Christmas Pudding Vodka

Today’s post was going to be about the wonderful Christmas spiced biscuits that I was going to make yesterday afternoon. The best laid plans of mice and men, however, failed to take into account that I was having some friends over for a boozy ‘Christmas’ brunch (Christmas mainly being an excuse) and that our plans for a bit of Christmas shopping afterwards would get altered by rain and the promise of mulled cider.

Basically, I was going to bake, but by the time I’d made pancakes (recipe said ‘for 4-6 people’; three of us sorted that lot out), drunk some mimosa, drunk some mulled cider, gone through a large sharing platter of meats, cheeses and dips with the afore-mentioned partners in crime, and polished off a glass of port baking wasn’t really on the cards. Oh well, as those Morrisons TV ads keep telling us, it’s Christmas.

In lieu of a bunch of festive biscuits and owing to what put them to one side, it seems fitting to go with a Christmas drink post. I started this year’s mulled gin the other night (see above, with added chopsticks for stirring) but as it won’t be ready until next weekend it’s going to be Christmas Pudding Vodka.

I came across this recipe online a few years back, and whilst I’ve now no idea where it came from, I feel it’s evolved sufficiently not to be a breach of copyright.

I don’t drink a huge amount of vodka these days, but this one was sweet enough to merit its place in the alcohol cabinet last Christmas. Hints of cinnamon, orange and spice definitely give it the festive, warming edge you need at this time, so I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something tasty that goes down easily. It would also be a great gift, if you’re looking for that home-made feel.

This recipe is based on one I found online - names and events have been altered to protect the guilty. It makes 500ml.

Ingredient

500ml vodka
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
peel of an orange
peel of a lemon
25g raisins
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Directions

Take all the dry ingredients and pour them into a 750 ml preserving jar, then add the peels and raisins before pouring in the vodka. Shake the jar until the sugar dissolves.

Store the jar in a cool dark place for 10-14 days (until it is a dull orange and opaque), shake it every day or two.

Strain the vodka through a muslin - or, if you’re like me, a sieve with kitchen roll - and pour into pre-sterilised glass bottles; decorate with the cinnamon stick.

Serve over ice, with tonic.