Christmas drinks around the world

Hot or energy drinks are very popular in December, especially in places where winters are cold and hard. Mixing certain ingredients in beverages can provide heat, power and great vitality in the body, which is why a few drinks have become a tradition in many places at Christmas and New Year holidays, a way to bring warmth and energy and enjoy the winter days.

Mexican Punch (fruit drink)

Ingredients

• 25 crabapples (optional)
• 15 guavas
• 1 cup of raisins
• 2 cup of prunes
• 300 gr. of tamarind (two cups of tamarind pulp, or two cups of pineapple)
• 6 pieces of sugar cane (can be substituted by pears)
• 4 apples
• 6 cinnamon sticks (15 cm)
• Brown sugar
• Rum or brandy (optional)
• 25 to 30 cups water

Preparation

1. Wash and split the fruit and place in pot to boil with cinnamon, tamarind, sugar cane and brown sugar.
2. When cooked remove from heat. Serve with rum or brandy to taste.

Christmas Coconut Drink (Spain)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 420 g of coconut cream
• 400 grams of condensed milk
• 2 cups of evaporated milk
• 2 cups of White Rum
• Cinnamon

Preparation

1. Blend all ingredients, bring to the refrigerator and cool well before serving.

Spiced Wine (Germany)

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 2 bottles (750 ml each) of red wine
• 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine
• 1 piece (7 cm) of piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 / 3 cup (60 g) of brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) of brandy (optional)

Preparation

1. Use a sharp knife or potato peeler to remove the peel from oranges in strips, being careful to remove only the orange part, leaving the white. Then, squeeze the juice from the oranges in a large heavy pot.
2. Pour red and white wine in the pan with orange juice. Add strips of peel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat until hot but do not let boil. Reduce heat to low and let heat for 1 hour to allow all the flavors are blended. Adjust the flavor to your taste by adding more brown sugar. Strain and serve hot with a splash of brandy, if desired.

Spiced rum (Argentina)

Ingredients

• 750 ml of gold rum
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 pieces of star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 piece of Jamaican pepper
• Orange Peel

Preparation

1. Add all the spices with rum, seal and let stand 24 hours.

Eggnog

Ingredients

• 4 cups of milk
• 5 cloves
• 1 / 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 and 1 / 2 cup of sugar
• 2 and 1 / 2 cups of rum (optional)
• 1 / 2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Preparation

1. Combine milk, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a saucepan and place over low heat until boiling. Do not go away since it may boil and spill.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks and sugar. Beat until creamy. Add little by little, while beating, the mixture of milk. Be sure to mix for 3 minutes. If you use an electric mixer, it’s better. It must be thick. Pass through a sieve to remove the cloves. Cool one hour.
3. Then add the rum, if you'll use it, add more vanilla and nutmeg if you like. Put in refrigerator overnight. Serve cold.

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