Dec 24

Dec 24 Holiday Drinks | Day 24

A festive tipple is always nice on Christmas. Here's my favorite Holiday Drinks to help you get your Merry on.

Wassail: Wassail is a warm and hearty drink that's great for a crowd. I've adapted my recipe from this one featured in the New York Times. Combine in a large pot: 4 sliced granny smith apples, 1 c. brown sugar, 2 c. sweet red wine (like Madeira, Marsala, or Port), 2 bottles brown ale, 1 bottle porter, 3 bottles hard cider (I particularly like Angry Orchard Apple Ginger), 1 c. apple cider, 15 whole cloves, 15 allspice berries, 2 cinnamon sticks, peel of one orange, peel of one lemon, 2 inch piece of ginger cut into large chunks. Simmer over low heat for at least an hour. Serves 12 people.

Rum Mulled Cider: another warm one, but with a little bit more of a kick. Option 1 - Combine 2 c. of apple cider in a small sauce pan with 1-2 sachets of mulling spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, ginger-- you can buy these in the supermarket or in a speciality kitchen store like William Sonoma). Warm for 10-15 minutes and then remove from heat letting it cool slightly. Ladle the mulled cider into two large mugs and add 1-2 oz. of spiced rum (to your taste). Serve with a cinnamon stick. Serves 2. Option 2 - heat some Glogg (a spiced Scandinavian drink similar to spiced wine or cider I found in my local supermarket) in a large mug in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes. Let it cool slightly and add in 1-2 oz. of spiced rum. It tastes really similar to the mulled cider, but the Glogg isn't necessarily easy to get a hold of. Serves 1.

Pomegranate Fizz: Heat 2 c. of pomegranate and 1/4 c. of sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for about 30 minutes until you have a thick syrup. Cool completely and store in your fridge. To assemble the drink-- spoon 2-3 tsp. of pomegranate syrup into a champagne flute or any tall, thin glass. Add your choice of berries and pomegranate seeds. I particularly like raspberries in this drink. Top up the glass with chilled Prosecco. Stir slightly. Serves 1.

End of the Night Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Make a large mug of your favorite hot chocolate (may I suggest this one). Stir in 1-2 oz. of Bailey's Irish Cream using a peppermint candy cane. Sit back and enjoy Christmas Evening. Serves 1.