Elevate your festive Cork sips with these simple recipes 

One of the great pleasures of winter is having time to slow down and catch up with a good book, preferably beside a crackling fire with a comforting drink in hand. I smile just at the thought of it!

The magic ingredient for this to be a perfect moment of contentment is that comforting drink, something that’s a little special and always warming.

But there is more to a winter warmer than just mulled wine, so let me share with you some of my favourite comforting sips made with the best tastes of Cork and perfect for this time of year.

Mulled Atlantic Dry Mead

Last Christmas, I had the happy occasion to sip this drink made with Kinsale Mead’s Atlantic Dry Mead at a cozy little food fair in West Cork.

It is a fantastic sip, so I asked my friends at Ireland’s only commercial Meadery if they would share the recipe with me – and they did! Use the Atlantic Dry Mead – White Port Barrel-Aged for a wonderful undertone of spice.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 400ml of Atlantic Dry Mead -White Port Barrel Aged
• 125ml apple juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Slices of fresh ginger root
• 1-2 tsp of honey to taste
• Garnish: Slice of apple

Method

• Place everything except the apple into a pot and place over the lowest possible heat.
• Gently warm through, ensuring it never reaches a boil.
• Ladle into a crystal tumbler or a bone china cup with saucer, and garnish with a slice of fresh apple.

Hungry Crow x Red Strand Mocha

Two great artisan producers based in the vibrant coastal town of Clonakilty come together in perfect harmony for this gentle, comforting pick-me- up. Hungry Crow makes a gorgeous hot chocolate mix using organic Peruvian cacao, which pairs gorgeously with Red Strand Brazilian Santa Izabel blend with its notes of caramel, chocolate and peach. Serve with gorgeous whole milk from Gloun Cross Dairy near Dunmanway for a silky smooth and elevated mocha with a West Cork edge.

Ingredients (makes one cup)

• 1 heaped tsp Hungry Crow Hot Chocolate Mix
• Freshly boiled water
• Double espresso shot of Red Strand Santa Izabel coffee
• Gloun Cross Dairy whole milk, frothed

Method

• To warm your coffee cup, half-fill it with hot water and let stand for 30 seconds. Pour out the water.
• Heat and froth the milk in a jug, then set aside.
• Place the chocolate powder into the cup, add 1tsp of hot water and stir vigorously.
• Make a double espresso shot and add it to the coffee cup. Stir gently to mix with the chocolate to keep the crema intact.
• Pour over the hot frothy milk, stir gently, then enjoy!

Spiced Mealagulla Orchards Apple Toddy

The taste of warm syrupy apples this time of year is like catnip to me. The base of this recipe makes it ideal for kids and adults, using delicious apple juice from apples grown in Ovens by Meallagulla Orchards. If you want to amp up the heat a little more for the adults in the room, add a splash of Órr Irish Brandy made in Cork by the same people behind Stonewell Cider. Allow the spices to infuse for longer by making in a slow cooker.

Ingredients (serves 4-6, but easily doubles up)

• 750ml bottle of Mealagulla Orchards Apple Juice
• 1 tbsp Hanna’s Bees Wildflower Honey
• Spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, ½ star anise
• Optional: generous splash of Órr Irish Brandy
• Garnish: dried apple slices (I recommend Drink Botanical, based in Dublin)

Method

• Into the slow cooker, add the apple juice, honey and spices. Place on the lowest setting, cover and let it warm through gently for 30 minutes.
• Add the brandy (if using), stir, replace the lid and allow for everything to come back to an even temperature for ten minutes.
• Garnish the rim of a glass tumbler with a slice of dried apple and pour in the warming spiced apple juice.

Aged Egg Nog

I cannot begin to tell you how good this Aged Egg Nog recipe is - it is seriously addictive, you have been warned! Ideally, make a double batch – you can thank me later. Make the basic mix the day before, and it will age in the fridge. The mixture thickens and gets creamier as it ages, meaning all you have to do on the day is whip the egg whites, decant into a pretty glass and finish with fresh nutmeg. Delicious!

Ingredients (makes 6-8 servings)

• 6 free-range organic eggs – yolk and white separated
• 200g white granulated sugar
• 500ml whole milk
• 250ml of thick cream
• 350ml of Blacks of Kinsale Spiced Irish Rum
• Whole nutmeg

Method

• Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until creamy and the colour of the egg yolks has turned light yellow.
• Add the milk, cream and rum to the eggs and mix to combine.
• If aging, pour the mix into an airtight container and place in the fridge for 2-4 days (check for spoilage before consuming such as an off smell).
• When ready to serve, whip up the egg whites into just-stiff peaks, then fold into the aged egg nogg.
• Garnish with a grating of fresh nutmeg and a festive-looking paper straw.

The Cork Mule

One of my favourite cocktails of all time is the Mule - a spirit mixed with ginger, mint and lime. Depending on what spirit it used, the Mule can be Russian (vodka), Irish or Scottish (whiskey), Kentucky (bourbon) or Mexican (tequila). However, this Pure Cork take on the Mule uses the only absinthe distilled in Ireland, which just happens to be made right here in Cork by Rebel City Distillery.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• Half a lime, cut into wedges
• Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, skin on, sliced
• 10 fresh mint leaves (plus extra for garnish)
• 50 ml Rebel City Distillery Series Absinthe
• 10 ml simple syrup (1:1 ratio of white sugar and water)
• 4 drops of Beara Bitters Smoked Pear Bitters
• Poachers Ginger Beer with Irish Chilli

Method

• Put the lime, ginger and mint into a cocktail shaker and muddle for two minutes.
• Add absinthe, simple syrup and bitters.
• Fill with ice, close the lid tight and shake until chilled.
• Pour into a chilled glass filled with fresh ice, top with ginger ale, garnish with lime zest, mint leaves and ginger slices.

Crantini (serves 2)

Nothing screams Christmas like cranberries, and this lighter take on an all-alcohol martini makes the most of that blushing colour while serving up a beautifully balanced flavour of citrus, sweet and tart, using local and handcrafted spirits and Ireland’s only vermouth. This is a shaken cocktail, which you can turn into a spritz for some extra festive fun and sparkle.

Ingredients

• 50ml Rebel City Distillery Pomelo Vodka
• 35ml Valentia Island Vermouth
• 15ml Triple Sec
• 50ml cranberry juice
• 3 drops Beara Bitters Orange Bitters
• (Optional: top off with Cava for a spritz)
• Garnish: orange peel and fresh cranberries

Method

• Fill the martini glasses with ice.
• Into a cocktail shaker add vodka, vermouth, triple sec, cranberry juice and bitters. Fill the shaker with ice, clamp on the lid and shake until an icy film appears on the outside of the shaker.
• Empty your glass of ice. Knock off the top of the cocktail shaker and pour the cocktail through a strainer into your glass.
• Rub the rim of the glass with the orange peel. Skewer the peel and fresh cranberries on a cocktail stick and place into the glass to garnish.
• Turn this into a spritz by topping up the glass with Cava sparkling wine.