This Fairytale of New York Cocktail is what we all need this Christmas
Food & Drink

This Fairytale of New York Cocktail is what we all need this Christmas

SO there's a cocktail which honours the two best things about Christmas here in Ireland: The Pogues, and getting hammered!

This Fairytale of New York cocktail just feels like a no brainer at this time of year.

Christmas isn't Christmas without this 1987 absolute classic, and many would agree that Christmas isn't Christmas without knocking back a few whiskeys either.

So we've found this drink which provides you the opportunity to experience both.

The cocktail itself can more or less be described as a festive Old Fashioned, in that it's gift wrapped with something called 'Winter Warmth' syrup.

It's a spice and fruit infused syrup which blends perfectly with the sweetness of the ironically named angostura bitters to counteract the sharpness of the whiskey.

It's a cocktail which clearly has roots of Christmastime at its core, and it’s totally suitable for the rest of winter too.

If you fancy a few of these over the coming days, here's how to make one, courtesy of Aperitif Friday:

Straining the syrup (Credit: Smitten Kitchen)

What you will need:

For the "Winter Warmth" syrup:

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 cup raw, demerara, or turbinado sugar (granulated works too)
  • 1/2 apple – peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 pear – peeled, cored, and diced
  • 12 walnuts
  • 3 cinnamon sticks, broken up
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 whole nutmeg

For the Fairytale of New York cocktail

  • 1 oz Winter Warmth Syrup
  • Orange peel
  • 3 dashes of bitters (orange, walnut, or angostura will work)
  • 3 oz good Irish whiskey
  • Ice
  • Cinnamon stick

Fairytale of New York cocktail (Credit: Smitten Kitchen)

How to make it:

  • Combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer
  • Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar dissolves, continue simmering for 15-20 minutes
  • Cool on the stovetop for 2 hours, then single-strain the syrup into a glass jar and place in the fridge (it will keep for 3 weeks - so be creative with it!)
  • Combine the Winter Warmth syrup, an orange peel and bitters into a cocktail glass
  • Muddle the ingredients with a wooden muddler or the back of a spoon
  • Add Irish whiskey and large cubes of ice
  • Stir using a cinnamon stick