It’s the holiday season and we can almost, just almost, hear our favorite jolly, old man ho-ho-ho-ing in the distance. What is not to love about the kids running around underfoot, sales-crazy aunties huddling in their super secret optimal strategy discussions, being sent out for last-minute shopping, and just wanting to spend the rest of the holidays ripping into presents and sleeping the day away?
We got you, fam.
Here are 5 festive christmas drinks that will take the edge off of your increasingly attractive plans to run away to Goa for the holidays.
1. Egg Nog
Egg Nog is that drink. The It-Drink of the holiday season and we are here to tell you how to make it yourself in a few super simple steps.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs with the yolks and whites separated
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1/2 cup of Old Monk or any other dark spirit
- A sprinkle of nutmeg powder (optional)
Beat the 2 egg yolks with 3/4 of the 1/4 cup of sugar until it is fluffy. Then, gently stir in the milk, cream, and Old Monk. In another bowl, add the rest of the sugar to the egg whites and beat it until soft peaks form. Gently combine the 2 mixtures with a light sprinkle of nutmeg powder.
And there you have it! What a sight for sore ice!
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2. Hot Chocolate for Adults
If the thought of a raw egg drink isn’t for you, we get it. Here’s a Hot Chocolate Cocktail for the adult you who still listens to your inner child!
Ingredients:
- 50 g of chocolate, chopped
- 200ml of whole milk
- 30 ml of Old Monk, Royal Stag, or McDowell’s No 1
- Whipped cream (optional)
First, heat the milk just until it’s about to boil over. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate, stirring to make sure it is completely melted. Add your spirit of choice and mix that too. Top off with some whipped cream for that little bit of extra sweetness.
By the way, the alcohol amount above is just a suggestion. You (candy) can add as little or as much as you like.
3. Mulled Wine
Here we have something that you can encourage the aunties to drink so that they cool off on the personal comments on your hobbies and love life (or lack thereof).
The main thing about mulled wine is, as the name suggests, the wine itself. So, make sure to get some really nice fruity wine that’s not too expensive, but stays good even after being heated.
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of any local Indian fruit wine
- 2 small oranges
- 1/4 cup of brandy
- 1-2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
- 4 whole cloves
To make mulled wine, you need a heavy bottom vessel.
Cut 1 of the 2 oranges into rounds and cut the other one in half. Place the rounds in the vessel and squeeze the juice of the other orange into it. Into this, pour the bottle of wine, followed by the brandy. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of honey and the spices, and warm the contents on medium heat.
When you start seeing the smallest of bubbles, turn the heat down to the lowest level possible. After all, we don’t want the alcohol to evaporate.
Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness to your desired level with more honey, if needed.
We swear this mulled wine is so good that it will have your aunties dancing to all the jingle ladies, all the jingle ladies!
4. Classic Hot Toddy
Down here in the South, we’ve all heard of toddy; the miracle drink of the coconut Gods. What we have for you, though, is a little different.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 60ml Royal Stag or whiskey of choice
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
In a saucepan, pour in the water and bring it to a simmer. Make sure that it doesn’t boil. When at a simmer, turn off the heat and pour the water into a mug. Add the whiskey, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Taste it and add more honey for sweetness or more lemon juice according to your taste.
We guarantee that you’ll love it! Why? Claus, we said so!
5. Cranberry-Ginger Mimosa
While December is certainly cold in parts of India, hence the mostly hot drinks. For people living in places that are hot year-round, we present our super classy Christmas Mimosa!
Ingredients:
- 60 ml Schweppes ginger ale or any brand of your choice
- 60 ml Real cranberry juice or any brand of your choice
- Dom Perignon Champagne to top it off
- Dried cranberries (optional)
This is a no-brainer recipe. Collect all your ingredients. Snow far, snow good right? Just add them all together and top ’em off with dried cranberries as garnish. That’s it!
We hope you loved our holiday cocktail recipes. SaltSnap wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy holidays, everyone!