Mulled Wine

We’ve made it, our journey through holiday drinks and the days leading to Christmas has sadly come to a conclusion.  The bright side is I have just over twenty-four hours left to do my Christmas shopping, prepare a Christmas Eve feast and enjoy the season!  To end our collection of concoctions we have a very nice Mulled Wine, a drink that can easily be served anytime of day throughout the colder months.  I like to make sure that none of my Christmas day guests leaves the house without one of these in hand!

Mulled Wine has dozens of names and slight variations depending on where you are in Germany and Alsace it is known as Glühwein.  In France, vin chaud.  In Italy, mulled wine is typical in the northern part of the country and is called vin brulé.  In Russia, Glintwein.  Glögg is the term for mulled wine in the Nordic countries.   All are typically made with red wine, sugar and a combination of spices.  The oldest known record of one of these variants is attributed to the German nobleman and first Riesling grower of the world, Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen around 1420.

In a saucepan warm 1500 ml of Burgundy over medium heat until steaming; add six ounces of fresh squeezed orange juice and a cup of brown sugar.  Stir in two teaspoons of ground cinnamon.  In a tea ball place one teaspoon whole allspice, one teaspoon whole cloves, and one teaspoon cardamom seeds.  Place spice ball into pan and simmer over the lowest possible heat for twenty to thirty minutes.  Remove the spice ball and serve garnished with a cinnamon stick.  To keep the wine warm for an extended period, pour it into a covered crockpot on low heat.  The wine can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours (this also lets the flavors blend nicely), either reheat on the stove for ten minutes before serving or in the crockpot.

Mulled Wine

1500 ml burgundy wine

6 oz fresh orange juice

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp whole allspice

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp cardamom seeds

Heat wine over medium heat, add orange juice, sugar, cinnamon and remaining spices in a tea ball.  Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with a cinnamon stick.

Hot Buttered Rum

To stick with our theme of winter drinks, here is one that will make your cardiologist cringe.  But as we all know, anytime you are using butter in a cocktail, good things are going to happen!  The Hot Buttered Rum is one of those gluttonous pleasures that would not cross your mind eleven months out of the year, but when candy canes and cookie trays constitute a balanced breakfast a Hot Buttered Rum is the perfect drink to end a long day.

While I have found no evidence to support his creation of the drink, Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr., also known as Trader Vic, definitely made it popular.  It appeared in “Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink,” published originally in 1946.

To make this delightfully decedent treat you need to make a batch of butter batter first.  Place one stick of butter at room temperature into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, add a quarter teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Beat until the butter is creamed and the spices are well mixed.  Slowly, add one pound of brown sugar and continue to mix.  Store the batter in the refrigerator.  When ready to make the cocktail place one to two heaping teaspoons into a mug, add two ounces of dark rum (I’m currently using Myer’s), and fill with boiling water.  Serve with a cinnamon stick and an angioplasty tenth one’s free punch card.

Hot Buttered Rum

1 lb brown sugar

¼ lb butter softened

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

a pinch of sugar

dark rum

Cream the butter, salt and spices in a mixing bowl, add sugar and mix.  Store in the refrigerator until ready for use.  For each drink place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the butter batter into a mug, add 2 ounces of dark rum and fill with boiling water.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Coquito

I have recently come to the conclusion that Christmas should either be white or tropical, nowhere in between.  Fortunately whether you are sitting by a roaring fire watching the snow accumulate by the foot or stretched out with your feet in the sand enjoying the peaceful sound of the waves hitting the beach this drink has you covered.

The Coquito is a traditional holiday drink from our island neighbor Puerto Rico.  History is pretty sparse, but as it is similar to eggnog, I’m going to go out on a limb and speculate that it evolved due to the abundance of indigenous ingredients.

As this, once again, is a cocktail made for celebrations, the recipe here is for a crowd.  Start by warming eight cups of coconut milk in a saucepan over low heat.  When the milk starts to steam add three quarters of a cup of sugar and stir until dissolved. Meanwhile place sixteen egg yolks in a mixing bowl add four tablespoons vanilla extract and whisk until well blended.  I do not use much spiced rum, but this is a circumstance where I think the spice adds to the drink.  Stir in two cups of Captain Morgan’s and then slowly pour the egg mixture into the saucepan stirring constantly and using caution not to let the mixture boil.  Remove from heat when completely mixed.  While the Coquito is traditionally served cold, I enjoy it hot as well.  To serve it cold, place the mixture in a glass container and refrigerate until ready to serve.  This recipe also makes for a lighter libation appropriate for all of your guests, I personally like to add another ounce (or more) of rum to my cup when serving.  To finish it off, top the mixture with fresh ground Ceylon cinnamon before serving.

Coquito

8 cups coconut milk

¾ cup of sugar

16 egg yolks

4 tbl vanilla extract

2 cups spiced rum

Gently heat milk over low heat, add the sugar and stir to dissolve.  In a separate bowl whisk eggs and vanilla, add the rum.  Slowly mix the egg mixture into the milk, stirring constantly.  Serve with freshly ground cinnamon over the top.

Wassail

Seeing that our list is a little short on classic holiday drinks there will be at least a couple appearing this week.  Here is a classic from Jolly Olde England that is sure to warm your soul and fuel your caroling long into the cold night.

Wassailing is an ancient southern English tradition that was originally performed with the intention of ensuring a good crop of cider apples for the next year's harvest.  It evolved into the yuletide tradition of caroling door to door with a bowl of sherry-soaked warm cidery goodness.  The name comes from the Middle English salutation ‘Waes Hail’, meaning ‘good health’ or ‘to your health’.  The revelers would go door-to-door singing in exchange for a refill.

To make this cold weather cocktail, warm two quarts of apple cider over medium heat until it starts to steam.  Add one half cup of brown sugar and two teaspoons ground nutmeg.  In a tea ball place, approximately six cinnamon sticks, a dozen each cloves and allspice berries, and a vanilla bean.  Drop the tea ball into the cider and let simmer for 30 minutes while enjoying another of our holiday favorites.  Remove the tea ball and add one cup each of fresh squeezed lemon and orange juices.  Pour in one and a half liters of dry sherry.  Find the worlds largest roady cup and head out into the cold with your band of musical merry makers singing this:

            Wassail! wassail! all over the town,

            Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

            Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;

            With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

Wassail
2 qts apple cider

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp ground nutmeg

6 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

12 allspice berries

1 vanilla bean

1 cup orange juice

1 cup lemon juice

1 ½ liters dry sherry

Heat cider over medium heat until steaming.  Add sugar and nutmeg.  Put remaining spices in a tea ball and set in the cider.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove tea ball and add the remaining ingredients.  Serves six to eight.

Eggnog

No list of Christmas cocktails would be complete without this merry classic. I know a few of my faithful followers are wondering if this is THE eggnog recipe, and the answer is no, I’ll take that one to the grave with me as it is my signature Christmas gift and if I gave it up, I would be forced to use my creative juices on Christmas shopping for my friends every year, thereby further neglecting my duties here. This is however a great version steeped in history and suitable for a single cup or as a large batch (my recommendation). Before we get to the details, a little history.

Once again we are presented with a handful of tales, innuendo and flat out lies about where this drink came from. One version has it as a drunken conjunction of “egg and grog,” easily slurred to eggnog after a few merry rounds of rum based heaven by a mutinous crew. In the more civilized version of the story it came across the Atlantic to the colonies from England in the 18th century where it was popular with the aristocracy who were the only ones able to get eggs and dairy products, they mixed it with brandy and sherry. In the new world it was mixed with rum due to its abundance and low cost. After the Revolutionary War, locally produced spirits were substituted.

This would explain why there is no definitive liquor choice when it comes to eggnog. Rum, brandy and bourbon are all good options individually or in some combination. As a true patriot I am going to use bourbon, but as the picture above illustrates rum is a great option. I am going to once again rely on my old friend David Embury here, as his recipe provided a starting point that I fine-tuned to my liking. He also has some good pointers on how to properly mix the ingredients. Start by cracking an egg into a cocktail shaker, add two teaspoons of superfine sugar, whisk together until the egg is slightly frothy. Add six ounces of half and half and bourbon (or your liquor of choice). Fill with ice and shake, pour into an old fashioned or Tom Collins glass (never serve over ice), garnish with some freshly grated nutmeg. This recipe is for a single cup, but should be increased to match the size of your gathering using a large pitcher. Eggnog is a drink made for sharing with friends, although it is also a welcome companion when you are awake at 1:00 AM Christmas morning, trying to put together that god damn, million piece train set for your kid who will be jumping on your bed in three hours.

Eggnog

1 egg

2 tsp superfine sugar

2 oz bourbon, rum, or brandy

6 oz half and half

Place egg and sugar into an empty shaker (or large pitcher for multiple batches), whisk until frothy. Add bourbon, half and half, ice and mix. Strain into individual glasses or a serving pitcher. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

The 12 Drinks of Christmas

After a six month hiatus I am back just in time to fuel your holiday cheer! There is no better time of year to drink in excess with the simple excuse “it’s the holidays!” So to compensate for my extended absence I am bringing you the 12 Drinks of Christmas.

Over the next 24 days you will experience a combination of classics, newcomers, and traditional holiday spirits that is sure to please everybody on your invite list. They will be coming at a feverish pace, so please feel free to take a break with some of the holiday favorites that I have already covered like the Manhattan or the Tom and Jerry!

The first drink will appear shortly with another following every couple of days.  As they are added I will add them to the list below as well.  Enjoy!

1. The Rob Roy
2. The Gibson
3. Eggnog
4. The Brandy Alexander
5. Serendipiti
6. Bloody Mary 
7. The Whiskey Cobra 
8. Wassail 
9. Coquito 
10. Hot Buttered Rum
11. Robertino
12. Mulled Wine 
13. Poire Victoire
14. Jeff One

Tom & Jerry

Egg Nog may get all the glory, but the Tom & Jerry deserves a place at your holiday table. This heated cousin of Christmas’s most popular beverage is a complex combination of flavors, textures and spirits. It takes a little advanced preparation, but the result is well worth it.

Pre-dating the cartoon of the same name by over one hundred years, this holiday hangover cure was created in the 1820’s by sports writer Pierce Egan. It is a reference to Egan's book, Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom.

David Embury has outdone himself and I have found no reason to stray from his formula. The following measurements make enough for a crowd, so mix up a batch and invite all of your friends over for some holiday cheer. Start by separating a dozen eggs. Beat the whites to stiff peaks and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the yolks with ½ pound of sugar, one tablespoon each of allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves. Then gradually pour in four ounces of dark rum; Myer’s is my personal choice. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture. When ready to serve, place about ½ cup of the batter into a large mug, add two ounces of your favorite bourbon, and fill the mug with hot milk. Stir until the whole drink foams. Float one teaspoon of cognac on top and dust with freshly grated nutmeg.

Tom & Jerry

Batter:

1 dozen eggs, separated

½ pound sugar

1 tbl allspice

1 tbl cinnamon

1 tbl ground cloves

4 oz dark rum

Each Drink:

2 oz bourbon

hot milk

1 tsp cognac

nutmeg

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Add rum. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.

For each individual drink, place ½ cup batter into a large mug, add bourbon and fill with hot milk, stir vigorously, top with a cognac floater and freshly grated nutmeg.