It’s safe to say fitness and alcohol rarely mix well – especially in the run up to Christmas. Tis the season that plays havoc with your weekly workout schedule, derailing your best intentions to keep fit in the no-man’s land between Xmas and the New Year.

But (and keep this between us) that’s OK. In fact, sometimes relieving the pressure with your favourite tipple can keep you on the straight and narrow when you need to be more disciplined. Such as in the last few days before a race or fitness event. 

To help you navigate the holidays, our trainers have picked their favourite cocktails – and the odd alcohol-free mocktail – that they’re looking forward to knocking back this year. Each guaranteed to make your Christmas extra merry.

FESTIVE COCKTAIL AND MOCKTAIL RECIPES

Below we have outlined our trainers’ top cocktail and mocktail picks for the festive season. All recipes and images have been sourced from BBC Good Food (apart from Sean’s student favourite). Bottoms up!

Pete’s Whisky Sour

Prep: 5 mins

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 50ml bourbon
• 35ml lemon juice
• 12 ½ ml 2:1 sugar syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• ½ fresh egg white
• ice
• 50p-sized piece of lemon zest

For the garnish

• slice of orange and a cherry on a stick

Method

1. Shake all of the ingredients (except for the lemon zest) hard with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
2. Squeeze the lemon zest, shiny side down over the drink so the scented oils spray across the surface.
3. Discard the zest, add the garnish and serve.

Whylie’s Whisky Sour Mocktail

Prep: 10 mins plus cooling

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 25ml lemon juice
  ½ egg white (see tip, below)
  ¾ tbsp sugar syrup, or to taste
  ice cubes
  1 lemon slice and 1 cocktail cherry, to serve

For the infusion

• 1 tsp Assam tea leaves
  ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. First, make the infusion. Tip the tea leaves into a heatproof teapot or jug and pour over 150ml boiled water from the kettle.
2. Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a second heatproof jug, discarding the tea leaves, so the tea doesn’t become too strong. Add the vanilla and leave to cool.
3. Pour 50ml of the cooled tea infusion into a cocktail shaker, then add the lemon juice, egg white, sugar syrup and a handful of ice. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
4. Strain the mocktail into an ice-filled tumbler, then garnish with a slice of lemon and a cocktail cherry to serve in the style of a classic whiskey sour.

Adrienne’s Classic Margarita 

Prep: 5 mins

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 50 ml Tequila
• 1 lime
• 1.5 tsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp triple sec
• Salt 

Method

1. Add salt to a plate. Wipe the rim of your glass with lime juice, then turn the glass upside down onto your plate and twist to coat.
2. Add all other ingredients to a cocktail shaker and mix well.  
3. Strain into the glass.
4. Serve with a slice of lime

Gede’s Mulled Cider

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 35 mins

Ingredients (Makes 2 Litres)

• 1.5 Litres of dry cider
• 7 tbsp Calvados 
• 400ml apple juice
• 75g dark brown sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp allspice berries

Method

1. Gently heat the cider, Calvados, apple juice and sugar in a saucepan
2. Add the spices and orange zest
3. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook for 20-30 minutes.
4. Serve in a mug
5. Bottoms up!

Gus’s Mulled Cider Mocktail 

Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 1l apple juice
• strips of orange peel
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus extra to garnish, if you like
• 3 cloves
• honey, to taste

Method

1. Simmer the apple juice with the strips of orange peel, cinnamon stick and cloves for 5-10 mins until all the flavours have infused.
2. Sweeten to taste with honey
3. Serve with a little orange peel and a piece of cinnamon stick

Gabby’s Extra Dirty Martini

Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 70ml vodka or gin
• 1 tbsp dry vermouth
• 2 tbsp olive brine
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 green olive
• Ice 

Method 

1. Add the vodka, vermouth and olive brine into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake well
2. Rub the rim of your glass with a wedge of lemon
3. Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker into the glass and add the olive

Lawrence’s High-Protein Egg Nog

Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 50g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 397g condensed milk
• 100ml brandy or rum
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Heat the sugar with 75ml water in a saucepan. Once the sugar has dissolved, leave to cool.
2. Beat the yolks and vanilla essence until smooth. 
3. Add the condensed milk, brandy and cooled sugar mix to the vanilla yolks. Mix well.
4. Chill in a jug for at least 2 hours, then serve within 24 hours, over ice.

For the alcohol free option, simply swap the brandy for milk and cream, then add a pinch of nutmeg. Yum!

Sean’s Vodka Red Bull 

Prep: 30 seconds

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 50ml vodka
• 250ml red bull 

Method

1. Crack open the red bull and pour it into a glass
2. Add the vodka 
3. Drink as quickly as possible

From one and all at Fiit, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy, indulge and see you back on the mat in the New Year!

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