Our Favourite Holiday Cocktails (Hot and Cold!)
As much as we love to eat holiday treats here at Hello Chef, we need something equally delicious poured into our glasses.
We like our favourite winter concoctions as aperitifs, or after dinner as desserts on their own (and when meditating!)
Here are the three drinks we covet the most in December.
Glögg, Scandinavian Mulled Wine
Serves 4–6
Cooking time 5 min + 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine (or alcohol-free blackcurrant juice)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp grated orange zest
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp raisins
1 cinnamon stick
8 cloves
4 whole cardamom pods
2 Tbsp shaved almonds
Orange slices, for garnishing
Method:
1. In a pot, combine wine or juice (if using juice, you don’t need as much sugar), sugar, grated orange zest, grated ginger, raisins, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods. Heat up (to about 75°C) but do not boil.
2. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour, covered.
3. Strain to remove spices.
4. Gently reheat.
5. Divide the shaved almonds to glasses or mugs. Pour the glögg on top. Garnish with orange slices, and serve.
Hot Apple Cider
Serves 4–6
Cooking time 25 min
Ingredients:
1,2 l apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 apple
1 orange
10 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Method:
1. In a pot, combine apple juice and brown sugar.
2. Wash apple and orange carefully and cut to slices. Add to the pot. Add also the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer lightly for 20 minutes.
4. Strain to remove spices and fruit slices. Serve hot.
Pomegranate Mojito
Serves 4
Cooking time 5 min
Ingredients:
1 bunch mint leaves
4 limes
2 Tbsp icing sugar
800ml pomegranate juice
seeds from 1 pomegranate
Method:
1. Take out four tall glasses. Separate a handful of mint leaves to each glass. Set some of the whole mint sprigs aside for garnishing.
2. Wash limes and cut to wedges. Divide the wedges to glasses. Also divide the icing sugar to glasses.
3. Rub the ingredients in each glass with a wooden spoon until the mint leaves and the limes break a bit.
4. Pour the pomegranate juice on top. Add pomegranate seeds and garnish with mint sprigs.