Mickey Mullan
WELL just like that we find ourselves in December, this year has come and gone in a flash. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, unless you work behind a bar that is. For bar staff the world over it signals the busiest time of the year, every weekend is crazy and it’s impossible to get a taxi but, I’d much rather have the busyness of December over the quiet of January.
I do hope you all have a great Christmas, but remember it will take you longer to get served. Bar staff are putting in incredible hours for all your parties and nights out and have to put up with those ‘once a year drinkers’ who are not familiar with bar etiquette. The only thing I can ask you this festive period is to be kind.
Our love affair with alcohol is even more evident during the Festive period. There’s mulled wine and cider at the Christmas markets, adding Irish Cream to your coffee or just enjoying a lovely bottle of whiskey as a present. I’d not say no to any of these.
The smell of cinnamon in the air is unmistakable and many drinks companies see this time of year as an opportunity to release limited addition drinks. Aldi have released a selection of Irish Creams just in time for Christmas. We also have Christmas and winter flavoured gins, as well as Christmas ales and let’s not forget Santa enjoys a nice can of Guinness on Christmas Eve.
Christmas cocktails are becoming extremely popular, with many bars having special menus with a combination of hot and cold cocktails, and we are no different in Malones. Today, I will be showing you one of our Christmas cocktail specials, but for the first time ever on this column I’m not using an Irish product. However, as Malones is an Irish company, its origins are authentic. This is Gingle Bells.
GINGLE BELLS
Ingredients
—50ml Smuggles Winter Gin
—25ml cream
—1 egg white
—25ml maple syrup
—Ground nutmeg
Method
—Add the gin, cream, egg white, syrup in a Boston shaker
—Dry shake with no ice
—Then add ice and shake again
—Double strain into a coup glass
—Garnish with ground nutmeg
Mickey Mullan is a proud Derryman, an award-winning spirit enthusiast and the Manager of Malones Bar in Glasgow
