Hot Drinks For the Holidays!

Hot drinks can warm us up and lift our spirits throughout the winter season -- but they are almost essential at the holidays. Mugs of hot white chocolate are the perfect way to thank the carolers; mulled cranberry juice or sweet Wassail makes a delightful your dinner party centerpiece; warm, flavored milk helps excited toddlers sleep; and what better way to end a hectic day than with spicy hot tea for you and your partner in front of a cozy fire. There are plenty of opportunities for enhancing the holidays with hot drinks.

Given their impact, warm beverages are extraordinarily easy to prepare. And if you take a moment to add a few spices, you'll create drinks that are especially festive and delicious. Here are some recipes to get you started, though you'll likely be concocting your own signature hot holiday beverages in no time.

 

Glugg

Glugg is a mulled Swedish beverage. Use any red wine you prefer for this recipe. Serve with a spoon so your guests can retrieve every last raisin and almond.

1 bottle dry red wine
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup aquavit (caraway-flavored Swedish liquor), or gin or vodka
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange peel
1 tablespoon white cardamom pods whole
6 cloves
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 pieces crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup blanched whole almonds

Warm the wine, raisins, alcohol and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Combine spices and peels in cheesecloth or a muslin bag and add to the saucepan. Simmer uncovered (don’t boil). Ladle into cups and add an almond or two to each.
Makes about 4 servings.

Wassail

The traditional English Christmas drink, wassail is a hearty hot beverage, good for brisk winter weather. Add beer and/or sherry for a more spirited drink.

1 cup apple raspberry juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup strong green tea
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cloves
2 3-inch sticks cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon star anise whole
1 apple, cored and cut into pieces.

Simmer all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved and beverage is hot. Strain and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Visions of Sugarplums Toddy

This deliciously rich toddy adds festive delight to any gathering.

4 cups milk, divided in half (dairy, rice, or soy)
2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
4 ounces of white baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
4 6-inch cinnamon sticks

Warm 2 cups of the milk, honey, cardamom, and baking chocolate in a saucepan until chocolate is melted. Add remaining milk and heat until warm. Stir in vanilla. Pour into cups, sprinkle with nutmeg, and add cinnamon stick stirrers.

Substitute almond extract (or another flavoring, like peppermint extract) for the vanilla now and then. At a toddler's tuck-in time, serve without the chocolate to induce slumber. Makes about 4 servings.

» More Recipes

» Delicious Hot Drinks for Fall & Winter
» Add Flair to Your Drinks
» Spice it Up
» Tips for Cocoa Lovers

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