Snowball Cocktail
A retro Christmas classic of advocaat, lime juice and sparkling lemonade, finished with a maraschino cherry for a sweet, nostalgic festive serve.
Ingredients
- 50 ml advocaat
- 10 ml fresh lime juice
- 100 ml sparkling lemonade, chilled
- 1 maraschino cherry
- Ice cubes
Method
- Fill a highball glass two-thirds with ice cubes.
- Pour 50 ml advocaat over the ice.
- Add 10 ml fresh lime juice.
- Top up slowly with 100 ml chilled sparkling lemonade, pouring down the side of the glass to keep the bubbles.
- Stir gently once with a long spoon to combine without flattening the lemonade.
- Drop a maraschino cherry in to finish and serve at once.
How to serve
- Glassware
- Highball glass
- Serve temperature
- Chilled
- Garnish
- Maraschino cherry
The Snowball is a drink that knows exactly what it is. It is creamy, citrusy, mildly boozy and unapologetically of its era, which happens to be the 1970s. For many people in Britain and Ireland it is the official drink of Christmas afternoon, the one served between the turkey and the trifle, usually with a chocolate orange somewhere nearby. There is no use modernising it. Half its charm is that it tastes the same now as it did then.
What makes a proper Snowball
The base is advocaat, the rich Dutch liqueur made from egg yolks, sugar and a neutral spirit. It pours like custard and has a flavour somewhere between zabaglione and eggnog. Without good advocaat there is no Snowball, so it is worth seeking out a proper brand rather than substituting eggnog or a cream liqueur. The texture and the colour are unmistakable.
Lime juice is the small but vital partner. A short measure cuts through the richness of the advocaat and brings the drink back into balance. Without it, a Snowball is cloying. With it, the drink is bright, almost refreshing, despite all that egg yolk.
Building it in the glass
There is no shaking and no muddling. A Snowball is built directly over ice in a tall glass, with the lemonade poured last and gently down the side. This protects the bubbles, which give the drink its lift. Stir once, no more, or you will flatten the carbonation and end up with something thicker than intended.
The cherry on top is not just decoration. Maraschino cherries belong to the same vintage as the drink itself, and biting one between sips is part of the experience. Serve in a tall highball glass with plenty of ice, and resist the temptation to garnish further. The Snowball does not need any help.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Snowball look cloudy?
The cloudiness comes from the advocaat, which is made with egg yolks, sugar and brandy or rum. When it meets the sparkling lemonade it softens into a pale, opaque yellow that gave the drink its name.
Can I use any sparkling lemonade?
A traditional cloudy lemonade gives the most authentic flavour, but a clean sparkling lemon soda also works. Avoid anything too dry like a tonic, which clashes with the sweetness of the advocaat.
Where does the Snowball come from?
It became popular in British pubs and homes during the 1970s as a festive favourite, and it has stayed close to Christmas ever since. It is one of the few cocktails that genuinely tastes of nostalgia.
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