Claus Cup

Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 5 – Claus Cup. Baking spice blends with bitter amaro and citrus in this refreshing low-ABV cocktail. Get fancy with your garnish and make your cucumber ribbon look like a Christmas tree topped with a grapefruit peel star. 

Punt e Mes is a starring ingredient in this cocktail but can be a bit hard to find in Ontario. You can often find it at boutique bottle shops like the one tucked at the back of La Bottega in the Byward Market here in Ottawa.

Punt e Mes, which translates to “one point and a half” from Italian, is an Italian vermouth. is an Italian vermouth. It is dark brown in color and has a bitter flavor. According to its producer, the name refers to the flavor being characterized as half a “point” of bitterness and one “point” of sweetness. If you can’t get your hands on the stuff, you can swap the 1 oz of Punt e Mes for 3/4 oz sweet vermouth and 1/4 oz bitter amaro like Fernet Branca.

The Claus Cup has everything you need to make a balanced cocktail – bitter, sweet, spice, herbal elements, and citrus. Lengthened with a combination of club soda and tonic water and topped with a fun seasonal garnish, this is a crowd-pleasing cocktail sure to delight your guests.

Cynar is another key ingredient in this drink – a bitter Italian aperitif made from a combination of 13 different plants and herbs, chief of which is artichoke. It is fantastic when paired with fresh grapefruit.

Cynar is often available at the LCBO here in Ontario but if you’re having trouble getting your hands on it, feel free to substitute for a different amaro like Amaro Montenegro which we’ll be using later in the calendar. As I always say, it’s about participation, not perfection.

Be sure to tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern for a step-by-step cocktail tutorial on how to make this low-ABV sipper.

Cheers, friends!

Claus Cup

Print

Claus Cup

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

Baking spice blends with bitter amaro and citrus in this refreshing low-ABV cocktail.

Keyword: Let’s Get Blitzen

Servings: 1 drink

Author: Yvonne Langen

Ingredients

• ¾ oz club soda
• ¾ oz tonic water
• 1 grapefruit twist
• 1 slice of cucumber
• 1 oz gingerbread syrup
• ¾ oz lime juice
• 1 oz Cynar
• 1 oz Punt e Mes or 3/4 oz sweet vermouth & 1/4 oz Fernet Branca/bitter amaro
• Garnish: cucumber ribbon
• Garnish: grapefruit peel cut into a star
• Garnish: mint bouquet

Gingerbread Syrup

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp fancy molasses
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger thinly sliced
• 1 tsp whole allspice berries
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Charge a snifter with club soda and tonic water.
2. Add grapefruit twist and cucumber slice to a shaker tin with syrup and muddle.
3. Add remaining ingredients with ice and shake until well-chilled.
4. Pour into prepared glass over pebbled ice.
5. Garnish with mint bouquet and a cucumber ribbon skewered on a cocktail pick to create the look of a Christmas tree. Add a grapefruit peel star to the end of the skewer.

Gingerbread Syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. Fine strain into an airtight container.
5. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.