Christmas is a time filled with love, laughter and joy; virtually everyone is in the spirit. Those who flit around scouring for the perfect Christmas gift, those who look forward to taking their children out sledding and those who are most excited about putting up the Christmas tree. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Delectable foods and classy drinks go hand-in-hand with this holiday, and can be seen at any Christmas party or family gathering. But the drinks are often over-looked during this season, so here are seven jolly Christmas drink ideas that will spice things up a bit, and take away some of that rapt attention from the food.
A family favorite of mine growing up, and still is to this day, is Gløgg. This is a traditional Norwegian mulled wine recipe that is both tasty and will warm your very soul, plus it’s quite easy to make! For this Christmas drink, you’ll need 10 cloves, 20 green cardamom pods (cracked), two bottles of Pinot Noir (750ml), four inches of ginger, a half cup of raisins, a half cup of blanched almonds, one orange peel, one cup of honey, two cinnamon sticks, a half cup of Aquavit and a crockpot. You’ll want to add all of the ingredients, minus the Aquavit, to the crockpot and heat on the lowest temperature for two and a half to six hours. You want to be sure that the liquid never comes to a boil! You just want it warm enough to heat the liquid. About 30 minutes or so before serving, add the half cup of Aquavit and serve in a mug of your choosing. Glass mugs work the best in my opinion, but a coffee mug would also do.
One drink that I always find myself waiting impatiently for is Bourbon Eggnog. There’s nothing like a little Whiskey twist to a classic Christmas drink. To make this recipe you’ll want three eggs (separated), two cups of 2% milk, one cup of heavy cream, a half cup of sugar, six ounces of Wild Turkey Bourbon, one fourth teaspoon of vanilla extract, one fourth teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. You’ll want to start this recipe by beating the egg yolks and sugar until they are a light color in a mixing bowl. Then add the Bourbon, cream, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon, and mix the ingredients together well. In another a bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric hand-held mixer until they start to peak, and then gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. Serve this deliciously chilled beverage in fancy cocktail glasses, and sprinkle on a tad of cinnamon and nutmeg for garnish.
This is one Christmas drink that is not only super delicious, but a total classic! Hot Buttered Rum is the perfect holiday concoction. For this recipe you’ll need four tablespoons of softened unsalted butter, one third cup of packed brown sugar, three tablespoons of maple syrup, one half teaspoon of ground cinnamon, one eighth teaspoon of ground nutmeg, two pinches of ground cloves or anise, one fourth teaspoon of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, about three fourths cup of spiced rum (you can add more or less if you desire) and approximately three cups of boiling water. With an electric hand-mixer, start off by beating the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, syrup, spices and salt until well blended. Pour the mixture into the bottom of a large glass measuring cup, add the rum on top and then add two cups of boiling water, and continue to add boiling water until the desire taste is reached. Whisk the liquid together until well blended and serve immediately in glasses with whipped cream on top.
A childhood favorite of many, including mine, Lime Sherbet Punch is a colorful and delicious way to bring on that spirit of Christmas. This Christmas drink is totally easy peasy, you’ll need 46 ounces of pineapple juice, 12 ounces of frozen concentrated orange juice (make sure it’s defrosted first), 12 ounces of frozen concentrated limeade (again, be sure it’s defrosted), two liters of Ginger Ale, 12 scoops of lime sherbet, eight to ten drops of green food coloring and a handful of cranberries. You’ll want to combine the pineapple juice, limeade, orange juice, Ginger Ale and food coloring into a good-sized punch bowl (the bigger the better), and mix the liquid together well. Then add the 12 scoops of lime sherbet to the top of the mixture and lastly, throw on the handful of cranberries for a splash of red garnish. Serve immediately in a glass of your choosing; use cocktail glasses if you want to feel fancy!
A Hot Toddy, or a Hot Irish Whiskey as it’s known as in Ireland, is the ideal Christmas drink to warm you up on a brisk winter’s night. It’s also used as a cold remedy! For this recipe you’ll need three fourths cup of water, one and a half ounces of Irish Whiskey, two to three teaspoons of honey (if you want sweeter, go with three teaspoons), two to three teaspoons of lemon juice (if you desire more tartness, go with three teaspoons), one lemon round and one cinnamon stick. Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan and once warmed, pour the water into a coffee mug or glass mug. Then add the Irish Whiskey, honey and lemon juice into the mug and stir until the honey has dissolved. To finish off this classic, garnish the mug with the lemon round and stick of cinnamon.
This simple cocktail is for all of the Champagne lovers out there! The Poinsettia Cocktail is always a sophisticated Christmas drink hit at parties without going overboard. For this fancy cocktail you’ll need two sliced fresh oranges, 20 ounces of chilled cranberry juice, four ounces of chilled Triple Sec and one bottle of chilled Champagne (750ml). In a glass pitcher, add the cranberry juice and Triple Sec, then pour in half the bottle of Champagne and gently stir until blended well. You’ll then pour the mixture into eight to ten champagne glasses of your choosing. Make sure to top each glass off with the remaining Champagne, and use the orange slices as garnish!
This is the non-alcoholic version of the vintage drink with a Christmas twist. The Peppermint Julep is perfect for those of us who don’t drink, but still want to feel included at the Christmas party. For this minty recipe you’ll need one cup of crushed ice, one ounce of peppermint simple syrup, two to three ounces of Cranberry Ginger Ale, a sprig of fresh pine and one candy cane. To begin this Christmas drink recipe, pour the peppermint simple syrup into the bottom of the glass you wish to serve it in, add in the crushed ice and Cranberry Ginger Ale. To finish it off, place the candy cane and sprig of fresh pine into the drink for garnish.
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