Children’s Christmas Cocktails

This is a recipe that I have created myself and shared with many a mother at my children’s school. I feel it unjust when all the adults are enjoying Champagne or Prosecco over Christmas and the New Year that children have only juices or Coca Cola and other fizzy drinks to choose from during the festive season.

This is also a delicious beverage to offer those guests that are driving home after the party and want something very colourful and delicious to participate in the jovial atmosphere.

I always make sure I buy really fresh clementines: you can tell if the outside is in any way blemished or bruised that the fruit is old and will not yield a great deal of juice. The secret of success is really plump, fresh clementines, good quality grenadine (which is a pomegranate cordial) and excellent lemonade. The brand names of Monin and Fever Tree are firm favourites in my house.

A few maraschino cherries, chilled glasses, cocktail sticks with pom-poms and a tray covered with a jaunty cloth add that certain feeling of celebration and care.

Ingredients to serve 4 people

Juice from 12 good sized, fresh clementines

1 extra clementine, sliced into rounds

Juice from 1 lime

1 shot glass of Monin grenadine cordial

250 ml. good quality lemonade

4 chilled glasses

4 maraschino cherries on 4 cocktail sticks

Method

Pour the fresh clementine and lime juice in a jug. Add the grenadine and mix well.

Pour the lemonade into the jug and stir.

Pour the cocktail into the chilled glasses and serve immediately with the cherries and clementine slices on toothpicks.