Party Cocktail Recipes

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Words by Bridie Newman

Dust off the coupes, stock up your bar cart and shake that cocktail maker to your heart’s content, because party season is officially here. And what’s a sophisticated soirée without a curated cocktail menu? Hosting such an occasion needn’t mean spending your entire evening in the company of a cocktail shaker. Instead, you want a selection of simple yet decidedly impressive recipes that can be made ahead of time.

As a general rule of thumb, we recommend sticking to a couple of quality spirits from the Fine Wines & Spirits department with recipes that require few steps or can be batch-made for everyone to serve themselves, like a seasonal punch. We asked our expert bartenders from Studio Frantzén and the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar to share their easy party cocktail recipes to get you started.

Santiago (2.0) Cocktail Recipe

Level up this classic white rum cocktail with a warming and sophisticated Champagne twist. The bartenders at Studio Frantzén recommend using a rich double-aged rum and swapping orange juice with ginger syrup and pastis for a bittersweet flavour. Looking for a classy sans-alcohol option instead? Simply swap out the Champagne for So Jennie’s Alcohol-Free Luxury Bubbles and forego the rum and pastis for a zero-percent spiced rum alternative.

50ml Brugal 1888
5ml ginger syrup
30ml Champagne
2 dashes of pastis
Maraschino cherries to garnish

La Rue En Fleurs Cocktail Recipe

Everyone loves a long drink and this refreshing cocktail from the bartender at the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar is no exception. Bonus points if your party prep time allows for making your own Champagne cordial and jasmine syrup – it’s guaranteed to impress your guests.

40ml Cognac
20ml jasmine syrup (recipe available)
30ml orange juice
10ml Champagne cordial (recipe available)
Brut Champagne to top up
2/3 drops of Angostura bitters
Orange peel to garnish

For the Champagne cordial recipe:

Cook 1L of Champagne (fresh or flat) for 15 minutes at a minimum of 75 degrees to remove the alcohol, add 500g of white sugar and 10g of citric acid. Stir to dissolve and set aside to cool.

For the jasmine syrup recipe:

Make 1L of jasmine tea using 60g of tea leaves. Leave it to infuse to your taste. Reheat the infusion, add 2kg of white sugar, stir to dissolve, and set aside to cool.

For the full recipe:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice and add the Cognac, jasmine syrup, orange juice, Champagne cordial and angostura bitters.
2. Top up with Champagne and stir.
3. Twist a slice of orange peel and add as a garnish.

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Autumn Punch

Easy to make in generous batches and to top up when the punch bowl inevitably runs dry, this recipe from Studio Frantzén’s bartenders combines fruity and spicy flavours for the ultimate winter warmer.

350ml Flor de Caña 15yrs Eco Rum
150ml Mandarin Napoleon liquer
150ml apricot liqueur
20ml Angostura bitters
200ml fresh lime juice
50ml sugar syrup
750ml spiced orange ginger ale

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Entertain at Home

‘Tis the season to get inspired. Our expert guides to party-perfect Champagnes, stress-free seasons feastings and decorating your table for Christmas are here to set the mood for festive cheer. Mince pie, anyone?

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Party Boutique

Consider this your destination for all things party season – whether you’re wondering what to wear or looking for the perfect Champagne with which to toast the year.

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