MAKE: Christmas Cocktails: Just Chai Me!

Husband and wife team Andy and Grainne Ferreira run Raise the Bar, a boutique pop-up cocktail catering and consultancy company. They live in East Cork with their kids Luka (9) and Ruby Jules (6), catering the coolest events and weddings all over the country. We asked them to share a few industry tricks to pep up any party: "There is something ludicrously tasty about Chai tea, that warm sweetness balanced with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger." says Andy. "It combines wonderfully with our favourite spirit, Irish Whiskey. Teeling Small Batch works really well with its characteristic vanilla and sweet spice. This is a simple twist on a Whiskey Sour but it's really lovely and super festive." Chai Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 7 Chai tea bags
• 1 cup of caster sugar

Bring a cup of water to the boil, place 7 Chai tea bags in for 5 minutes, remove and add sugar, stir until dissolved and store in the fridge Just Chai Me

• 60 mls of Irish whiskey
• Juice of half a lemon
• 20 mls of Chai Syrup (recipe above)
• 1 egg white
• Cinnamon stick, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker or large jar, add all the ingredients except the ice. Give it a good shake to emulsify everything, then add the ice and shake again. Strain it into a nice glass, using a sieve to catch all the ice shards, rim the edge of the glass with a lemon zest and serve with a cinnamon stick. Easy peasy!