Easy New Year’s Eve Cocktails with Portia Freeman

New Year’s Eve Cocktails at home

It looks like this will be another year of kitchen discos for parties this New Year, so with this in mind we have some delish cocktails from Portia Freeman to enjoy at home this New Year’s Eve.  Think Margaritas 2.0, Gin Fizz that’s sure to liven up the party and Flat White martini cocktails to level-up your coffee cocktail game.

Portia’s Champagne Fizz with Gordon’s (2.2 units per serving)

Ingredients
Fresh thyme sprigs
20ml Gordon’s London Dry Gin (0.8 units)
15ml elderflower cordial
Juice of half a lemon
15ml star anise and cranberry syrup
115ml champagne (1.4 units)
To garnish: redcurrants, a sprig of frosted thyme (sugared)

To make the cranberry & star anise Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 cups of fresh cranberries
Zest & juice of 1 orange
2 star anise

Method to make the cranberry & star anise syrup:
Add the star anise, orange zest and orange juice to pan over medium heat and warm for about 30 seconds
Slowly add your sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved
Reduce heat, simmer for 5 mins, take off the heat and set aside to cool
Strain and store in an airtight container. It will last in the fridge for 3 weeks

Method to make the cocktail:
Dip your sprigs of thyme into water then dip into sugar. Set to one side.
Add your Gordon’s London Dry Gin, elderflower cordial, 2 sprigs of thyme, lemon juice and syrup to a shaker. Add ice and shake.
Strain into your coupe, top with Champagne and garnish with the sugared thyme sprigs & redcurrants.

Portia’s Blood Orange Highball with Johnnie Walker Black Label (2 units per serve):

Ingredients 

• 50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label (2 units) 
• 10ml autumn-spiced syrup
• Italian blood orange soda
• To garnish: orange wheel with cloves and sprig of rosemary

To make the autumn-Spiced Syrup: 

• 400ml water
• 120g Demerara Sugar
• 90g granulated sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• thumb size of fresh ginger chopped in half
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 6 cardamom pods (crushed up to release flavour but still whole)
• 1 vanilla pod sliced open
• 8 whole cloves 

Method to make the autumn-spiced syrup: 

1. Add all ingredients to a pan and dissolve sugar over a medium heat, reduce heat and allow to gently simmer for 10 minutes. 
2. Take your syrup off the heat and allow it to cool.
3. Strain into bottle using a fine sieve and store in the fridge for upto 2-3 weeks

Method to make the cocktail: 

1. Carefully set light to a sprig of rosemary. Once smoking, place a highball glass over the tip and pop aside
2. Apply your cloves to an orange wheel then set to one side.
3. Take your rocks glass and add Johnnie Walker Black Label, autumn-spiced syrup and ice. Using a stirrer or swizzle stick, swizzle for 15 rotations then add your orange wheel. 
4. Top with blood orange soda and garnish with rosemary. 

Portia’s Pomegranate & Cranberry Mar’Granita with Casamigos Tequila (2.2 units per serve)

Ingredients 

• 50ml Casamigos Blanco Tequila (2 units) 
• 20ml lime juice
• 50ml pomegranate juice
• 10ml cranberry syrup
• 25ml prosecco (0.2 units) 
• To garnish: pomegranate arils, pink peppercorn shells, cinnamon and sugar rim, lime wheel/zest

Method

1. Scatter the sugar & cinnamon on a plate or flat surface, dampen the rim of the glass and then place the glass downwards into the sugar & cinnamon mix until you have a lovely frosted rim. 
2. Add your peppercorn shells to the sugar & cinnamon rim & set to one side.
3. Add the cocktail ingredients, including Casamigos Blanco Tequila, to your shaker, top with ice and shake.
4. Pour into a freezer-proof dish and freeze for up to 2-3hrs, stirring every 30-45mins.
5. Remove from the freezer and add the frozen Mar’Granita to the glass. Top with Prosecco and garnish with pomegranate seeds.