Santa’s Cup

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Cocktail History

The Santa’s Cup is a Christmas cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season.

Like the original, it starts with Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur, fresh lemon, and soda water, but this holiday variation adds a seasonal spin by replacing the simple syrup with spiced cranberry syrup. The traditional aromatic bitters are also swapped out for some flavored with cherry and warm baking spices, bringing a cozy, wintry depth to the drink. To complete its holiday flair, it’s then adorned with an assortment of festive garnishes, making the cocktail both a visual and flavorful celebration of the season.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water and dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, neutral flavor.

Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in England with a blend of herbs, spices, citrus, and caramelized flavors, and dry gin, which are blended and infused to develop a slightly bitter, herbal flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Spiced Cranberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberry juice, mulling spices, orange zest, cinnamon, and white sugar, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, tart flavor.

Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with cherries, cloves, cinnamon sticks, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a fruity, spiced flavor.

Tangerine Slice: This is a piece of tangerine that has been cut into a half-wheel shape.

Cranberries: This is a type of berry grown on low shrubs that has bright pink skin and tart, slightly bitter flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water
• 🔗 Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur
• 🔗 Crude Bitters & Sodas “Attawanhood” Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Bar Spoon: This is a long-handled spoon with a twisted shaft that’s used for stirring cocktails, layering ingredients, and reaching the bottom of tall glasses and mixing vessels.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Tweezers: This is a long, narrow tool with angled tips that’s used for precisely placing delicate garnishes and small ingredients.

Cocktail Pick: This is a small, slender skewer made from metal, wood, or bamboo that’s used for holding cocktail garnishes in place.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set
• 🔗 I-MART Gold Metal Cocktail Pick Set
• 🔗 Riedel Drink Specific Highball Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pink-red color with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Mint and citrus

• Taste: Fizzy water with a slightly spiced, tart cranberry flavor accented with the Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur’s herbal mixture

• Finish: Accenting notes of mulling spices and citrus for balance

Kendall’s Take
“I’ll always have a soft spot for a classic Pimm’s Cup, so finding a holiday-leaning variation felt like a win. The cranberry weaves right into the Pimm’s liqueur beautifully, adding seasonal brightness while still keeping that refreshing, familiar backbone of the original intact. It’s simple, true to the original spirit of the drink, and a great excuse to dust off that bottle during the colder months.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand.