Holiday Spirits - what are your recipes?

[_madeleine]

Yes, it is time to pull out your best holiday beverage recipes. Cocktails, mulled wines, ciders and punches.

Last year I discovered Glogg, from a story that NPR aired. It is warm, yummy and makes everyone feel so cozy! I just kept making more and more of it. Here is the recipe:

A Simple Glogg

Ingredients:

Aquavit (or brandy or vodka)
Burgundy or pinot noir wine
Port wine
Raisins
White sugar
Cinnamon sticks
Cloves
Cardamom seeds
One orange
One piece of ginger
Blanched almonds

Step 1: Soak 1/2 cup of raisins in one cup of aquavit (a Norwegian spirit made with potatoes); Brandy or vodka can be used instead. Soak for 30 minutes before Step 2.

Step 2: Put a large pot on the stove, over high heat. Add one cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar to the pot, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Lower the heat to medium and add your spices - two sticks of cinnamon (each broken in half); four whole cloves; six whole cardamom seeds, crushed by hand; a thinly shaved orange peel; and one small piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half. Stir again with wooden spoon. Do not allow the mix to come to a boil from this point on.

Step 4: Add the aquavit-raisin mixture, two cups of burgundy or pinot noir wine and two cups of port wine.

Step 5: Sweeten and spice to taste.

Step 6: Strain, garnish with raisins and slices of blanched almond — and serve hot off the stove.

Note: The drink can be made a day ahead and kept covered, on the stove, at room temperature. Just reheat before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Todd and Urd Milbury.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/22/144101579 ... vian-glogg

[_Blixa]

Yes, it is time to pull out your best holiday beverage recipes. Cocktails, mulled wines, ciders and punches.

Last year I discovered Glogg, from a story that NPR aired. It is warm, yummy and makes everyone feel so cozy! I just kept making more and more of it. Here is the recipe:

A Simple Glogg

Ingredients:

Aquavit (or brandy or vodka)
Burgundy or pinot noir wine
Port wine
Raisins
White sugar
Cinnamon sticks
Cloves
Cardamom seeds
One orange
One piece of ginger
Blanched almonds

Step 1: Soak 1/2 cup of raisins in one cup of aquavit (a Norwegian spirit made with potatoes); Brandy or vodka can be used instead. Soak for 30 minutes before Step 2.

Step 2: Put a large pot on the stove, over high heat. Add one cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar to the pot, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Lower the heat to medium and add your spices - two sticks of cinnamon (each broken in half); four whole cloves; six whole cardamom seeds, crushed by hand; a thinly shaved orange peel; and one small piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half. Stir again with wooden spoon. Do not allow the mix to come to a boil from this point on.

Step 4: Add the aquavit-raisin mixture, two cups of burgundy or pinot noir wine and two cups of port wine.

Step 5: Sweeten and spice to taste.

Step 6: Strain, garnish with raisins and slices of blanched almond — and serve hot off the stove.

Note: The drink can be made a day ahead and kept covered, on the stove, at room temperature. Just reheat before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Todd and Urd Milbury.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/22/144101579 ... vian-glogg

My Finnish friend, Taru, gave me nearly the exact same recipe. It is amazing.

[_madeleine]

My Finnish friend, Taru, gave me nearly the exact same recipe. It is amazing.

It is. Would like some now, but need to shop for ingredients. So, I am going with Beaujolais Nouveau.

[_Blixa]

The Dickensian punches, Negus and Bishop, revealed: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dic ... pva40.html

[Guest]

The Dickensian punches, Negus and Bishop, revealed: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dic ... pva40.html

Wonderful!

Star anise! That is an ingredient I would not have thought to add. I am going to give this a try. Thanks. :)

The second drink described brings to mind hot buttered rum, with a bit more flavor (lemon), or maybe a hot toddy.

[_madeleine]

Hot buttered rum:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emer ... index.html

[_madeleine]

Hot toddy:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hot-toddy/

[_ludwigm]

Hot buttered rum:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emer ... index.html

I know the recipe - from Kenneth Roberts' "Northwest Passage".
As a young officer, with some colleagues we've tried it 30 years ago... it was a memorable event. Probably because we used about 7-10 times more than the dose written above.

The book's wikipedia entry writes:
"Langdon Towne ... is admitted to Harvard College, but an ill-timed visit from his friends Saved from Captivity ('Cap') Huff and Hunking ('Hunk') Marriner results in his expulsion in 1759, although it does allow him to meet the young artist John Singleton Copley."

That ill-timed visit was a drinking in the college, when Huff produced a small barrel (not a bottle) rum, prepared by this recipe.

[_madeleine]

Hot buttered rum:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emer ... index.html

I know the recipe - from Kenneth Roberts' "Northwest Passage".
As a young officer, with some colleagues we've tried it 30 years ago... it was a memorable event. Probably because we used about 7-10 times more than the dose written above.

The book's wikipedia entry writes:
"Langdon Towne ... is admitted to Harvard College, but an ill-timed visit from his friends Saved from Captivity ('Cap') Huff and Hunking ('Hunk') Marriner results in his expulsion in 1759, although it does allow him to meet the young artist John Singleton Copley."

That ill-timed visit was a drinking in the college, when Huff produced a small barrel (not a bottle) rum, prepared by this recipe.

Sounds like something that would go on in a college dorm.

[_Quasimodo]

Start with a clean, dry glass. Add two shots of Laphroaig single malt scotch. Enjoy.