Guide to Holiday Drinks

Written by admin on 16 October 2010

Want to impress your holiday guests? Many festive drinks aren’t as difficult to prepare as you may think. Here are a few, some with alcohol, some without.

Irish Coffee

1 shot of Irish whiskey

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 cup of hot, freshly brewed coffee

_ cup whipped cream

Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Place the brown sugar and Irish whiskey into a tall coffee glass or mug. Pour in coffee leaving room at the top for adding whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles.

Warm Spiced Apple Lemonade

_ cup lemonade mix

6 cinnamon sticks

3 cups apple juice

1 cup water

2 cloves

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Measure lemonade mix into a medium saucepan and add remaining ingredients including two of the cinnamon sticks. Heat on medium for five minutes until hot but not boiling. Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks from the liquid mixture. Pour into four mugs. Add a fresh cinnamon stick to each mug.

Hot Buttered Rum

1-1/2 oz. rum

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp butter

4 whole cloves

Cinnamon stick or lemon twist (optional)

Boiling water

Pour rum into a coffee mug. Add sugar, butter and cloves. Fill with boiling water and stir. Garnish with a lemon twist or cinnamon stick.

Holiday Eggnog

1-1/2 oz. rum

1-1/2 oz. half and half

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dash of nutmeg

Combine the rum, half and half, vanilla and sugar in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake well and strain into a mug, adding a dash of nutmeg on top. If you prefer to use store-bought eggnog, add the rum and nutmeg after pouring the pre-prepared eggnog into a mug.

Golden Apple Crisp

1-1/2 oz. rum

1 cup hot apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

Dash of nutmeg

Measure rum into a mug and fill with hot apple cider. Add cinnamon stick and sprinkle on nutmeg.

Adult Hot Chocolate

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup half and half

1 tbsp. amaretto

1 tsp. vanilla extract

_ cup whipped cream

Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

In a saucepan heat the chocolate chips and half and half, simmering for one minute or until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add vanilla and amaretto. Pour into coffee cups and top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. You can vary the taste by substituting hazelnut, coffee or orange liqueur, or peppermint schnapps instead of amaretto.

Cranberry Kiss

6 ounces cranberry juice

1 ounce orange juice

Club soda

Orange wedges

Pour cranberry juice and orange juice into a tall glass with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with an orange wedge.

Berries and Cream

_ oz. spiced rum

_ oz. wild berry schnapps

3 oz. strawberry cocktail mix

2 tbsp. raspberries in syrup

1 oz. heavy cream

16 oz. crushed ice

Add rum, berry schnapps and cocktail mix to a shaker. Slowly stir in raspberries and heavy cream. Blend well and pour over ice. Garnish with a berry or mint if desired.

Festive Holiday Punch

1 bottle (750ml.) light dry rum

6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate

6 oz. can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate

16 oz. can fruit cocktail, drained

2 liters chilled club soda

In a large punch bowl mix frozen lemonade, frozen grapefruit juice, fruit cocktail and light rum. Chill for two hours, stirring occasionally. Add ice and club soda to punch bowl and stir gently. Serves eight to 10.

Warm English Christmas Punch

1 bottle (750ml) dark rum

2 bottles (750ml) dry red wine

3 cups brewed tea

_ cup orange juice

_ cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

Combine the wine, tea and juices in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Gradually stir in the sugar and rum and serve warm. Serves 25.

Hot Rumba

2 oz. rum

1 cup hot chocolate

Small marshmallows or whipped cream

Pour rum into a tall mug or glass, fill with hot chocolate and garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream.

Candy Cane

_ oz. cinnamon schnapps

_ oz. peppermint schnapps

Combine the two schnapps in a mixing glass with ice, stir gently and pour into a shot glass. For multiple servings make a pitcher using two 375 ml. bottles and chilling on ice. Serve in chilled shot glasses.

Chocolate Martini

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. chocolate liqueur

Cocoa powder

Hershey’s Kiss

Dip the rim of a martini glass in cocoa powder. Combine vodka and chocolate liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Hershey’s Kiss.

Lemon Drop

2 oz. lemon vodka

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. sugar

Lemon slices

Rub a lemon slice around the rim of a cocktail glass then dip the glass into sugar. Mix vodka and lemon juice with the remaining sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.

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