Festive Drinks For Holiday Sipping

With all the hustle and bustle of the season, sometimes it feels refreshing to take a moment and savor a sip of something festive. Aside from the bevy of holiday cocktail parties you may be attending, I thought it might be nice to have a couple of drinks you can whip up easily at home.

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Cranberry juice, apple cider and ginger beer combine for a fizzy, festive mocktail.

I love sampling mocktails when I run across them on drink menus around town. And it’s always nice to have a yummy beverage to serve that everyone can enjoy with no ill after effects. So, make a big batch of this alcohol-free Cranberry Ginger Punch if you have a crowd coming over.  The punch is fizzy, thanks to the ginger beer, full of flavor and so pretty garnished with colorful cranberries, rosemary sprigs and slices of citrus. Of course it can be turned into a cocktail by adding a shot of vodka or gin to each glass. I suggest using a premium brand of ginger beer, such as Fever-Tree, which is made with real ginger root, for best results.

Who doesn’t love a warm, creamy coffee drink! One of my favorites is café au lait, which is French for “coffee with milk.” It’s simply half hot strong coffee and half hot milk. You can make a delicious café au lait at home even if you don’t have a fancy espresso machine. All you need is a glass jar with a tight fitting lid such as a canning jar or fruit jar to make hot, steamed milk. A café au lait is excellent with a buttery croissant for breakfast or the perfect complement to a piece of leftover Thanksgiving pie.

Cranberry Ginger Punch

8 servings

• 16 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
• 16 ounces apple cider
• 16 ounces ginger beer
• Sugared cranberries, garnish
• Rosemary sprigs, garnish
• Lime slices, garnish
• Orange slices, garnish

Mix cranberry juice and apple cider in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Top with ginger beer. Ladle punch into ice-filled glasses and garnish with cranberries, rosemary sprigs, lime and orange slices as desired.

To make a single serving, fill a cocktail rocks glass with several ice cubes. Add 2 ounces cranberry juice and 2 ounces apple cider to each glass. Top with 2 ounces of ginger beer. Garnish with sugared cranberries, rosemary sprigs, lime and orange slices as desired.

Sugared Cranberries

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup fresh cranberries
• More sugar for rolling

Make a simple syrup by heating ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries, making sure all the cranberries are coated with the sugar syrup. Remove cranberries from syrup with a slotted spoon. Roll cranberries in a shallow bowl of sugar. Carefully place each cranberry on a rack or parchment paper to dry.

click to enlarge

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You can make steamed milk easily at home and enjoy café au lait anytime.

Café au Lait

Makes one drink

• 1 part hot strong coffee, preferably French roast
• 1 part milk, steamed

A traditional French café au lait is equal parts steamed milk and strong hot coffee. You can increase the proportions to make as many cups of coffee as you want.

Pour strong coffee into a cup. Pour equal amount of steamed milk into hot coffee. Reserve the foam. Stir milk into coffee then spoon reserved foam on top.

Homemade Steamed Milk

If you don’t have a fancy espresso machine or milk frothing wand, you can still make steamed milk at home. Pour the desired amount of milk into a glass jar with a lid. Screw the lid on tightly and shake the jar hard for 45 seconds or until the milk has doubled in volume.

Remove the lid. Place the jar in a microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Watch it carefully as you don’t want the milk to get too hot or it will deflate. Heat the jar until it’s hot to the touch but not too hot to handle with your bare hands. Remove from the microwave, pour steamed milk into the hot coffee and spoon the foam from the steamed milk unto the top of the café au lait.

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