Greek-inspired Christmas cocktails

Celebrating Christmas in summer comes with certain perks, and a lot of them centre around a thirst-quenching cocktail on a warm summers day.

Here a 5 Greek-inspired Christmas cocktails that will give your Christmas day a touch of Greek summer:

Metaxa Mojito

Ingredients:

• 4 sprigs fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 15ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 45ml Metaxa
• 15ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed ice
• 30ml tonic water, chilled

Method:

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint with the brown sugar and lime juice.
2. Add the Metaxa, lemon juice and ice.
3. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
4. Top with a splash of the club soda.

Ouzo and Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 60ml ouzo
• 45ml lemon juice
• 3 mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 90ml water (iced)

Method:

1. Pour ouzo into glass.
2. Add lemon juice and mint leaves, muddle to release flavours in mint leaves.
3. Add honey and mix until honey dissolves.
4. Pour water in glass and mix. If needed, add more water to dilute the ouzo taste.

*Alternatively, mixing ouzo, ice and Sprite is an extremely simple and refreshing drink!

Blueberry & Lemon Mastiha Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 60ml Mastiha Liqueur, chilled
• 90ml soda water, chilled
• 1 lemons
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cups crushed ice

Method:

1. Poke/open each blueberry to release flavour.
2. Combine Mastiha Liqueur and blueberries, refrigerate for 30 minutes to soak.
3. In a freezer safe container spread blueberries in a single layer and freeze for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Cut lemon in half for a fresh squeeze of lemon juice in each cocktail.
5. To serve: add 1/2 cup crushed ice, 1/2 cup Mastiha Liqueur blueberries, 30ml Mastiha Liqueur, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and fill to the top with sparkling soda water.

Ouzotini (from 1821 Restaurant, Sydney)

Ingredients:

• 15ml ouzo
• 30ml Absolut Vodka
• 15ml Peach Schnapps
• cinnamon stick
• lime

Method:

1. Pour ouzo, Absolut Vodka and Peach Schnapps into cocktail shaker.
2. Mix together with muddled mint and lime.
3. Shake until slightly diluted.
4. Pour into glass, garnish with lime and cinnamon stick.

Cucumber, Lime and Tsipouro

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tablespoons tsipouro
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) cucumber juice
• 1/4 of a lime
• 1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 3 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup tonic water
• 4 ice cubes
• Ice cubes, 2 green olives (pitted), cucumber slices (to serve)

Method:

1. To extract cucumber juice, blend the cucumbers in the blender or food processor and put a large piece of cheesecloth over a bowl. Pour the pureed cucumbers over the cheesecloth, wrap tightly and squeeze hard.
2. In a shaker, lightly muddle the mint with the sugar, salt, and lime.
3. Add the tsipouro, the cucumber juice, and the ice cubes and shake very well.
4. Pour in a tall glass, add soda water, 2-3 cucumber slices, and fill with ice cubes.
5. Pierce the olives with a toothpick and place them on the rim of the glass.