The countdown to the holidays is officially on, festive to-do lists seem never-ending and our inboxes are still oh so busy. Whether you are packing your suitcase for that special much-awaited trip or staying at home for the holiday season, the following tried-and-tested cocktails from bucketlist year-round getaway destinations are bound to fill you with merry cheer from across the globe. Let the top mixologists of Lake Como, Venice and Botswana’s Okavango Delta treat you to an indulging moment of R&R with their signature winter cocktails- regardless of whether you are on the naughty or nice list!
Hilton Lake Como, Italy- The Sphere
Benefiting from jaw-dropping panoramic scenery, Hilton Lake Como’s popular rooftop restaurant, Terrazza 241, is the ideal place to relax and rejoice over the festive period and beyond with a tantalizing new menu and winter garden, specially created to enjoy the 360-degree panoramic views throughout the winter months. Famous for its stunning scenery, high-profile visitors and fairytale villages, Città dei Balocchi transforms Como into a winter wonderland with magical twinkling lights projected on the historic walls and streets, Christmas markets and a local ice-skating rink in full festive swing.
Guests and locals alike are encouraged to try The Sphere by Vincenzo Sulmona, Rooftop Manager of Terrazza 241. The Sphere is a new sensory experience to be enjoyed, sipped and then eaten: a chocolate sphere filled with a hazelnut parfait mixed with a coffee digestive.
The Sphere
Ingredients:
- Bourbon Whiskey 35 ml
- Frangelico 10 ml
- Caffè ristretto 25 ml
- Vanilla syrup 10 ml
- Chocolate sphere
Instructions:
- Place the Chocolate sphere in a Coupe Glass
- Shake all ingredients together with ice
- Gently insert the cocktail into the sphere with the help of a syringe
- Cover the hole at the top of the sphere with a chocolate bean
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Italy- The Gin Tea
Venice is in full-festive swing as the iconic city gets ready to celebrate the holiday season and prepares for the approaching New Year Carnival. Guests of the five-star Hilton Molino Stucky Venice can savour special harmonious moments at the eforea Spa, indulge in the hotel’s festive sweets cart, and dine in style over the holidays while the little ones will enjoy Christmas cookie making classes. Guests and locals alike can treat themselves to the new hot winter cocktails menu at the hotel’s Skyline Rooftop Bar, the highest bar in Venice with arguably the top view to take in a winter Venetian sunset. Skyline Bar Manager Gabriele Cusimano recommends his signature winter-warmer, the new Gin Tea.
The Gin Tea
Ingredients:
• 45 ml Gin
• 10ml Fernet
• 20ml Skyline’s homemade Tonic Syrup (see recipe below)
• A splash of hot water
Skyline’s homemade Tonic Syrup:
•Tonic water
• Cardamom
• Juniper
•Lemon peel
Bring the tonic water to a boil and stir in sugar. Add the lemon zest, cardamom, and juniper. After boiling, let the syrup cool and filter.
Instructions:
• Build up all the ingredients in a glass mug
• Add hot water to the mix
• Add lemon peel to release the essential oils
• To garnish add two juniper berries and two cardamom berries
