Mindful Moon is all about enjoying the present moment with intention. Late Fall and early Winter are excellent opportunities to appreciate our blessings; the cool, still air, the falling of the leaves, and the slowed down pace of life all create an atmosphere of reflection. What better way to celebrate than with a warm and calming cold-weather beverage? Here are six holiday drinks that utilize herbs to enhance flavor and aroma. Note: most of these beverages are alcoholic in nature, but they can also be modified to be non-alcoholic.
Hot Buttered Rum
This delicious holiday drink dates back to colonial days in America. Back in this time, adding butter to warm drinks was common practice in various parts of the world to increase calories and fat content in the colder months. “Hot Buttered Rum” or sometimes called a "Buttered Toddy” was an early colonial American take on this traditional idea. Rum was one of the first real liquors in colonial America due to the geographical proximity to the Caribbean. The traditional recipe contains rum, butter, a sweetener (commonly sugar), vanilla extract & various spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice).
Apple Cider
The word "cider" describes an alcoholic beverage created through the fermentation of apples. In the United States, however, cider can also refer to an unfiltered and unfermented juice made from apples.
Over a thousand years ago, the first cider beverages spread their way across Europe. Since apples and cider were both beloved in Britain, they were brought to America with the British colonists. Apple trees yield fruit quickly, and thus were a great source of not only food, but drink as well. Water supplies were often contaminated, so apple cider helped quench thirst safely.
Now, apple cider can be either non-alcoholic or alcoholic depending on the use of fermentation in the preparation process. People love adding their own twists with various spices such as cinnamon and ginger.
Non-alcoholic recipe found here.
Hot Toddy
Hot toddies first appeared in Scotland in the 1700s, and were called “Hot Whiskey.” People added a little boiling water to their drams of whiskey to ward off the brutal northern winters. They then went on to add some spices and sweetener to “be more palatable” to women. The most basic and traditional recipe for hot toddies is simple: whiskey, lemon juice, & honey.
There are many variations of hot toddy, some of which include adding sugar or even maple syrup in places such as in Canada and New England. People also sometimes use spiced tea such as chai, earl grey, or any kind of spiced black tea. There is even a “medicinal” take on hot toddies for colds and flus in the cold, winter months. You can add spices like cloves, ginger, cinnamon, or even cayenne pepper to clear sinuses and mitigate other cold symptoms.
Glögg
Glögg (pronounced "glue-gh") is a traditional Swedish drink that means “glowing ember.” It is a spiced (usually alcoholic) mulled wine drink made and consumed during wintertime, specifically during Christmas. Since around the 1500s, hot wine has been a common drink in Nordic countries. Messengers and postmen traveling on horseback or skis in cold weather were consumers of the original form of glögg, a spiced liquor.
There are many recipes and variations of glögg: you usually start with white wine, sweet wine, brandy or cognac. You then boil water and add spices and other ingredients to it (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom ginger, citrus peel, raisins, or almonds.) For a non-alcoholic Glögg, you can replace the wine or spirits with fruit juice.
English Christmas Punch
Christmas Punch is a drink that became highly referenced during Christmas scenes in many pieces of British literature and art, including Charles Dickens’ iconic A Christmas Carol (1843) and David Copperfield (1850).
This traditional holiday drink’s base is red wine, rum, and a tea. Teas that work well are usually spiced black teas, but really any tea will do. You also add sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, and garnish with fruits or spices (cranberries, citrus star anise, or a cinnamon stick). Combine all the ingredients and heat it up on the stove! If you want to get really fancy you can make “Flamed Christmas Punch”. You start by combining and heating the ingredients, THEN pouring them into a large heat-proof bowl. Fill a (non-plastic) ladle with sugar placed over the heated mixture and saturate with rum. Light the rum and sugar on fire and pour and stir into the bowl while it’s still aflame!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading about these holiday drinks, all of which take advantage of the delicious properties of herbs. Many of Mindful Moon's teas utilize herbs to create amazing flavors and deliver functional health benefits. We are also launching several new blends in the coming month, so be sure to check those out soon!