I’m very excited to be sharing a series of Christmas cocktails with you this season – all original and all delicious! The first holiday cocktail up uses Kahlua and Baileys – the Peppermint Mocha Cocktail!

Time for Christmas Cocktails!

Making new cocktail recipes is one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen. When I am making drinks for friends (alcoholic or not) there is no tiny step that I will skip. The funny thing is that I actually HATE making drinks for myself. Yes, the caps is truly necessary there.

Growing up, my dad always made drinks for everyone (and he still does!). His classic, which we call ‘The George’, is a mix of tea, honey, ginger, and lime (can’t believe I’m so casually spreading the secret recipe ;)). He always offers ‘tea’ after dinner and disappears into the kitchen for a good 45 minutes. I think that just writing this I have discovered where my love for making drinks comes from and the precision with which I insist on making them. The funny thing is that half of the time he wouldn’t have one himself. It’s almost laughable (scratch that, it’s very laughable) how this has stuck with me. I always ask Dan to get me a drink – whether it is a glass of water (like 5 times a day) or a cocktail (even after I have made one for 10 other people). Sorry Dan…

Starting off Sweet with Kahlua and Baileys

So, if you follow along here regularly you will know the style of cocktail that I gravitate toward. I traditionally love anything that is herby and fresh. Rosemary, thyme, grapefruit, lime, sparkling water, ginger – those are my favourite cocktail ingredients.  But today, with Christmas cocktails on my mind, I went for something a little bit sweet and chocolaty to kick off this series.  Starting with a base of Kahlua and Baileys (holiday cocktail classics!) I came up with this delicious cocktail that is served warm. It is a little bit chocolate-y, coffee-y and creamy but totally unique with hints of fresh mint and sea salt. Enjoy!!

Ingredients for 2 Peppermint Mocha Cocktails:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 3 tbsp looseleaf mint tea leaves
• 2 oz Baileys
• 2 oz Kahlua
• 1 cup whipping cream
• sugar/cocoa powder/ sea salt mix for garnish
• mint for garnish

How to Make the Peppermint Mocha Cocktail

1. Add 2 cups of milk to a saucepan and bring to a simmer
2. Steep 3 tablespoons of loose leaf tea or 2 tea bags in the hot milk until the tea is extracted (about 4 minutes).
3. Mix in the sugar/cocoa powder/salt mix and stir
4. Pour this mixture into 2 cups and add 1 shot each of Kahlua and Baileys to each drink
5. Top the drink off with a generous amount of whipping cream
6. Sprinkle some sugar/cocoa power/sea salt on the top of the drink and garnish with a sprig of mint

Shop the Table :

• Homemade cutting board (DIY tutorial in the attached post :))
• Glass Mugs from CB2
• Small Ceramic Spoons from CB2
• Black Fig Candle from CB2 (it smells SO good!)
• Wooden Coasters from CB2

Can’t wait for our next Holiday Cocktail to come out? In the meantime, try out the Pomegranate Twist or the Apple Cider Sangria!