Hello, beautiful. Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 4 features the lovely Christmas Clementine Drop.
I stumbled across a cocktail recipe that called for freshly squeezed clementine juice and I felt like I was playing checkers and the author was playing 3D chess. Mind blown. It’s so stunningly simple, but had never crossed my mind before.
Clementines are the quintessential Christmas fruit. I’ve already eaten an entire crate of them and it’s only December 4th. I reached for my Aztec Chocolate Bitters when making this drink because I wanted to channel another of my favourite holiday treats, the Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
Wouldn’t recommend smashing this drink to pieces but it might get you smashed and you can certainly love it to bits.
What are your favourite holiday treats? Classic shortbread or sugar cookies? Something more exotic perhaps? Chime in on the comments and I’ll try to recreate one of your favourites on the blog, if I’m not too drunk after doing this cocktail advent calendar.
If you suggest something that is very technical or time-consuming, just make sure it’s worth the effort.
I made this Maple Mousse Butter Tart for my book club Christmas party over the weekend and was reminded why I don’t make a point of baking every weekend. The result was delicious but it was very labour-intensive and I didn’t even follow the directions for the maple mousse because I couldn’t find my gelatine.
Baking is chemistry, everything has to be painstakingly precise, both in quantity and temperature. The shortbread crust turned out quite well but is rather anxiety-induing when you promised to make dessert and aren’t sure how it will turn out.
So, when you make your suggestion in the comments below, please be kind.
Christmas Clementine Drop
- 1 to 2 clementines
- 1½ oz vodka
- ½ oz Grand Marnier
- 1 to 2 dashes Aztec Chocolate Bitters
-
Using a vegetable peeler, pull a long thin piece of peel from clementine. Avoid pith as much as possible. Cut a thin slit in centre of peel and reserve. Squeeze juice from clementines into a small bowl. Fine strain 1 oz juice and pour into a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, Grand Marnier and bitters. Add a handful of ice. Top with lid. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Gently twist reserved peel over drink, releasing oil. Garnish edge of glass with reserved peel.
Recipe adapted from: Walsh, Victoria. "Christmas Clementine Drop." Food & Drink. Holiday 2014.
