SO there's a cocktail which honours the two best things about Christmas here in Ireland: The Pogues, and getting hammered!
This Fairytale of New York cocktail just feels like a no brainer at this time of year.
Christmas isn't Christmas without this 1987 absolute classic, and many would agree that Christmas isn't Christmas without knocking back a few whiskeys either.
So we've found this drink which provides you the opportunity to experience both.
The cocktail itself can more or less be described as a festive Old Fashioned, in that it's gift wrapped with something called 'Winter Warmth' syrup.
It's a spice and fruit infused syrup which blends perfectly with the sweetness of the ironically named angostura bitters to counteract the sharpness of the whiskey.
It's a cocktail which clearly has roots of Christmastime at its core, and it’s totally suitable for the rest of winter too.
If you fancy a few of these over the coming days, here's how to make one, courtesy of Aperitif Friday:
Straining the syrup (Credit: Smitten Kitchen)What you will need:
For the "Winter Warmth" syrup:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup raw, demerara, or turbinado sugar (granulated works too)
- 1/2 apple – peeled, cored, and diced
- 1/2 pear – peeled, cored, and diced
- 12 walnuts
- 3 cinnamon sticks, broken up
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 whole nutmeg
For the Fairytale of New York cocktail
- 1 oz Winter Warmth Syrup
- Orange peel
- 3 dashes of bitters (orange, walnut, or angostura will work)
- 3 oz good Irish whiskey
- Ice
- Cinnamon stick
Fairytale of New York cocktail (Credit: Smitten Kitchen)How to make it:
- Combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer
- Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar dissolves, continue simmering for 15-20 minutes
- Cool on the stovetop for 2 hours, then single-strain the syrup into a glass jar and place in the fridge (it will keep for 3 weeks - so be creative with it!)
- Combine the Winter Warmth syrup, an orange peel and bitters into a cocktail glass
- Muddle the ingredients with a wooden muddler or the back of a spoon
- Add Irish whiskey and large cubes of ice
- Stir using a cinnamon stick
