Ten Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Holidays

 

HOPPY HOLIDAYS

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Orange Juice


• 2 oz. Sour Mix


• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice


• Splash of Grenadine


• Splash of 7-Up


• Orange


• Cherry

Preparation: Build first five ingredients on ice. Chill, shake and strain. Garnish with orange and cherry.
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VERY STRAWBERRY PUNCH

Ingredients:

• 4 packages Strawberry Jello


• 3 large cans Pineapple Juice


• 10 oz. bottle Lemon Juice


• 2 cups Cold Water


• 6 cups Boiling Water


• 3 large cans Ginger Ale


• 5 cups Sugar

Preparation: Combine jello and sugar. Add boiling water first, the cold water, lemon juice and pineapple juice. Refrigerate. Add ginger ale just before serving.

Virgin Wassail Bowl (no alcohol)

VIRGIN WASSAIL BOWL

- 1 cup brown sugar
- 12 whole cloves
- 2 Tbsp (or more) ground cinnamon
- 2 lemons, sliced thin
- 2 oranges, sliced thin
- 1 apple, sliced thin
- 1 gallon sweet cider
- 1 pint 7-Up or ginger ale

Make syrup of brown sugar and 1 cup water; add cloves and cinnamon.
Simmer for 10 minutes; add fruit. Simmer for 10 minutes longer with
cider; do not boil. Add 7-Up just before serving. Serve in mugs with
cinnamon stick. Yield: 20 servings.

Hot Cinnamon Cider (non-alcohol)

This easy to prepare drink is guaranteed to warm you and your guests from head-to-toe on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts apple cider


• 1/3 cup hot cinammon candies (e.g., "red hots" or "cinnamon imperials")


• 1 tablesoon whole allspice


• 3 tablespoons honey

Preparation:

Heat cider, cinammon candies and allspice to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove allspice; stir in honey.  Serve in mugs & garnish with cinnamon stick if desired. Makes 24 1/2 cup servings.

A Cup of Christmas Cheer #1

I'm not much of a drinker, myself, social or otherwise. But, for some reason, mixology fascinates me (as you've probably gathered, if you follow this blog). I'm not sure what it is - there is just something unspeakably arcane and alchemical about combining various spirits and powders and spices, and coming up with the proverbial "cup of cheer."

Of course, there's a flip side to this. Like the guy who came up with Long Island Iced Tea (or Homer Simpson and the "Flaming Moe"). Rather than being a kind of artistry, this seems to be a recipe for getting sloppy/pasty. A kind of nefarious bartender hack, its popularity nothwithstanding. In fact, that is the basis of its popularity, because getting sloppy/pasty/making street pizza has always been popular in certain circles.

So, if you're looking to get sloppy drunk this Christmas, rather than enjoying a "cup of Christmas cheer," or three, this site might be more to your liking.

For the rest of you merry gents and gentlewomen, here are some positively magical drink recipes for a cup of Christmas cheer--

Peppermint Stick

• Creme de Cacao, white 1 1/2 oz.

• Schnapps, peppermint 1 oz.

• Cream 1 oz. (light)

Shake with ice; strain into a champagne glass. Garnish with a candy cane.

Hot Russian Christmas

• Vodka 1 shot

• Kahlua 1 shot
  

• Eggnog 1 shot

• Hot Chocolate

Prepare hot chocolate separately. To a mug add the shots of eggnog, vodka, and Kahlua. Fill to the top of the mug with hot chocolate, and stir well. Heat in the microwave for thirty seconds if hot chocolate has gone tepid. To make it festive looking, you may top it with whip cream and some colored sugar or a dash of nutmeg, or with a marshmallow, to make it foamy.

Ambassador's Punch

• Brandy 5 oz.

• Creme de Cacao, dark 3 oz.

• Rum, dark 4 oz.

• Eggnog 1 qt. (cold)

• 4 dashes of nutmeg

In a punch bowl, pour in everything except the nutmeg. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to mix, then add ice to keep the punch cold. Serve immediately.

Brandy Alexander (an old classic)

• Brandy 1 oz.

• White Creme de Cacao 1 oz.

• Cream 1 oz.

• Pinch nutmeg

Stir ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg.

Decent, affordable, real brandy: E&J or Christian Brothers. Not the flavored crap, and NOT Potter's.

Holiday Cheer Ice Cubes, and two festive drinks

Holiday Cheer Ice Cubes

INGREDIENTS:

• Oranges

• Pineapple slices

• Strawberries

• Maraschino Cherries, whole

• Cranberry juice cocktail

PREPARATION:

1. Slice fruit into small pieces (except maraschino cherries)


2. Place fruit in bottom of individual ice cube tray compartments. Add one maraschino cherry per cube.


3. Cover fruit pieces with cranberry juice cocktail.


4. Freeze until solid.


5. Add these jolly ice cubes to whatever beverages/punchbowls you like, or try one of these two:

Christmas Cranberry Cheer Punch

Contains alcohol

INGREDIENTS:

• 64-ounce cranberry juice cocktail, chilled

• 1 bottle red wine, chilled (substitute de-alcoholized wine, if you like)

• 1/3 cup bottled sweetened lime juice (suggested brand: Rose's)

• 1 liter bottle lemon-lime soda

PREPARATION:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl.


2. Add Holiday Cheer Ice Cubes


3. Serve.

Christmas Cranberry Punch (no carbonation)

Contains alcohol

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Vodka

• 4 cups cranberry juice

• 1-1/2 cups lime juice

• 2 cups water

• 3 tbsp. sugar

PREPARATION:

1. Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl.


2. Serve with Holiday Cheer Ice Cubes

Recipes via Suite101.com

How to make English Christmas Punch

ENGLISH CHRISTMAS PUNCH

Ingredients
• 3 cups strong tea
• 2 750-ml. bottles dry red wine
• 1 750-ml. bottle dark rum
• 1 lb. superfine sugar
Juice of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 lemon

Mixing instructions:
Heat wine, tea and fruit juices in a chafing dish or saucepan, but do not boil. This punch may be served from the chafing dish or transferred to a heatproof punch bowl. Put sugar into a large ladle and saturate with rum. If ladle is not large enough for all the sugar, put remainder in punch bowl. Ignite rum in ladle and pour blazing into punch. Stir well, extinguish flames, and then pour remainder of rum into punch. Stir again and serve. Makes about 27 servings.