The festive season may not look quite the same this year but you can still gather round the open fire (or even brave the outside fire pit) with a hot toddie or two

It’s officially Christmas and while we might not be able to huddle together in a bar or pub to celebrate, we can still toast the season at home.

The friendly chaps at Walton on Thames bar hire company, The Drunken Jockeys, can usually be found serving their alcoholic and non-alcoholic concoctions at weddings, parties and events across the county from their vintage serving stations, such as their Antique Market Cart and Sylvester the former American ambulance.

The company was born in 2018 out of the belief that a bar should be much more than simply a place to get drinks, it should be an experience. And there’s no reason that experience can’t be had at home thanks to the cocktail delivery service they launched during lockdown.

To give you a taste of the type of cocktail on their menu, they’ve given us this recipe for their Mulled Fireside Cocktail to share with you but if you fancy treating yourself over the Christmas break, why not order one of their cocktail boxes? Cocktails come already mixed in a sealed jar with serving instructions - all you need to do is add ice (which they will provide at a cost), shake, garnish and enjoy! Choose from classics such as the Espresso Martini or Mojito or go festive with a Spiced Clementine Bellini. Prices start from £26 for four servings. Delivery is free for orders within 10 miles and from £3 outside 10 miles.

Mulled Fireside Cocktail by The Drunken Jockeys

We use the gorgeously spiced Fireside Gin from Sunderland based Poetic License Distillery, which is an amazing addition to any mulled cocktail. The great thing about this festive recipe is that there’s no alcohol added until serving, allowing non-drinkers to enjoy and even experiment with non-alcoholic gin.

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

750ml ginger beer (we use Fentimans)

400ml cloudy apple Juice (we use Copella)

50ml water

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4-6 cloves

½ nutmeg finely grated

80g fresh ginger

3 tsp dark Muscovado sugar

1 bottle of Fireside Gin from Poetic License Distillery

READ MORE: Try something different with your Brussel’s sprouts this year with these recipes from Steve Drake.

Steps:

1. Take the fresh ginger and coarsely grate. Add to a spice bag along with the cloves, if you don’t have a spice bag you can always sieve out at the end.

2. Add all the mulling ingredients to a large saucepan or stockpot (except the gin as you don’t want to cook off the alcohol!) Cover with a lid and gently warm on a low heat until the mixture is fragrant & steaming.

3. Taste the mixture, if it’s not sweet enough add a little more sugar, if it’s a little sweet add a little water.

4. Ladle around 200ml into each cup, add 25ml of Fireside gin and stir well.

5. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.

Tips:

- This is a mulled recipe so take care not to boil as it can make the spices too intense.

- If you use another Ginger Beer to Fentimans then it’ll probably be sweeter, so don’t add any sugar until after tasting. You might not even need it.

- Feel free to add more gin if 25ml doesn’t cut the mustard!

Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.