The Snowball recipe
for your table
Shake the advocaat with the lime juice and some ice briefly in a shaker.
Strain into a long drink glass or coupe with a few ice cubes.
Top up gently with the fizzy lemonade and stir carefully once. It foams vigorously.
Garnish with a cherry on a pick.
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The story
Advocaat, the thick Dutch liqueur made from egg yolks, sugar, and brandy, conquered Europe in the twentieth century, but it was the British who turned it into their favorite Christmas cocktail in the 1950s. The Snowball became immensely popular in the 1970s, complete with tacky advertisements, and was then considered hopelessly dated for decades. That very retro image made its comeback possible: modern bartenders embraced the Snowball again, with fresh lime and good advocaat. In the Netherlands, the drink without lemonade is simply called 'advocaatje met slagroom', which is delicious too, but less festive.
The right glass
The Snowball foams and fizzes, so give it some room: a small long drink glass of 22 to 36 cl in which the creamy yellow color and foam head stand out beautifully. For a festive table, a coupe also works, turning it into more of a dessert cocktail. Clear glass, a red cherry on top: a drink needs nothing more to feel like Christmas. If you prefer to serve it as a dessert cocktail during the holidays, our champagne coupe glasses are also a good fit.
Arcoroc Islande Longdrink Glass 22 cl Tubo (6 pieces)
Duralex Picardie Longdrink Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 33,90.
The right tools
For a Snowball, besides the glass, you'll need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a fine strainer for double straining, a citrus juicer, and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 83,70.
Variations & twists
With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it becomes a dessert; with a splash of cherry brandy at the bottom, a retro cherry on top. In England, a squeeze of lime is customary, making it surprisingly refreshing. Serve it alongside coffee during the holidays and watch the nostalgia work its magic. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
The lime juice is what makes the difference between sticky and surprisingly refreshing. Don't skip it. Serve during the holidays alongside coffee instead of dessert.
Good to know
Which advocaat and which lemonade
Thick, fresh advocaat is key here: the creamier the liqueur, the fuller the foam after shaking. Thin, cheap advocaat gets diluted by the lemonade and produces a watery glass. Check the label for the egg yolk content and preferably choose an artisanal bottle, or make it yourself. Bitter lemon is the classic choice for the lemonade, as the quinine balances all that sweetness; regular lemon soda works too, but make the splash of lime juice a little more generous, say 1.5 cl instead of 1.
Snowball or advocaat with whipped cream
In the Netherlands, most people know advocaat as a dessert: a glass of thick liqueur topped with whipped cream, served with a little spoon. A Snowball uses the same liqueur, but shaken with 10 cl of ice-cold sparkling lemonade and 1 cl of lime juice, creating a light, drinkable cocktail instead of something you eat with a spoon. The main difference is texture and pace: you eat the advocaat in five minutes, while a Snowball takes half an hour. If you want both, simply add a dollop of whipped cream on top.
How strong a Snowball is
Advocaat generally contains between 14 and 20 percent alcohol, which is considerably lower than most liqueurs. With 5 cl advocaat, 10 cl lemonade and 1 cl lime juice, you end up with approximately 16 cl in the glass containing just under 1 cl of pure alcohol, or around 5 to 6 percent. That is comparable to a lager and considerably lighter than an average cocktail. Useful to know on a long festive evening: two Snowballs are roughly equivalent to a glass of wine.
For the holidays: in a jug
You can easily make the base ahead of time. For eight people, mix 40 cl advocaat with 8 cl fresh lime juice in a jug, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours; the colder it is, the better it will foam later. Add the lemonade only per glass, otherwise the fizz will be gone before the first guest sits down. Allow for 80 cl of bitter lemon in total, or about 16 cl per glass. Stir each glass gently once and garnish with a cherry on a pick.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a snowball?
A Snowball consists of 5 cl advocaat, 10 cl ice-cold sparkling lemon soda such as bitter lemon, and 1 cl fresh lime juice, finished with a cocktail cherry. The lime juice is not a minor detail: it keeps the creamy advocaat fresh rather than cloyingly sweet.
What is a snowball drink?
Snowball is the Dutch name for the Snowball, the advocaat drink that you shake with sparkling lemon soda into a light, creamy yellow cocktail with a foamy head. In Great Britain, it has been the quintessential Christmas drink since the 1950s; advocaat itself comes from the Netherlands.
Which advocaat do you use for a Snowball?
Fresh, thick advocaat really makes a difference: the creamier the liqueur, the fuller the foam after shaking. Thin, cheap advocaat sinks through the lemonade and produces a watery result. Homemade advocaat works excellently, provided you use it well chilled.
Which glass do you use for a Snowball?
A small highball glass of 22 to 36 cl gives the foam room and lets the creamy yellow colour shine; for a festive table, you can also use a coupe, which makes it more of a dessert cocktail. See our highball glasses for sets in hospitality quality.
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