Originally published in print December 2020.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Great food, being surrounded by friends and family, and made all the better with alcohol. Sometimes spending so much time at home with the family can cause a bit of wear and tear. The best way to mediate this is not measured discussion, but booze! Numb yourself to the embarrassment and distress of cringey dads, nagging mums and annoying siblings with these easy to make Christmas cocktails.

Eggnog

Although heavily associated with American culture, it’s said that eggnog has origins dating back to 13th century Medieval Europe. Back then it was a crude mix of ale, eggs and figs called posset. Not my idea of a good drink I’ll be honest but thankfully after many years of evolution and the addition of milk and spice, it has transformed itself. Typically eggnog is made with brandy and sherry but I love a lot of what Jeffrey Morgenthaler, head bartender of Clyde Common and Pépé le Moko in Portland, OR, has done. His Clyde Common Eggnog was even featured in the ‘New York Times’ Cookbook’, so if you don’t take my word for it, you can take theirs. 

Recipe for a big batch: 

• 6 eggs
• 170g sugar
• 225ml Sherry
• 200ml Tequila
• 540ml milk
• 350ml cream
• 1.5tsp nutmeg

Crack your eggs into a blender and blend them on a slow speed until they are homogenous and slightly frothy. Slowly add the sugar in to fully incorporate. Slowly add in the sherry, tequila, milk and finally the cream. It’s important to add the cream last to prevent too much whipping and expansion. Add the nutmeg. Pour into a small cold cup and enjoy.  

Mulled Wine

Who doesn’t love a hearty mug of mulled wine? Like most alcoholic beverages, it has a medicinal background. Romans in the second century would heat up wine as a way to defend themselves against the bracing winters. As they conquered Europe, they brought with them the primitive mulled wine which other cultures then improved by adding spices in the name of health. It’s an absolute classic and I have great memories of sipping a free cup of mulled wine on front square watching the College Singers sing carols while waiting for the tree lighting. It’s a shame this will be the first time that this lovely tradition won’t go ahead, but you can at least safely replicate this part. 

Recipe:

• • A bottle of red wine, anything Spanish is a decent choice
  • Peel of one large orange
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • Couple tablespoons of sugar, to your taste
  • Optional – couple tablespoons of brandy

Put everything in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to just reach a bare simmer. Then turn the heat to low and cover the pot, leaving the wine to simmer for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. Give it a stir and taste for sweetness before ladelling liquid Christmas into a mug.

Hot Buttered Rum

Hot Buttered Rum may not be a well-known inclusion in this list, but believe me when I say it’s warranted. It’s a drink, like many others, without a set origin. Although butter in drinks may sound like some weird modern twist, it actually dates all the way back to Henry VIII whose physician would prescribe buttered ale as a remedy for hoarseness. Taking this wisdom, but with a Jamaican twist, New Englanders would regularly make buttered rum during the 1650’s. It’s a decadent and delicately spiced beverage to make any freezing December evening extra special. It does require a little bit of prep work, but nothing at all laborious. 

Recipe:

• 60ml Rum
• 15ml sugar syrup (equal amounts of sugar and water in a pan over medium heat until the sugar fully dissolves)
• Heaped teaspoon of butter batch (below)
• 120-160ml of hot water

Add a little bit of hot water to your mug or glass to warm it up. Add the butter batch to the glass followed by the syrup, rum and most of the hot water. Adding most of it makes stirring the drink together and melting the butter a lot easier. Add the remaining hot water and enjoy. 

Butter Batch: 

• 100g butter
• 75g sugar, preferably brown sugar
• 1-2g each of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon powder.

Allow the butter to come to room temperature, or even soften, to make this easier. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and using a spoon or whatever is on hand, mash everything together. Keep in the fridge for easy access.

Baileys Hot Chocolate

Last but not least, the lowest effort drink on this entire list. Honestly, there isn’t any history to this drink. When I asked a friend for any more suggestions, I was met with an incredulous “Baileys Hot Chocolate!?”. A fair reaction to a drink containing some of the things Ireland is best known for consuming: chocolate and alcohol. There’s no fancy method like in the above recipes at all. It’s a simple case of making your go-to hot chocolate and putting in 35ml of Baileys for that creamy, boozy kick.