07 December 2007
Enjoy the 'Coke' Side of a Cocktail This Christmas
It's here, whether you love it or loathe it; the party season is upon us. But how can you survive late nights, endless parties and the stress and strain of Christmas shopping?
The advice from Coca-Cola Great Britain is 'Pace Yourself'. Don't overdo the demon drink and you'll sail through the season. To help you achieve this without taking the fun out of Christmas, Coca-Cola Great Britain has enlisted top London bartender, Andy Pearson from Roast. He's created a range of delicious and festive non-alcoholic cocktails using drinks from the Coca-Cola Company.
He says: "Coca-Cola Great Britain offers a wide range of soft drinks suitable for drinking on their own or mixed as part of a cocktail this Christmas. The company has something for everyone - whether it's a pure fruit juice such as 'Minute Maid', a still fruit drink like 'Oasis' or a low sugar option for those watching the calories.
Here are my ideas for a breather from alcohol this Christmas - there's no need to compromise on flavour, non-alcoholic cocktails taste just as good as the real thing."
This cocktail is perfect for Christmas with the sweet almond taste, reminiscent of panettone.
Ingredients:
7.5ml almond syrup
5ml fresh lime juice
Top up with 'Coke Zero'
Lime spiral
Method:
Mix together the almond syrup and fresh lime juice. Fill glass with ice cubes and pour mixture over the top. Top up with 'Coke Zero'. Garnish with a lime spiral.
A 'Collins' is usually a long drink featuring a spirit, a citrus juice, a sweetener and a sparkling ingredient. This is the gentler non-alcoholic version to spruce up your Christmas brunch.
Ingredients:
8 fresh grapefruit chunks
1 tsp honey
5ml ginger syrup
Top up with 'Schweppes Straightcut' Grapefruit & Mandarin
Method:
Crush the grapefruit and honey, add the ginger syrup and top up with 'Schweppes Straightcut' Grapefruit & Mandarin. Serve in a sling glass.
A combination of luxurious passionfruit and mango makes this a festive fruity little number.
Ingredients:
10 fresh mango chunks
1 fresh passionfruit
1 tsp caster sugar
50ml 'Five Alive' Citrus Burst
25ml 'Five Alive' Tropical Hit
Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass.
Based on the classic cosmopolitan cocktail, this is a simple yet tasty creation guaranteed to bring extra glamour to your Christmas celebration.
Ingredients:
1 orange wedge
1 lime wedge
½ tsp caster sugar
75ml 'Minute Maid' Red Grape & Raspberry Juice Drink
Orange spiral
Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange spiral.
The spiciness of this cocktail evokes memories of fragrant Christmas foods and would be the perfect accompaniment with mince pies.
Ingredients:
5 apricots
150ml 'Minute Maid' Orange Juice
3cm fresh ginger, grated
Method:
Take out the apricot stones, crush the apricots in a cocktail shaker. Add the ginger and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a highball glass.
A heady combination of strawberries and basil makes this a deliciously fresh and fruity cocktail, perfect as an alternative aperitif.
Ingredients:
6 fresh strawberries
1.5 basil leaves
2.5ml lemon juice
150ml 'Oasis' Summer Fruits
Method:
Crush 5 strawberries and basil in a cocktail shaker. Add the 'Oasis' Summer Fruits, shake and strain into a martini glass. Make a cut in a strawberry, put a basil leaf inside and place on the rim of the martini glass to garnish.
Notes to Editors:
The advice from Coca-Cola Great Britain is 'Pace Yourself'. Don't overdo the demon drink and you'll sail through the season. To help you achieve this without taking the fun out of Christmas, Coca-Cola Great Britain has enlisted top London bartender, Andy Pearson from Roast. He's created a range of delicious and festive non-alcoholic cocktails using drinks from the Coca-Cola Company.
He says: "Coca-Cola Great Britain offers a wide range of soft drinks suitable for drinking on their own or mixed as part of a cocktail this Christmas. The company has something for everyone - whether it's a pure fruit juice such as 'Minute Maid', a still fruit drink like 'Oasis' or a low sugar option for those watching the calories.
Here are my ideas for a breather from alcohol this Christmas - there's no need to compromise on flavour, non-alcoholic cocktails taste just as good as the real thing."
Almond Amour
This cocktail is perfect for Christmas with the sweet almond taste, reminiscent of panettone.
Ingredients:
7.5ml almond syrup
5ml fresh lime juice
Top up with 'Coke Zero'
Lime spiral
Method:
Mix together the almond syrup and fresh lime juice. Fill glass with ice cubes and pour mixture over the top. Top up with 'Coke Zero'. Garnish with a lime spiral.
Gentle Collins
A 'Collins' is usually a long drink featuring a spirit, a citrus juice, a sweetener and a sparkling ingredient. This is the gentler non-alcoholic version to spruce up your Christmas brunch.
Ingredients:
8 fresh grapefruit chunks
1 tsp honey
5ml ginger syrup
Top up with 'Schweppes Straightcut' Grapefruit & Mandarin
Method:
Crush the grapefruit and honey, add the ginger syrup and top up with 'Schweppes Straightcut' Grapefruit & Mandarin. Serve in a sling glass.
Responsible Passion
A combination of luxurious passionfruit and mango makes this a festive fruity little number.
Ingredients:
10 fresh mango chunks
1 fresh passionfruit
1 tsp caster sugar
50ml 'Five Alive' Citrus Burst
25ml 'Five Alive' Tropical Hit
Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass.
62nd Cosmo
Based on the classic cosmopolitan cocktail, this is a simple yet tasty creation guaranteed to bring extra glamour to your Christmas celebration.
Ingredients:
1 orange wedge
1 lime wedge
½ tsp caster sugar
75ml 'Minute Maid' Red Grape & Raspberry Juice Drink
Orange spiral
Method:
Crush the fruit and the sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange spiral.
Spice Grove
The spiciness of this cocktail evokes memories of fragrant Christmas foods and would be the perfect accompaniment with mince pies.
Ingredients:
5 apricots
150ml 'Minute Maid' Orange Juice
3cm fresh ginger, grated
Method:
Take out the apricot stones, crush the apricots in a cocktail shaker. Add the ginger and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a highball glass.
Fruit Burst
A heady combination of strawberries and basil makes this a deliciously fresh and fruity cocktail, perfect as an alternative aperitif.
Ingredients:
6 fresh strawberries
1.5 basil leaves
2.5ml lemon juice
150ml 'Oasis' Summer Fruits
Method:
Crush 5 strawberries and basil in a cocktail shaker. Add the 'Oasis' Summer Fruits, shake and strain into a martini glass. Make a cut in a strawberry, put a basil leaf inside and place on the rim of the martini glass to garnish.
Notes to Editors:
- Coca-Cola Great Britain (CCGB) is a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), the third largest bottled water producer in the world and owner of the Coca-Cola trade mark globally as well as over 400 other brands. CCGB is responsible for marketing 20 brands (over 100 products) in Great Britain, developing new brands and extending existing brands. 36% of CCGB products now contain low or no sugar, 49% of all 'Coke' products sold are sugar free. For more information on the full range of drinks please visit www.coca-cola.co.uk/ourbrands/
- First invented in Covington, Georgia by John Pemberton, 'Coca-Cola' has grown into a very important British business and now employs over 4,500 people in six factories spread across the Great Britain, with our Wakefield factory the biggest soft drinks factory in the world.
- CCGB is committed to reducing the amount of packaging materials used in the production of its drinks whilst retaining high standards of quality and performance to give consumers what they want. CCGB currently recycles over 90% of the waste from its UK manufacturing sites and remains focused on working to minimise its impact through research and new technologies to reduce the environmental effect of manufacturing and equipment. For more information on Coca-Cola Great Britain's commitments to recycling here in GB, please visit www.cokecorporatersponsibility.co.uk
- 'Coca-Cola', 'Coke', 'Five Alive' and 'Minute Maid' are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company. 'Oasis' and 'Schweppes Straightcut' are registered trade marks of Atlantic industries.
