Toast to the holiday season with these delicious and festive cocktail recipes from every mixologist’s best friend, ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters.

‘Tis the season to sip back with a fresh cocktail and have yourself a merry little tipple! And who better to invite to the festivities than ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters? Ask any bartender; with its rich bouquet of spice and fruit, Angostura will bring the festive cheer in just a dash (or two).

Whether you’re selecting cocktails for a work party or pairing recipes to your festive menu for family and friends, these cocktails shout ‘Happy Holidays’. You can thank Angostura later!

Merry Manhattan (courtesy of Foodess)

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml bourbon
• 30ml dry vermouth
• 2 dashes ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
• 5 tsp spiced simple syrup*

Combine all your cocktail ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice; give it a vigorous shake until you see the outside of the shaker becoming frosty. Pour the content into a tumbler.

*Spiced simple syrup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2" piece ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the side of a knife

Combine your sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until all the sugar dissolves. Then remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Leave the spices to steep for at least an hour before straining your spiced simple syrup into a glass jar. Cover and store your leftover syrup in the fridge.

Cardamom Old Fashioned (courtesy of Salted Plains)

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml bourbon
• 3 dashes ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
• 1 lemon peel
• Cinnamon stick for garnish
• 4 teaspoons cardamom simple syrup*

Add your cardamom simple syrup and ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters to a short glass. Give the syrup and bitters a swirl around in your glass before adding ice, bourbon and lemon peel, and stir.

Cardamom simple syrup*

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup organic cane sugar
• 1 Teaspoon cardamom seeds (or ½ teaspoon cardamom pods split open)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 Lemon peel
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Toast your cardamom seeds in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add your organic cane sugar, water, lemon peel, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir the mixture over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Leave it to simmer for 20 minutes and then remove the saucepan from the stove. Allow it to cool completely before straining your cardamon simple syrup into a glass jar. Cover and store in your fridge. 

Rudolph’s Sleigh Side Car

Ingredients

25 ml Lemon juice, raw7 ml ginger syrup7 ml cinnamon syrup30 ml Remy Martin15 ml Cointreau4-6 dashes Angostura bitters1 tablespoon Sugars, granulated1 lemon peel (optional)

Method:

Wet the rim of your glass and roll in sugar to create a sugared rim. Shake the rest of the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Serve in a sugar rimmed glass, with a lemon twist garnish.

Modern Mule

Ingredients:

• 30ml fresh lime juice
• 30ml simple syrup
• 45ml vodka
• 4-6 dashes ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
• Ice
• Ginger beer
• Lime wheel & candied ginger

Method:

Mix the lime juice, simple syrup and vodka into a shaker, then add ice. Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice. Add the bitters and top up with ginger beer, then stir. Add a lime wheel and candied ginger to garnish. Viola!

For more information on the Angostura range and delicious food and cocktail recipes please visit www.angosturabitters.com.

Follow Angostura South Africa on Facebook /Angostura South Africa and Instagram @AngosturaZA for fun facts, recipes and brand updates.