Treat Yourself drinks and dessert cocktails
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when the weather outside gets frightful, the treats served inside become extra delightful. Nights out become nights in, hosting your nearest and dearest and serving up a selection of winter cocktails filled with the flavours of the season.
Whether you've planned an impeccable dinner party or you're just keeping it casual with cosy clothes and cosier cocktails, these suggested recipes are the perfect hybrid of dessert indulgence and cocktail chic, a flawless end to a curated meal or something to just ward off the winter chill.
Baileys recipes for a cosy night in
There's something so effortlessly comforting about a winter night spent with Baileys - whether served neat or as the base for a warm drink or an inspired cocktail.
Hitting that perfect sweet spot between a dessert and a drink - with the smoothness of the cream and the subtle warmth of the the Irish whisky notes blending on the palate - there's a reason the Irish Cream liqueur is unrivalled and unmatched in its splendour.
Need a little inspiration to get more out of your moreish Baileys? These recipes should do the trick.
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Baileys Mudslide
Creamy. Chocolatey. Complete with a splash of vodka. What more could you need for the ultimate treat?
You'll need:
50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream
15ml vodka (we love Smirnoff for this, but use your favourite)
Chocolate syrup
Ice
To make:
Add your Baileys, vodka and ice to a blender and hit start
When your mixture is being blended, prepare a glass by drizzling lashings of chocolate syrup around the inside
Once your drink has finished blending, pour into your prepared glass and serve it however you like - some add sprinkles, some add marshmallows.
Baileys Tiramisu cocktail
With flavours of chocolate, coffee and vanilla, this martini reimagines the classic dessert with the sweetest of sips.
You'll need:
50ml Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
50ml coffee liqueur (something like Mr Black Cold Brew is perfect)
50ml vanilla vodka (either a flavoured bottle, like Smirnoff Vanilla, or infuse your own by adding vanilla beans to vodka and letting it sit for a few days, shaking occasionally)
50ml cold espresso (homemade or store bought espresso mix is fine)
Two tablespoons of double cream
To make:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all your ingredients
Shake hard for around 30 seconds - the outsider of the shaker should feel cold
Strain into a martini glass.
Baileys Espresso Martini
An espresso martini oozes elegance and cosiness. It invites you to sip sublime flavours and share salacious stories over dim lights. Made with Baileys Original Irish Cream, the eternally popular martini gets a moreish makeover.
You'll need:
50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream
25ml espresso
25ml vodka
Coffee Beans
To make:
Grab your cocktail shaker, fill it with ice cubes, then add everything but the coffee beans
Shake hard until the outside of the shaker is cold to the touch
Fine strain into a martini glass and add a couple of espresso beans for garnish.
Easy ways to elevate an Espresso Martini
Once you've mastered your moreish Baileys Espresso Martini, you might want, well, more out of it. And this timeless tipple is perfect to be switched up in simple yet impactful ways.
Make it extra seasonal with just a dash of syrup
From the creaminess of vanilla syrup for a touch of sweet to go with the coffee, or something like hazelnut or almond syrup for a nuttier texture, adding around 5-10ml of a flavoured syrup can transform your Espresso Martini immediately. If you really want to play with the reason for the season, look for festive flavours like cinnamon or gingerbread, too.
Garnish the drink and the glass
For extra oomph and flair, a few considered final touches to the finished drink transforms and transcends. Adding a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg or a few coffee beans is classic seasonal touch, for example, but you could also add a cocoa powder rim to your martini glass for an added treat. Edible glitter, a swirl of cream or shaved chocolate flakes will also impress any recipient - even if it's just a party of one.
Baileys Affogato
We're letting you in on a bit of a secret here. Sometimes, if you call something a name that sounds fancy, you get away with having a go-to dish in your repertoire that's really low effort and surprisingly simple. Affogato means 'drowned' in Italian, and this humble dessert simply involves 'drowning' some ice cream in Baileys and coffee.
But if you call it Baileys Affogato (or Baileys Affogato al Caffe, to really amp up la dolce vita), you can convince any guests you're serving up something masterful.
You'll need:
50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream
As many scoops of vanilla ice cream as you're craving
25ml freshly brewed espresso (or something like a Mr Black Coffee Liqueur could work instead)
Cocoa powder for garnish
To make:
Pour a chilled measure of Baileys over a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream, topped with a shot of strong, hot espresso or coffee liqueur (really, that's it! That's all you need for a dessert that feels decadent and dreamy)
Classic desserts reimagined as drinks
Have your cake - and drink it too!
The Trifle Cocktail
Just like the timeless dessert, this Trifle Cocktail conjures up similar flavours and flair.
You'll need:
50ml vodka
10ml raspberry liqueur (something like a Chambord)
40ml Drambuie
Cream or foam to top
To make:
First, in a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients with ice and shake hard
Strain into a chilled martini glass
Add a light layer of whipped cream or foam on top.
The Gin Apple Crumble
Slightly spiced and light on the palate, finish off a hearty meal with this pudding in a pour.
You'll need:
50ml gin
50ml apple juice
20ml cinnamon syrup
Dash of soda water
Apple slices
To make:
Pour all the ingredients into a Collins glass with ice
Stir well, and garnish with a few slices of apple.
The G&T(D) - the Gin and Turkish Delight
There might just be one letter of difference between the classic G&T and this sumptuous cocktail, but it's a world of flavour apart. While the timeless Gin and Tonic is evocative of warm nights and soft, soothing bubbles, the Gin and Turkish Delight awakes the juniper and florals of the spirit with some of the quintessential flavours of rose and sugary powder.
You'll need:
50ml of your favourite gin (we love a No.TEN for this, crisp and smooth)
25ml Cocoa Cream
10ml fresh lemon juice
10ml sugar syrup
One teaspoon of rose water
One teaspoon of vanilla essence or extract
One egg white (fresh or the store bought liquid)
To make:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice and shake hard for about 15 seconds (you shake without the ice to begin with - called a dry shake - so the egg white can get nice and foamy)
Next, add the ice and shake again for another 15-20 seconds
Strain into a coupe glass, being sure to get some of the froth to sit on top of the drink
Garnish with your choice of extras (something like rose petals or even a sprinkle of glitter could work well).
Dessert cocktails with a hint of spice or warmth
If you're more about bringing the heat instead of overdoing it on the sweet, these nightcaps and treat-worthy drinks are full of flavours that will warm you up from the inside out. Turn down the crackling fire, because all you need is these...
Hot Honey Blackberry Margarita
Tequila. Fiery honey. Blackberries. These flavours blend and balance for a twist on the classic cocktail that will feel like the ultimate post-dinner digestif with plenty of drama.
You'll need:
30ml Casamigos Reposado tequila
15ml Triple Sec
15ml Hot Honey*
A teaspoon of fresh lime juice
A handful of blackberries
To make:
*To start, prepare your hot honey in advance. To do this, muddle between two and five chillies (depending on your spice preference) in 15ml of honey in the bottom of a cocktail shaker
Next, in the same cocktail shaker, muddle in your blackberries (but keep a couple aside for garnish)
Follow by adding in the tequila, triple sec and lime juice with ice
Shake hard for about 30 seconds. The exterior of the shaker should feel cold to the touch when you're done
Double strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with leftover blackberries.
Salted Old Fashioned
If your treats are more cheeseboards and savoury snacks, a Salted Old Fashioned might just be the thing you've always been hoping for. Expect only the subtlest of sweet notes from the bourbon dancing delicately on the palate with the bitterness of citrus bitters and the sharpness of the sea salt cutting through that'll pair so well with cheeses, biscuits and other sundries.
Enough already, give us the menu, we hear you shout.
You'll need:
60ml bourbon (we love a Bulleit for this - it doesn't get more classic)
Three dashes of Angostura Bitters
One sugar cube
Sea salt
Orange twist (for zest and garnish)
To make:
In a whisky glass, muddle the sugar cube and bitters - you're done when the sugar has dissolved
Add a big cube of ice and then pour in your bourbon
Sprinkle in a tiny amount of sea salt and give a gentle stir, before zesting a slice of orange peel over the drink
Depending on your taste preference, you can then add another sprinkle of sea salt as a final garnish, along with the slice of orange.
Top tip: Swapping a bourbon for a rye or smoky whisky will make this even less sweet, for those who really want to open up the saltier, stronger flavours.
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The Bar Team
The Bar Team
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