Video: The team at Bar One in Inverness demonstrate how to rustle up some festive cocktails in a flash

By Susan Welsh

December 22 2020, 5:00 pm

Ross Ketterer is on hand to help get us in the Christmas spirit with some fun cocktails that you can make at home.

During the first lockdown earlier this year, the mixologists behind the cocktail menus of some of the most-loved bars in Inverness launched Mix’d home delivery service.

Cru Holdings, which runs several bars in Inverness and Nairn, developed more than a dozen cocktails with mouth-watering names such as Raspberry Ripple Martini, Blood Orange Negroni, Singapore Sling and Bakewell Sour to name but a few.

The home delivery service was such a success the company decided to keep it going, and Mix’d now offers 20 types of fun and quirky cocktails which are made up and popped into pouches, which gives them a very long shelf life.

Created by award-winning mixologist and director of Cru Holdings, Grant Ross, the pouches, which serve two, can be delivered to addresses across the UK.

Here, Ross Ketterer, assistant manager at Bar One in Inverness which is part of the group, shows us how to make a number of fun festive cocktails

Unlike the cocktails made by Mix’d, these require no specialist ingredients or equipment, but you will need a clean jam jar with a lid or washed out milk jug if you don’t have a shaker, a sieve and an egg cup if you don’t have a measure.

Have fun making these at home – they really are delicious and simple to make.

Bargain Basement Bloody Mary

(Serves 1)

Ingredients

2 egg cups of vodka, or 50mls
Half an egg cup of Merlot (or any other red wine), or 25mls
Half an egg cup of lemon juice (fresh or from a bottle), or 25mls
4 egg cups of passata, or 100mls
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
Dash of Lea & Perrins
Tabasco sauce (optional)
Stick of celery

Method

Get a tall glass and fill it to the top with ice.
Add all the ingredients listed above to the glass.
If you like a spicy drink add lots of Tabasco, if not, just a dash or two.
Use a stick of celery to give everything a good stir around.

Ross says: “A perfect drink to start your day, but equally good as a hangover cure.”

Espresso martini

(Serves 1)

Ingredients

3 egg cups of vodka, or 75mls
1 x double shot of espresso (or one and a half tsps of Instant coffee dissolved in a small amount of boiling water)
Half an egg cup of simple syrup, or 12.5mls

Method

This drink needs to be given a good shake with ice cubes so if you don’t have a cocktail shaker use a protein drink shaker/Tupperware box/or a clean jam jar with a lid.
Pour all the ingredients into your container of choice. Add 4 or 5 ice cubes.
Pop the lid on and give everything a good shake.
Pour into a glass tumbler and say “cheers” before drinking!

Ross says: “To make a simple syrup mix together one egg cup of sugar and 1 egg cup of boiling water and mix until the sugar has all dissolved.”

Classic-ish white Russian

(Serves 1)

Ingredients

3 egg cups of vodka, or 75mls
Half an egg cup of simple syrup, or 12.5 mls
4 egg cups of milk (plain or chocolate flavoured), or 100mls
1 and a half tsp instant coffee, dissolved in just enough boiling water to cover it

Method

Grab something that will make a good cocktail shaker, such as a clean, old milk carton.
Add all the ingredients and 4-5 ice cubes. Put the lid on and give everything a really good shake.
Pour into a glass tumbler and serve.

Ross says: “I used milk flavoured by Cocoa Pops cereal to put a new twist on this classic winter cocktail.”