Gingerbread martini

Make your celebration one to remember with this pre-mixed gingerbread martini cocktail you can gift to friends. It's the perfect Christmas present

Ingredients

• 200 ml vodka
• 50 ml hazelnut-flavoured liqueur
• 25 ml herbal digestif or liqueur
• 50 g dark brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• strip of lemon peel

Steps

1. First, make the ginger syrup. Put the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel and a pinch of black pepper in a pan with 50ml water and bring to a simmer (watch closely, as it can bubble up). Stir once or twice until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse until cold.
2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the lemon peel. Pour the syrup into a 500ml bottle along with all the alcohol and 100ml cold water. Shake and chill until needed.
3. To gift, package up the cocktail base and the instructions: Chill, then divide between four chilled glasses and serve straightaway. The cocktail base will keep chilled for three days.