Europe’s favorite drink during the festive season has to be mulled wine. It dates back to Roman antiquity but it wasn’t until the 14th century that the mix of wine, fruit and spices gained its name, from an Old English word meaning “muddled”.
Charles Dickens gets the credit for elevating mulled wine into a traditional holiday drink. It was its appearance in his popular short story, A Christmas Carol, that sealed its place in Christmas culinary history.
Another favorite that found its way around the world is the eggnog. This is a drink made with whipped eggs, cream, nutmeg and a mixture of rum, brandy or bourbon. It is said to have originated in the late 18th century among the aristocracy — they were the only ones who could afford the luxury of milk and eggs. History on this one varies, but it is accepted that the drink gained popularity in the English colonies during the Imperial years.
This Christmas, you could pay homage to the mulled wine by preparing it in the traditional way but serving it chilled, in accordance with the beautiful weather we are experiencing at the moment. And to compliment it further, you could serve it alongside a delicious plum cake, thus enhancing the flavor of the wine and the cake.
You could also play with some coconut vodka and rum infusions. Here’s an easy DIY vodka infused with coconut recipe for Christmas. It can be enjoyed neat, or in cocktails. The writer, who’s also known as “Tug”, is the bartender at Wink, Vivanta by Taj President.
COCONUT VODKA
Ingredients
1 ltr vodka (preferably a good-quality vodka)
½ a coconut, shredded
Directions
Combine the vodka and coconut in a bowl. Cover. After 24 hours, taste the vodka for the desired flavour (I found it got just about right after two days of steeping).
Strain the vodka and transfer to a bottle. Enjoy straight or in any cocktail that calls for coconut-flavoured liquor.
HOLIDAY SPICE
Ingredients
60 ml coconut infused vodka
20 ml cream of coconut
60 ml pineapple juice
30 ml half & half (cream & milk)
2 dashes of cinnamon
2 dashes of nutmeg
Directions
Shake and strain into a stemmed glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
