Winter Wines, Cider And Beer That Are Perfect For Your Festive Party
With Christmas fast approaching most of us will be stocking up on plenty of drinks to see us through the festive season
. There is a vast range of alcoholic drinks to choose from so which ones will make an excellent winter warmer?
Mulled wine
Mulled wine is a must for any festive party and its really simple to make too. Mixed red wine, fresh oranges, brandy or ginger wine and lots of wintery spices including cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and some sugar allow the mixture to heat slowly (so as not to boil off too much alcohol!). There are various recipes online you can try and many supermarkets offer pre-mixed tea bags of spices for those with limited time on their hands.
Mulled cider
This drink is often overlooked but I think it makes a great alternative to mulled wine. The flavour is less strong than wine but just as fruity and tasty. Mulled cider makes an excellent addition to your outdoor events or parties where it is necessary to make up a large batch of drinks. You can even buy pre-mulled cider in the shops so all you have to do is heat it up!
Winter beers
There is a wide range of festive beers to choose from. Winter beers tend to be rich in flavour with lots of malt and they are often stronger too. Some festive beers are even brewed with flavours of cranberry and Christmas spice and can make brilliant gifts for family and friends.
Winter spirits
For the perfect winter warmer many of us look to cocktails of spirits like whisky and rum. There are numerous winter cocktail recipes online so you can start planning today. My personal favourite winter tipple is a whisky mac which is simply made of a 50/50 ratio of Scottish whisky and ginger wine. For a hot version similar to a hot toddy you can simply add hot water (I also like to add fresh lemon and honey to this to make the perfect drink to banish a cold).
Another tasty hot cocktail is hot buttered rum. This drink is easily prepared by heating rum with water, butter, brown sugar and winter spices including cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
These are just a few of the many festive drinks you could create this winter. Why not look online for some recipe ideas or experiment and make your very own winter cocktail?