It’s officially December, so get ready for the onslaught of holiday cheer; it’s about time to talk about the winter holidays. There’s somewhat of a limited assortment of holiday drinks; the few that come to mind are hot chocolate, eggnog, and Sprite cranberry. Does anyone actually drink eggnog? It’s essentially a loose custard, but something about an egg, milk, and cream drink doesn’t sit right with me. I’ll admit, it could be the dairy allergy. At any rate, these holiday drinks just aren’t cutting it for me. I was looking for alternate ways to get in the holiday spirit or put spirits into my holiday beverages, and here’s what I came up with.
The palette we are looking for is mostly sweet, rich, and/or spiced. If you’re serving drinks separate from a meal, you want the cocktails to stand on their own. Key flavors to draw on are chocolate, ginger, and cinnamon. These add signature aromas of holiday cheer, though they can easily overpower a drink. Thinning or tempering the flavors can make for a much more nuanced drink. One way to do this is by adjusting the temperature: a hot drink will enhance subtle flavors, and a cold drink will subdue them, along with ice melting to dilute them. The temperature is also important for creating the right atmosphere. Sipping a warm mug under a soft blanket is a recipe for good cheer. If climate change has kept you warm enough, shave some ice, make a snowball out of a drink, and toast to the memories of snow in December.
