Author Topic: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!  (Read 19686 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #20 on: December 03, 2007, 01:59:03 pm »
Re mulled wine: If you're having a holiday party, it is a really good thing to serve, because it's festive but inespensive, because you can use cheap wine. I made it once for a NY Eve party. I had some champagne, but I couldn't afford to serve champagne to all those people all night long, so I brewed up a big kettle of mulled wine.

If, like me, you're not particularly good in the kitchen, you can even find premixed mulling spices. Works in both wine and cider.

It's even possible--at least, around here--to find cider that's already spiced; all you have to do is heat it. I buy this and then microwave it one mug at a time when I feel like a mug of mulled cider. Same goes for wine. The winery where the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire is located sells a "holiday wine" that is essentially a red wine with the spices already added. They even recommend serving it warm. I've had it, and it smells and tastes pretty good.
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Offline southendmd

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #21 on: December 03, 2007, 02:01:25 pm »
Here's a drink I invented myself, called the Candy Cane. It's not hot, but since we're discussing seasonal minty beverages: vodka and creme de menthe. If you wanted to be really festive, you could put a small candy cane in it as a garnish. (It was inspired by the stinger, which is brandy and creme de menthe, but I like the vodka version better, because it's more purely fresh and minty. You could practically use it as mouthwash!)

Hey, Katherine, that's known as a vodka stinger!

When I do a holiday party, I mull cider and serve it in a big silver (plated) urn with a spout and a little candle underneath to keep it hot.  Then I have a bottle of dark rum (I like Black Seal from Bermuda) with a bar pourer next to it, so people can choose to have it with or without rum.  

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2007, 02:30:31 pm »
If, like me, you're not particularly good in the kitchen, you can even find premixed mulling spices. Works in both wine and cider.

It's even possible--at least, around here--to find cider that's already spiced; all you have to do is heat it. I buy this and then microwave it one mug at a time when I feel like a mug of mulled cider. Same goes for wine. The winery where the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire is located sells a "holiday wine" that is essentially a red wine with the spices already added. They even recommend serving it warm. I've had it, and it smells and tastes pretty good.


Jeff, have you ever been to the New Hope winery?  They often have some really nice Christmas wines.  They also specialize in fruit wines... many of which are great for the holidays.  My favorite fruit wine they make is blackberry.  They also make a good cherry wine.
:)

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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #23 on: December 03, 2007, 02:47:36 pm »
If, like me, you're not particularly good in the kitchen, you can even find premixed mulling spices. Works in both wine and cider.

Yes, that's the way I go. You're usually using packaged spices anyway, so you might as well let the company do the measuring and blending. Penzey's makes a good one:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysmulledwine.html


Hey, Katherine, that's known as a vodka stinger!

Gee thanks, Paul. Way to crush all my dreams of becoming famous for inventing it myself!  >:(  ;D

Oh well, the people who make those so-called "vodka stingers" probably don't use a candy cane as garnish!



Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #24 on: December 03, 2007, 02:56:16 pm »

Drinking a gingerbread Starbucks latte with whipped cream now....
 :P :P :D


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Offline southendmd

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #25 on: December 03, 2007, 03:49:18 pm »
Gee thanks, Paul. Way to crush all my dreams of becoming famous for inventing it myself!  >:(  ;D

Oh well, the people who make those so-called "vodka stingers" probably don't use a candy cane as garnish!


Absolutely!  You could call it a "Santa's Helper".

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #26 on: December 03, 2007, 04:28:07 pm »
Absolutely!  You could call it a "Santa's Helper".

I like it! And around Christmastime, Santa often could use all the help she he can get!


Offline Kelda

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #27 on: December 03, 2007, 05:12:28 pm »
Yes, I love those gingerbread and pumpkin lattes! This is pretty much the only time of year when I indulge in lattes, because I love those flavors. (Though I tried an eggnog latte once, and thought it was pretty bad.)


Me too - when the red cups come out I buy the lattes but rarely visit starbucks the rest of the year.
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Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #28 on: December 09, 2007, 09:05:31 pm »

So, the topic of hot toddies came up in chat this weekend.  And, I was inspired to post a recipe here.  I'm sad to see that hot toddy hasn't received any votes yet... so maybe this will inspire a surge in its popularity.  ::) ;D

Anyway... I think there are a ton of different interpretations of what "hot toddy" means... but here's one that sounds good.

<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/3058829-c9f.jpg" border="0" />

recipe from: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink4355.html
Quote
1 tbsp honey
3/4 glass tea
2 shots brandy
1 slice lemon

Brew tea and fill a tall glass 3/4 full. Mix in honey. Mix in brandy shots. Add lemon slice and enjoy.


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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Thoughts on Hot Seasonal Beverages!
« Reply #29 on: December 10, 2007, 06:16:54 am »
I've been starting my day with a cup of Earl Grey tea with honey lately.  And I recently discovered something called a Generra at a favorite coffee place - it's a mocha (meaning coffee with chocolate syrup and milk) with a couple of long, curly strips of organic orange rind swirling around in it.  I always used to think chocolate and orange was a gross combo - now I like it.  Weird how tastes can change.