"Coal in Your Stocking" and Other Festive Drinks for the 12 Days of Christmas

“Skillfully concocted from an immense variety of colorful spirits and juices, served in unique glassware, and topped with exotic garnishes, a cocktail is meant to be seen as well as consumed.” (www.bardrinks.com) We think ALL Christmas drinks should be festic.

Alcohol has been around a long time, providing both joy and misery. Assuming Smart Choices and the Emotionally Intelligent use of spirits, we proceed to list 10 fun drinks for the holiday season.

Pay attention to your serving ware, and GARNISH for that festive look. Any drink with whipped cream, you can put sprinkles atop, candied fruit, Christmas “picks” drizzle with crème de menthe for color, shaved color chocolate, a Candy kiss atop …

If it’s hot:
·Stick in a cinnamon stick or candy cane
·Dollop with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles, candy, confectioner’s sugar
·Add a holiday “pick” – there are tons to choose from
·Stick a sparkler in each mug and light at presentation time

If it’s cold:
·Use decorated ice cubes – freeze cranberries, mint leaves, anything festive and NON-POISONOUS into the cubes and add at presentation time. (Remember that holly berries and all parts of the mistletoe are poisonous).
·Float sugar-coated cranberries in the punch bowl
·Freeze ornaments or fruits or flowers in an ice ring for punch bowl; be creative – anything you can make hygienic-enough

For the traditional eggnog – history, recipes and the hazards of egg whites, go here: http://www.indepthinfo.com/eggnog/index.shtml

Whatever you serve, serve it with festive flare, and give it a holiday name!

The First Day of Christmas:
CHRISTMAS MINT PUNCH

1 1/2 c Water
10 oz Mint jelly
3 c Pineapple juice; chilled
1/2 c Lemon juice
1 1/2 c Vodka
64 oz Lemon-lime carbonated drink; chilled
1 qt Lime sherbet

In small saucepan, combine water and mint jelly; cook and stir until jelly melts. Cool. In large punch bowl, combine jelly mix, juices and vodka.
Just before serving, add carbonated beverage and lime sherbet.

Day 2: ANBERRY CHRISTMAS

#1

2 well-chilled 750-ml. bottles champagne or sparkling cider
1 cup well-chilled cranberry juice cocktail, or to taste
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur, or to taste, if desired

In a large pitcher stir together well the champagne, the cranberry juice cocktail and the Grand Marnier. Makes about 7 cups, serving 8. Source: ourmet, November 1993

#2

1 oz. cointreau
3 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. lemon juice, 1 ½ oz. Vodka

Day 3: DAMN THE WEATHER

2 cups Ruby Port
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Chilled club soda or seltzer water
6 lemon slices for garnish

In a large pitcher stir together well the port and the juices. Divide the drink among 6 glasses filled with ice cubes. Top off the drinks with the soda and garnish them with the lemon slices.
Makes 6 drinks. Source: Gourmet, September 1992

Day 4: TRIM-THE-TREE CIDER PUNCH

1 gallon apple cider
12 whole cloves
2 large apples (such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauty), peeled, left whole
2 cinnamon sticks
Ground nutmeg
Rum

Pour apple cider into large pot. Insert 6 cloves into each apple. Add apples and cinnamon sticks to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and barely simmer over very low heat 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.) Ladle hot cider punch into mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve. Add rum to taste. Source, Bon Appétit, December 1995

Day 5: NOSE-WARMER PUNCH

3 bottles dry red wine
1 1/2 cups brandy
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
3 small lemons, zest scored lengthwise if desired with a channel knife and fruit sliced thin crosswise

In a large saucepan bring wine and brandy to a simmer with sugar, cinnamon and cloves, stirring, and cook at a bare simmer 2 minutes. Stir in lemon slices and ladle into heat-proof cups.
Serves about 12. Source: Gourmet, December 1994

Day 6: SNOWBALLS
Cold

1 pt Vanilla ice cream
1/3 c Creme de cacao
1/3 c Kahlua

Combine ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Serve after dinner. I serve this because in south Texas it’s often hot on Christmas Day.

HOT (go figure) (source: Fran)

½ oz. Cinnamon Schnapps
½ oz. Kahlua
Hot Coffee

Day 7: THE EQ COACH'S RUM TODDY

1 qt. Vanilla ice cream
3 sticks margarine
1 box brown sugar
nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice

Combine the above. Then place in each mug 1 heaping T. of the mix, add 1 jigger of rum and water to taste.

Day 8: TheIntrovertzCoach's SPECIAL FRIENDS ESPRESSO

½ cup instant espresso
2 T. brown sugar
1 cup Kahlua
½ cup Irish crème liqueur
Boiling water
Orange zest
Sweetened whipped cream

Combine ingredients and store in frig. For each serving, use 3 T. mix to ½ C. boiling water. Top with whipped cream and zest.

Source: Nancy Fenn, TheIntrovertsCoach, http://www.introvertzcoach.com

Day 9: THREE WISE MEN
Source: www.bardrinks.com

Combine 1/3 oz. of each of the three wise men, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker.

Day 10: CANDY CANE
Source: Pat Mills

Add in order listed, layering in small festiveware:
1/3 oz. Grenadine
½ oz. Green Crème de Menthe
1/3 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

Day 11: SNOW CONE
½ oz. Black Haus
1 1/2oz. Blue Curacao

Mix with ice, shake, strain into shot glass.

Day 12: COAL IN YOUR STOCKING
If You’ve been naughty, what do you get?

1 oz. Crème de Cacao
1 Hershey Kiss