It's that time of year again when we overindulge - stuffed roasts with potatoes and pumpkin, hams, Christmas pudding with brandy butter, chocolates, nuts, cakes and, of course, wine, beer and spirits, and the finest cognacs and liqueurs to round it all off.
But this year, with the traffic police promising enormous fines for those found driving under the influence, spare a thought for the designated drivers in your company. Or just for those who choose not to drink alcohol at all. Their lot is usually the obligatory fruit juice or Coke. But it doesn't have to be that dull.
The FM spoke to two well-known cocktails makers who gave us the recipes for their most popular alcohol-free cocktails. So get that shaker going and surprise your non drinking guests.
The Westcliff Hotel's Polo Lounge
The pink hotel on the hill in Westcliff, Johannesburg, is renowned for its cocktails, served on a balcony with panoramic view bathed in the rays of the setting sun. Polo Lounge manager Lars Wildemann says that in his 10 years at the hotel, the trend has been towards quality over quantity. Of all the cocktails the hotel serves, he says, one out of 10 guests chooses those without alcohol.
Wildemann's advice for budding cocktail makers is that they use as much fresh fruit and fruit juice as possible. When peaches are in season, turn the strawberry daiquiri into a peach daiquiri (and when your alcohol-drinking friends start making noises about preferential treatment, add peach liqueur and Bacardi to pacify them).
And don't forget the garnishing - Wildemann says any cocktail maker worth his or her salt will use scoops of fresh melon, olives, cherries and sprigs of mint as a final flourish.
You will need a cocktail blender that can crush ice. The trick with these cocktails is to keep them stiff so the straw stands up in them. Remember the more ice you use, and the longer you crush it for, the runnier the cocktail will be.
The Westcliff uses Sir Juice fruit juices, which are available at most supermarkets. To make sugar syrup, pour 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of hot water, cook over a low heat until clear and boil for a minute. Cool before refrigerating.
LiquidChefs
These are the people to call if you're throwing a party at home and don't want to spend all evening running around supplying drinks. LiquidChefs was formed four years ago and is co-owned by Craig Shapiro, Shai Evian, Tahl Evian and Clinton Cohen. Sales director Shapiro says the chefs serve at conferences, parties and corporate functions in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. LiquidChefs also has a branch in Atlanta, US.
The LiquidChefs cocktails are light, fragrant and irresistible, and the perfect antidote to the overindulgence of a Christmas feast. Unlike the Westcliff's, these cocktails cannot be adapted for alcohol drinkers - any alcohol would kill the delicate flavours instantly.
You will need a cocktail shaker and a tea strainer.
The lavender syrup can be obtained at Norman Goodfellows in Illovo - tel: (011) 788-4814 - or you can contact Monin, the supplier, on tel: (011) 807-2430.
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The Westcliff Hotel's Polo Lounge: 67 Jan Smuts Avenue, Westcliff, Johannesburg
