When you want a festive cocktail that captures the spirit of Christmas morning with bright citrus flavors and a beautiful presentation, this Christmas Day Clementine Sour is exactly what you need. This sophisticated drink takes the classic whiskey sour template and gives it a holiday makeover with fresh clementine juice, a touch of warming spices, and a gorgeous frothy top created by shaking it with egg white. Clementines are at their absolute peak during December, and their sweet, almost candy-like flavor is less tart than lemons but more complex than oranges, making them perfect for a holiday cocktail. The drink has layers of flavor with the whiskey providing warmth and depth, the clementine bringing bright sweetness, fresh lemon juice adding tartness for balance, and a hint of cinnamon or star anise adding that unmistakable Christmas spice. The frothy white top created by the egg white looks like fresh snow and provides a silky texture that makes every sip luxurious. This cocktail feels special enough for Christmas morning mimosas or evening celebrations but is simple enough to make for a crowd.
Serving Quantity: Serves 1 (easily multiplied)
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
Nutrition Information (per cocktail):
- Calories: 195
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 15mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 12g
- Protein: 2g
- Vitamin C: 85% of daily value
- Alcohol content: Approximately 18g
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey
- 1 ounce of fresh clementine juice (about 2 small clementines)
- Half ounce of fresh lemon juice
- Three quarters ounce of simple syrup
- 1 egg white (or 1 ounce of aquafaba for vegan version)
- 2 dashes of aromatic bitters
- Ice cubes
- 1 clementine wheel for garnish
- 1 small cinnamon stick for garnish
- Fresh cranberries for garnish
- Star anise pod for garnish (optional)
- Pinch of ground cinnamon for dusting
Preparing Fresh Clementine Juice
Clementines are small and easy to peel, making them perfect for juicing by hand. Roll two clementines firmly on your counter with your palm, pressing down to break up the membranes inside. This helps release more juice. Cut them in half and squeeze them over a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl. The strainer catches seeds and pulp while letting the pure juice through. You should get about an ounce of juice from two small clementines. If your clementines are particularly juicy, one large one might be enough. The juice should be sweet with just a hint of tartness. Taste it to make sure it’s flavorful. If your clementines are bland or dry, add a tiny splash of orange juice to supplement. Fresh juice is crucial here because bottled citrus juice tastes flat and artificial and won’t give you the bright, fresh flavor that makes this cocktail special.
Making Simple Syrup
If you don’t have simple syrup on hand, it takes just minutes to make. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. For one cocktail, you only need a tablespoon of each, but it’s smart to make a larger batch to keep in your refrigerator. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves. You don’t need to boil it, just heat it until the liquid is clear with no sugar granules visible. Let it cool before using. Simple syrup keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month in a sealed container. For a spiced version that’s perfect for this Christmas cocktail, add a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves to the sugar water while it heats, then strain them out after it cools. This infuses subtle holiday spice into every cocktail you make.
Understanding the Dry Shake Method
For the best frothy top on your sour, you’ll use a technique called a dry shake. This means shaking the ingredients without ice first to really emulsify the egg white and create maximum foam, then shaking again with ice to chill the drink. Some bartenders reverse this order and do the ice shake first, but the dry shake first method generally produces better foam. If you’re concerned about using raw egg white, you can use pasteurized eggs or substitute aquafaba, which is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Aquafaba works surprisingly well and creates excellent foam while being completely vegan.
The Dry Shake
Add the whiskey, fresh clementine juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white to your cocktail shaker without any ice. Make sure the lid is on very tightly because you’re about to shake hard. Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds, and 20 seconds is even better. You want to shake hard and fast to really break up the egg white and create tiny bubbles. You should hear the liquid sloshing around rather than ice rattling. The mixture will become frothy and increase in volume. When you open the shaker, you should see foam forming on top of the liquid. This is exactly what you want.
The Wet Shake
Now add a generous amount of ice to your shaker with the frothy mixture. Close the lid tightly again and shake hard for another 10 to 15 seconds. This chills the cocktail to the perfect icy temperature and dilutes it slightly with melting ice, which is important for balancing the flavors. You want it very cold. The outside of your shaker should be frosty and uncomfortable to hold. The combination of the dry shake followed by the wet shake creates that signature thick foam cap that makes a proper sour so beautiful and delicious.
Straining the Cocktail
Place a Hawthorne strainer over your shaker and strain the cocktail into a chilled rocks glass or coupe glass. Pour slowly and watch that beautiful white foam emerge on top. The foam should be thick and creamy, sitting on top of the peachy-orange liquid below. If you want an even smoother foam without any tiny ice chips, double strain by pouring through a fine mesh strainer as well. This extra step creates an incredibly silky texture. Add the two dashes of aromatic bitters on top of the foam. You can leave them as drops or use a toothpick to swirl them into a decorative pattern.
Garnishing for Christmas
The garnish is what makes this a Christmas cocktail rather than just a regular sour. Cut a thin wheel from a fresh clementine and make a small slit in it so you can perch it on the rim of your glass. Add a small cinnamon stick either laid across the top of the glass or standing up in the drink. Thread a few fresh cranberries onto a cocktail pick and rest it across the glass. The red cranberries against the white foam and orange drink create beautiful Christmas colors. If you have a star anise pod, float it on top of the foam for a stunning visual and aromatic element. Dust the foam very lightly with ground cinnamon through a small strainer. Just a tiny amount adds a warm spice aroma that hits your nose as you sip.
Serving and Presentation
Serve the cocktail immediately while it’s ice cold and the foam is at its fluffiest. The foam will hold for several minutes but gradually settles, so fresh is best. As you sip, you’ll taste the creamy foam first, then the bright citrus and whiskey underneath. The texture is silky and luxurious thanks to the egg white. Each sip should be balanced between sweet, sour, and boozy with warming spice notes. The clementine flavor shines through as the dominant citrus note rather than the lemon, which acts more as a supporting player to add tartness.
Batching for a Crowd
If you’re making these for a Christmas gathering, you can batch the base ingredients ahead of time. In a large container, combine the whiskey, clementine juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup for however many cocktails you’re making. Keep this refrigerated. When it’s time to serve, add ice and one egg white per two cocktails to your shaker, shake well with ice, and strain into glasses. The foam won’t be quite as impressive as individual cocktails, but it’s much faster for serving multiple people. Alternatively, make them individually but set up a station with all ingredients premeasured in small containers so you can shake and serve efficiently.
Non-Alcoholic Version
For a mocktail version that’s perfect for Christmas morning when you want something festive but not boozy, replace the whiskey with a combination of strong black tea and a splash of non-alcoholic whiskey alternative if you can find one. Use two ounces of cooled strong tea, the same citrus juices, simple syrup, and egg white or aquafaba. Follow the same shaking method. The result won’t have the warmth of whiskey but it will still be delicious and sophisticated with that beautiful frothy top. You can also use a non-alcoholic bourbon like Ritual Zero Proof which mimics the flavor quite well.
Whiskey Selection
The whiskey you choose affects the final flavor significantly. Bourbon brings sweetness with vanilla and caramel notes that complement the clementine beautifully. Rye whiskey is spicier and drier, creating a more complex, less sweet cocktail. Irish whiskey is smooth and light, letting the citrus shine. For Christmas Day, bourbon is probably your best bet because its natural sweetness and warmth feel festive and comforting. You don’t need expensive whiskey for cocktails, but avoid the absolute bottom shelf. A good mid-range bourbon or rye in the twenty to thirty dollar range is perfect.
Adjusting Sweetness
Clementines vary in sweetness depending on where they’re from and how ripe they are. Taste your clementine juice before making the cocktail. If it’s very sweet, you might want to reduce the simple syrup to half an ounce or even a quarter ounce. If your clementines are on the tart side, the three quarters ounce of syrup will be perfect. The balance between sweet and sour is what makes a great sour cocktail, so adjust based on your specific ingredients. You can always add more sweetness but you can’t take it away.
Adding Festive Spice
For an even more holiday-spiced version, make a cinnamon simple syrup by simmering cinnamon sticks in your sugar water. You can also add a tiny pinch of ground cinnamon directly to the shaker before the dry shake. Be very conservative with ground spices in cocktails because they can make the drink gritty. A small pinch is enough to add flavor without texture. Star anise simple syrup is another option that adds a licorice-like spice that’s wonderful with citrus. Cardamom is lovely but can be polarizing. Vanilla extract, just a few drops, adds warmth without obvious spice flavor.
Storage and Preparation
Fresh citrus juice should be used within a few hours of juicing for the best flavor. You can juice your clementines and lemons up to 4 hours ahead and keep the juice refrigerated in a sealed container. The simple syrup keeps for weeks in the fridge. The cocktail itself must be made fresh and served immediately. You cannot make it ahead and store it because the egg white foam deflates and the drink separates. This is a cocktail that requires making it fresh each time, which is part of the ritual and fun.
Tips for Perfect Christmas Sours
Use the freshest eggs possible and always use pasteurized eggs if serving to pregnant women, elderly people, or anyone with compromised immunity. Keep your eggs refrigerated until use. Room temperature egg white actually whips better than cold, so you can separate your egg and let the white sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. Shake hard during the dry shake. This is where the foam is created, so don’t be timid. Use plenty of ice for the wet shake. More ice chills the drink faster with less dilution. Chill your glass beforehand by filling it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail. A cold glass keeps your drink colder longer. Fresh juice is absolutely essential. Never use bottled citrus juice in cocktails. The difference is night and day. Don’t skip the bitters. Those two dashes add depth and complexity that ties everything together. Garnish generously. The visual presentation is part of what makes this special for Christmas. If your foam is thin and not holding, you didn’t shake the dry shake long enough. Shake for a full 20 seconds next time. If your drink is too tart, add more simple syrup. Too sweet, add more lemon juice. Make adjustments to suit your taste. Aquafaba works wonderfully as an egg white substitute and creates excellent foam. Use about one ounce. The foam from egg white has a silkier texture than foam from shaking without it. It’s worth the extra step. Clean your shaker thoroughly after using egg white or it can develop an odor. Fresh clementines are available from November through January, making them perfect for holiday cocktails. Choose clementines that feel heavy for their size. These are the juiciest. This cocktail is sophisticated enough for adults but the flavors are accessible and not too spirit-forward. Serve it in a coupe glass for elegance or a rocks glass for a more casual feel. Both work beautifully. The combination of sweet clementine, tart lemon, warming whiskey, and silky foam is absolutely perfect for Christmas celebrations.
