Wow your guests with decadent cocktails, adding your secret ingredient… a splash of deliciously fragrant vanilla liqueur. Remember, only quality vanilla liqueur or pure vanilla extract will do when paired with premier spirits. If you can’t find vanilla liqueur or pure vanilla extract in the shops, no problem. It’s surprisingly easy to make your own. Vanilla martini 30 ml (1 oz) vodka 30 ml (1 oz) vanilla liqueur Splash of lime juice (less than a teaspoon) Ice cubes Add ice cubes into a cocktail shaker until two-thirds full. Add vodka, vanilla liqueur and lime juice. Shake well. Strain and pour into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a lemon ring. Vanilla rum 45 ml (1½ oz) Kahlúa (coffee liqueur) 30 ml (1 oz) rum ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 70 ml (2½ oz) heavy cream Fill a low-ball glass with ice. Pour the Kahlúa, rum and vanilla extract over the ice. Add a layer of cream the same way you would for a Kahlúa coffee. Do this by very slowly pouring the cream over the back of the spoon so it forms a layer and doesn’t mix with the Kahlúa and rum mixture. Vanilla & raspberry bellini 1¼ cups (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 cups chilled prosecco (sparkling white wine from Italy) Mint leaves and fresh raspberries to garnish Make a puree by placing the raspberries in a blender. This can be done a few days in advance and keep it in the fridge. Press the raspberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer to rid it of gritty seeds. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Place 2 tablespoons of the raspberry puree into a champagne flute. Top up with prosecco. Garnish with mint and fresh raspberries. For a kid-friendly Bellini, replace prosecco with sparkling apple juice. If you don’t have prosecco, sparkling wine (champagne) will do. You might like: Learn more about vanilla beans and powder. Vanilla champagne 1 demerara sugar cube, made from natural cane ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Brut champagne (dry, sparkling wine) Place the sugar cube in the champagne flute. Pour the vanilla extract over the cube and press down gently with a spoon to break it up. Top up glass with champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon rind. Orange & vanilla highball 25 ml (2 Tbs) vodka 150 ml (5 oz) orange juice 25 ml (2 Tbs) vanilla liqueur Ice cubes Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add all the ingredients. Garnish with an orange slice. Vanilla & cranberry mimosa 45 ml (1½ oz) vanilla vodka (pre-made and infused) 45 ml (1½ oz) cranberry juice Sparkling wine Fresh cranberries and a vanilla bean to garnish Add the vanilla vodka, cranberry juice and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain while pouring into a champagne flute, using a coffee filter to get rid of cranberry sediment. Top up glass with sparkling wine. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a whole vanilla bean. To make a holiday punch, multiply the cranberry juice and vanilla vodka by 6 and used the entire bottle of sparkling wine. Hot chocolate & vanilla vodka toddy Makes 4 servings: 1 cup whole milk 1½ cups (12 oz)