Christmas Cocktails and Christmas Canapés from Butlers in the Buff
We know that Christmas is all about family, love and gifts. But food and drink play a big part in any Christmas party or event you host. If you’re looking for Christmas cocktails and Christmas canapés, you’ve come to the right place.
Here at Butlers in the Buff, we like to make your party stress-free. That’s why we’ve gathered our favourite Christmas food and drink recipes in one place, so you don’t have to worry. To de-stress even further, why not book a Butler in the Buff to serve these amazing Christmas cocktails and canapés?
Christmas Cocktails
Salted Caramel Rum Hot Chocolate – Christmas drink #1
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 25ml dark rum
- 2 tsp dulce de leche / thick caramel
- 150ml whole milk
- 50g milk chocolate (chopped)
- Flaky sea salt
Method:
- Mix the rum and caramel in a bowl until smooth
- Warm the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until simmering
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate – stir until melted
- Heat the pan again until warm
- Add the rum mixture and a pinch of salt to taste
- Pour into a large mug to serve
- TIP: to make it extra special, use glass mugs and add whipped cream, cherries and a chocolate flake to garnish
Christmas Alexander – Christmas drink #2
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 40ml Cognac
- 30ml white crème de cacao
- 15ml almond milk
- 15ml double cream
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp peeled pistachios
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients apart from the star anise and pistachios in a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and mix again
- Strain the mixture into a stemmed cocktail glass
- Grate one pistachio over the drink
- Garnish with the remaining pistachios and the star anise
Hot Toddy – Christmas drink #3
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 ½ parts whisky
- 1/3 part honey syrup
- 3 parts hot water
- 3 dried cloves
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Slice of lemon
- Cinnamon sticks
Method:
- Combine the whisky, honey syrup, hot water and cloves in a glass and stir well
- Squeeze in lemon juice to taste
- Remove the cloves
- Garnish with a slice of lemon and cinnamon sticks
Treacle Cocktail – Christmas drink #4
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 tsp sugar syrup
- 3 dashes orange bitters
- 2 parts Bacardi 8 year old rum
- 1 part cloudy apple juice
- Orange twist
Method:
- Put the sugar syrup and bitters into a glass
- Add 2 cubes of ice and roughly 10ml of the Bacardi and stir well
- Add more ice and the remainder of the rum and stir again
- Pour in the apple juice slowly and gently stir
- Garnish with a twist of orange peel
Candy Cane Martini – Christmas drink #5
Minty, creamy and very festive. This one is sip-ready in seconds!
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 1/4 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1 1/4 ounces white crème de cacao
- 3/4 ounce peppermint schnapps
- 1 peppermint sweet
- Ice
Method:
- Combine the vanilla vodka, white crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps in an ice-filled cocktail shaker
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a cocktail glass
- Garnish with the peppermint sweet
Cooked Custard Eggnog – Christmas drink #6
A rich, creamy Christmas classic that’s made for sharing. Pour it into a punch bowl and tuck in!
Ingredients (serves 10, using cup measures):
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 5 large eggs (you’ll use the yolks)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups double cream
- 1 cup dark rum
- Grated nutmeg
Method:
- Prepare an ice-water bath
- In a medium saucepan, scald 2 cups of the milk
- Meanwhile, whisk the 5 egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high until very thick and pale yellow (approx. 3–5 minutes)
- Add half the scalded milk to the yolk mixture and whisk until blended
- Stir this into the remaining scalded milk and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in 1 cup of the cream
- Pass the mixture through a sieve into a medium mixing bowl set in the ice-water bath
- Leave to stand, stirring from time to time, until chilled
- Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and the 1 cup dark rum
- Transfer the eggnog to a punch bowl or individual glasses
- Whip the remaining 1 cup of cream to soft peaks
- Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg
Santa’s Tipple Over – Christmas drink #7
A festive little shot with a cherry on top. Voilà! It really is that easy!
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 tbsp ginger syrup (from a stem-ginger jar)
- A good dash of grenadine
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 1 tbsp Cointreau, or cherry brandy
- 1–2 tsp lime juice
- 1 maraschino cherry
Method:
- Spoon the ginger syrup into a shot glass
- Add the grenadine and then the rest of the ingredients
- Serve with a cherry on a stick
Christmas Canapés
Mini Venison and Blueberry Dogs – Christmas Canapés #1
Ingredients (makes 32):
- 12 venison sausages
- 2 tbsp blueberry conserve
- 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 brioche rolls
- Sprig of thyme
Method:
- Roast the sausages according to the packet instructions and cut into thick slices
- Mix the blueberry conserve with the balsamic vinegar
- Toast the brioche rolls and cut each one into 4 – then slice the tops down the middle
- Put a piece of sausage in each and top with the conserve mix
- Garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve warm
Cashew Caramels – Christmas Canapés #2
Ingredients (makes 40):
- 375g toasted cashews
- 125g butter
- 350ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 250ml golden syrup
- 400g golden caster sugar
- Sea salt (for sprinkling on top)
Method:
- Line a 20cm square tin with foil, rub with olive oil and add half the cashews to the tin
- Add the butter, cream and vanilla to a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat
- In a large saucepan, heat the sugar and syrup until it reaches 155°C (do not stir!)
- Turn off the heat and carefully add the cream to the mixture
- Stir together and heat again until it reaches 125°C
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining cashews
- Pour into the tin, sprinkle over salt to taste and leave to cool
- When firm, cut into pieces (it takes around 4 hours to cool completely)
Bourbon-glazed Pork Belly Chunks – Christmas Canapés #3
Ingredients (serves 6):
- 200ml bourbon whiskey
- 1 star anise
- 800g pork belly
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- Chives and soured cream to serve (optional)
Method:
- Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3
- Pour 100ml of the bourbon into a shallow roasting tin and add the star anise
- Season the pork belly and add to the tin – cover tightly with foil
- Bake for 3 hours, then leave to cool for around an hour
- Remove the pork from the tin and cut into small bite-size chunks
- Roast for 20 minutes until crisp and sizzling
- Mix the ketchup, soy sauce, honey and remaining bourbon in a pan
- Set over a high heat and cook for 5 minutes
- Pour over the pork belly chunks, then roast again for a further 10 minutes
- Serve the chive and soured cream dip on the side and skewer the pork belly with cocktail sticks
Brie and Cranberry Twists – Christmas Canapés #4
Ingredients (makes 18):
- 12 sheets filo pastry
- 100g melted butter
- 250g brie, cut into 18 chunks
- 18 tsp cranberry sauce
- 50g chopped walnuts
- Handful of poppy seeds
Method:
- Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7
- Stack 2 of the filo sheets and, with the widest edge facing you, brush with some melted butter
- Put 3 brie fingers at even intervals across the bottom of the filo
- Top each finger with 1 tsp cranberry sauce, then sprinkle over a few chopped walnuts
- Roll up the filo from the bottom, cut into 3 parcels and twist the ends to seal
- Brush with more butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients
- Bake for 10 minutes
- Ready to serve!
Let a Butler in the Buff serve your Christmas party
Why not let a hunky butler hand round your Christmas cocktails and canapés? Our butlers start from £150, and most bookings last 2 hours. We suggest 1 butler for every 10–15 guests.
Planning a festive hen do? Our hen party cocktail class lasts 2 hours, and everyone makes 3 cocktails. It’s from £35 per person, for groups of 10 or more.
For more drinks inspiration, browse our cocktail recipes. And for extra festive fun, download our party game pack.
Ready to take the stress out of Christmas? Get an instant quote today.
