After delivering all those presents, jolly Saint Nick needs a little something to take the edge off, and his go to tipple is the Santa’s Sour Cocktail. The Santa’s Sour mixes Bourbon, fresh Lime juice, homemade Holiday Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup and egg white. Finished off with a few drops of walnut bitters, this is the ultimate festive evening sipper. We hope you enjoy the Christmas cocktails below. Cheers and Merry Christmas! Jump to Recipe
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make A Santa’s Sour Cocktail?
The Alcohol
Recommended Florida Bourbon: Florida Double Cask Bourbon – St. Augustine Distillery
Our favorite Florida Bourbon is Florida Double Cask Bourbon from St. Augustine Distillery. It’s tasting notes include caramel, brazil nut, chocolate and baking spices which make it absolutely perfect for this festive cocktail.
Other delicious Florida Bourbons: Palm Ridge Reserve – Palm Ridge Distillery, Florida Reserve Bourbon – Timber Creek Distillery, Old St. Pete Sweet Corn Whiskey- St. Petersburg Distillery
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The Mixers
The Sweetener: The Santa’s Sour cocktail uses our delicious homemade Holiday Spiced Cranberry simple syrup. This easy to make simple syrup combines sugar, water, cranberries, orange peel and baking spices to create a mixture of pure Christmas joy. You can use it to add a a festive twist to all your holiday drinks.
Recommended Bitters: Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters – 5 oz
Fee Brothers has been family owned since 1864! With 19 different flavored bitters, if you’re looking to add a unique twist to your homemade cocktails then you need to check out their range. For this festive Christmas cocktail we use their Black Walnut Bitters. Another great option is their Cranberry Bitters if you want to really double down on the cranberry flavor.
The Citrus- Fresh: We always recommend using fresh limes in your cocktails if you can. If you use a lot of citrus juice in your cocktails and/or cooking, then get yourself a citrus press. Trust us, you won’t regret it. You yield a lot more juice out of your lemons and limes, you don’t have to worry about the seeds, and you cut out the mess of squeezing with your hands. We use the Zulay citrus press which handles both lemons and limes with equally perfect results.
Recommended Juicer: Zulay Premium Citrus Press
The Citrus- Bottled: While fresh lime juice is always best for cocktails, we get it, bottled lime juice is more convenient. If you do opt for bottled then use Nellie & Joes: Key West Lime Juice. It’s the clear winner in the bottled lime juice department.
Recommended Lime Juice: NELLY & JOE’S Key West Lime Juice, 16 oz
How Should I Serve A Santa’s Sour Cocktail?
The Glass: A coupe glass is perfect for the Santa’s Sour cocktail. You could also use any other thin stemmed glass like a martini glass. These styles of glass were designed specifically for chilled cocktails that are served straight up rather than on the rocks. The stem prevents your hand from warming up the drink.
Recommended coupe glass: LUMINARC Coupe Glass, Set of 4
Shaken or Stirred: James bond was right, a Martini should be “shaken, not stirred”. It is especially important for flavored variations of Martini’s that contain citrus juice to ensure everything is properly mixed, ice cold and refreshing. We love the beautifully designed shakers from Absolut Elyx Boutique. The patterned brass designs are stunning. You can get $15 off your first order by using this link.
Recommended cocktail shaker: ABSOLUT ELYX BOUTIQUE Brass Cocktail Shaker. (Use this link to get $15 off your first order)
Straight up or on the rocks: Serve the Santa’s Sour straight up. When you’re serving drinks up we’d recommend that you chill the glass first by filling with ice and topping with cold water. When you’re ready to serve your festive cocktail, dump out the ice and strain your drink into an ice-cold glass.
The Garnish: To finish off this Christmas cocktail we like to use mini candy canes to perch on the side of the glass. You’ll likely be able to find them in your local grocery store during the holiday season or there’s plenty of options like these ones on Amazon: Spangler Mini Candy Canes.
We hope you enjoy this Santa’s Sour Cocktail Recipe. Drink safe and Merry Christmas!
Santa's Sour Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 3/4 oz Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup
- 1 Egg White
- 3 Drops Walnut Bitters
Instructions
- Step 1: Dry shake all ingredients except the bitters for 15 seconds. (Dry shaking is shaking without ice).
- Step 2: Add ice and shake for an additional 15 seconds.
- Step 3: Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Step 4: Add 3 drops of walnut bitters to the top of the foam.
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