. All this needed was a couple of ice cubes, and it was indeed one of the best Old Fashioneds I’ve ever had (and I’ve had some good ones).
Christmas Craft Cocktail Tip: Add a candied orange peel and a cinnamon stick for a festive garnish.
The Hardscatto
The what? No, you’ve not missed out on some ancient classic cocktail, as this one is as new as it gets. It was created for Thomas Ashbourne by rapper Playboi Carti and comes in at 20% ABV (40 proof). As with the rapper himself, this is an unusual one. It’s described only as a hard spirit with white wine ‘reminiscent of muscat blanc grapes and featuring aromas of peach, apricot and delicate elderflower’.
This was our least-favorite of the four canned cocktails. Not that it was bad, as I’m sure some people will absolutely love it, but for us it was a little too flowery and sweet, like a light dessert wine.
Christmas Craft Cocktail Tip: Add your choice of frozen lychee and a spring of rosemary to the cocktail.
The Margalicious Margarita
Also at 20% ABV (40 proof), this one is the real challenge. We live in southern Arizona, not far from the border with Mexico, and the Margarita is our go-to cocktail. We’ve a few different recipes for making our own, and when we’re out we judge a bar or restaurant by how good their Margaritas are. You can always tell whether they’re freshly made or they use a mix, and it’s usually a good idea to go for a premium tequila.
This cocktail was created by actresses and real-life best friends Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rosario Dawson. In fact Dawson is responsible for the name, as her daughter’s called Isabella Margalita. It was the three together who suggested they try to come up with a Margarita, when they were approached by Thomas Ashbourne about creating a drink for the company. They were involved every step of the way, including choosing the colors and the designs for the cans and the bottles.
Their Margarita is made with a premium tequila (check) and Triple Sec (check again), so is well on the way to meeting our high standards. I also usually put a bit more tequila in my Margaritas than the recipe recommends – and so far no one has complained. And after one taste of this, I have to admit that the three ladies behind it can come over to our house and make margaritas any time. It’s both sweet and sour, nice and limey, and you can certainly taste the tequila. Ten out of ten!
Christmas Craft Cocktail Tip: Pour the Margarita over ice in a glass rimmed with salted pumpkin spice.
The Christmas craft cocktail tips were suggested by the award-winning mixologist, Nico De Soto.
You can find out more, including your nearest stockist on the Thomas Ashbourne website. You can also order any combination of bottles and cans for all four of these craft cocktails. The Christmas bit you have to do yourself.
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