Ingredients
- 1 part Advocaat Liqueur
- 2 parts Lemonade
- Lemon
- Sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Glass:
- Take a cocktail glass and rub the edge with a lemon wedge, then dip the rim in sugar to coat.
Add Ice:
- Drop ice cubes into the prepared glass.
Mix Ingredients:
- Pour 1 part Advocaat liqueur into the glass, then fill it up with 2 parts lemonade.
Stir:
- Stir gently to combine the ingredients.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy your festive Snowball Cocktail.
Video
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Snowball is a British and Irish Christmas highball, popular since the 1950s and a fixture on December drinks lists. Advocaat (a Dutch egg-and-brandy liqueur), cold lemonade and sometimes a splash of lime cordial in a tall glass. The drink is named for the pale yellow colour and the creamy texture that mimics a snowball in winter sun.
It sits in the holiday-drink family with eggnog, the Brandy Alexander and the White Christmas. All four lean on a creamy or egg-based component for the festive character. The Snowball separates itself with the long pour: advocaat is the spirit, the lemonade is the volume, and the cocktail drinks like a soft-drink-and-cream highball.
Best ordered as a Christmas drinks order or a December nightcap, not at a craft cocktail bar. The drink is gentle, creamy and approachable; a holiday party piece more than a serious-cocktail-menu pour.
What it tastes like
Creamy egg-and-vanilla up front, sweet lemon through the middle, soft brandy warmth on the finish. The lemonade keeps the cocktail from going cloying; the advocaat keeps it from drinking like a kid soda. Reads like a creamy lemon meringue in liquid form.
Around 5 percent ABV in the glass once topped with lemonade. One part advocaat to two parts lemonade in a tall glass means the cocktail drinks like a soft drink with a faint warm finish, perfect for a holiday afternoon and easy to pour for a family-and-friends gathering.
The technique
Combine one part advocaat (about two ounces) and two parts cold lemonade (about four ounces) in a tall highball glass with ice. Stir gently with a bar spoon. Garnish with a lemon wedge on the rim and a sugar-rimmed glass for the December version.
The lemonade must be cold and freshly opened; flat lemonade kills the cocktail's lift. Use a quality lemonade like Schweppes or Sprite for the standard pour; cloudy lemonades give the cocktail a softer texture and are the better match if available.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The advocaat
- Use
- Warninks, Bols or any traditional Dutch advocaat.
- Skip
- Eggnog or any non-Dutch egg liqueur. Different sweetness curve and texture.
- Why
- Advocaat is the load-bearing spirit. The Dutch egg-and-brandy liqueur at 14 to 17 percent ABV is what gives the Snowball its character; eggnog is too sweet and too thick to carry the long lemonade pour.
The lemonade
- Use
- Schweppes, Sprite or any cold cloudy lemonade.
- Skip
- Lemon-flavoured kombucha or sour lemon mixers. Wrong sweetness curve.
- Why
- The lemonade is the volume and the lift. A cold, sweet, slightly fizzy lemonade carries the advocaat without flattening it; sour or unsweetened lemon mixers fight the egg-and-brandy character of the Snowball.
The lime cordial
- Use
- A teaspoon of Rose's Lime Cordial for the British classic version.
- Skip
- Fresh lime juice. Wrong sweetness curve.
- Why
- Rose's Lime Cordial adds a sweet-and-sharp lime note that complements the advocaat without going sour. Some Snowball builds skip it; the British 1950s version always includes a teaspoon for the cocktail balance.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The classic British build
- Snowball, with lime cordial
- Two ounces advocaat, four ounces cold lemonade, a teaspoon of Rose's Lime Cordial, stirred in a tall highball with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
The simplified build
- Snowball, advocaat and lemonade
- Two ounces advocaat and four ounces cold lemonade in a tall highball with ice. Skip the lime cordial. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Drinks slightly sweeter; quicker to build.
The modern frozen build
- Snowball, blended
- Combine the same ingredients with crushed ice in a blender. Blend smooth and pour into a hurricane glass. Drinks like a creamy lemon slushie.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Eggnog plus a splash of brandy. Different texture but holds the egg-and-brandy character.
Lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7Up. Holds the sweet-and-fizzy lift; slightly different lemon profile.
A small splash of orange juice. Different flavour but adds the sharpness the cocktail balance needs.
A maraschino cherry or a sugar-rim. Both work for the holiday presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Snowball cocktail?
Two ounces of advocaat, four ounces of cold lemonade and a teaspoon of Rose's Lime Cordial, stirred in a tall highball glass with ice. Three ingredients, one stir.
What is advocaat?
Advocaat is a Dutch egg-and-brandy liqueur, around 14 to 17 percent ABV, made from eggs, sugar and brandy. The texture is creamy and the flavour is gentle and vanilla-forward, similar to eggnog but smoother and less sweet.
How strong is a Snowball?
Around 5 percent ABV in the glass once topped with lemonade. One part advocaat to two parts lemonade means the cocktail drinks like a soft drink with a faint warm finish, perfect for a holiday afternoon.
What does it taste like?
Creamy egg-and-vanilla up front, sweet lemon through the middle, soft brandy warmth on the finish. Reads like a creamy lemon meringue in liquid form.
Why is it called a Snowball?
The pale yellow colour and the creamy texture of advocaat-and-lemonade resembles a snowball in winter sun. The cocktail is a British and Irish Christmas tradition, named for the seasonal visual.
Is a Snowball a Christmas drink?
Yes. The Snowball is a fixture on December drinks lists in Britain and Ireland, popular since the 1950s. The drink is rarely ordered outside the holiday season; it is a traditional Christmas-party piece.
Can I make it without lime cordial?
Yes. Some Snowball builds skip the lime cordial entirely. The drink drinks slightly sweeter without it; the classic British version always includes a teaspoon for the cocktail balance.
What other cocktails are similar?
Eggnog, the Brandy Alexander, the White Christmas and the Coquito. All four sit in the holiday-drink family and lean on a creamy or egg-based component for the festive character.
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