3 drinks to warm up your chilly Noel night

Delicious food, good drinks and great company are the trifecta that make for the perfect holiday celebration.

To help you capture the Christmas spirit in a glass, with not a little Dutch courage, we sat down with Tika Waiba, senior barman at New Orleans Cafe at Thamel. Here are three drinks of his choice to zin up your Christmas.

Mulled wine

As Jamie Oliver put it, “Come the festive season, there’s nothing better than a spiced, warming glass of mulled wine”. Mulled wine is a beverage usually made with red wine and spices, and served warm. It is a traditional Christmas drink with a smooth texture with a balanced hint of spices, says Waiba.

For a serving of 10

• Citrus fruits (2 oranges, 1 sweet lemon, 1 lime)
• Spices (6 cloves, 6 cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, nutmeg)
• Red wine (2 bottles of Shiraz, Chianti or your preferred bottle of red wine)
• Orange juice or sugar

 

Directions:

• Cut the oranges, lime and sweet lemon into thin slices and put them in a saucepan.
• Add in orange juice or sugar, if you like it sweet, and put the saucepan on medium heat.
• Add the spices, and the bottles of red wine and gently heat the wine for five minutes.
• When it is warm, pour into a heatproof glass and enjoy.

 

Sangria

As they say, ‘describing what sangria tastes like is difficult, because the right one tastes like how you want it to taste.’ This chilled fruity and boozy drink can be enjoyed in both summer and winter. But in time Sangria, which started in Spain, has become a global Christmas drink.

For a serving of 1

• Fruits (pineapple, orange, apple)
• 120ml white wine
• 30 ml brandy
• Orange juice as desired
• Two ice cubes
• Sweetener (Cane sugar or brown sugar)

 

Directions:

• Put the chopped rind-on oranges, skin-on apples and peeled cubed pineapples into a glass.
• Add ice cubes and pour orange juice and brandy into the glass and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add wine and stir again to thoroughly mix.
• Taste and adjust the flavors as needed: brandy to make it boozy, apples and oranges for more fruity taste and sugar to indulge your sweet craving.

 

(A home hack: Use an espresso cup for measurement; an average espresso cup holds 60 ml of liquid. A typical shot glass holds 30ml.)

 

Irish coffee

“A perfect harmony of coffee and whiskey that the lovers of each brew can relish,” as Waiba calls it. This easy recipe with simple ingredients is sure to warm your festive hearts.

For a serving of 1

• 60 ml Irish whiskey
• 1 cup of hot black coffee (A double espresso with a small measure of hot water to fill the glass; instant coffee with hot water works too, but should be strong enough to combat the tastes of alcohol, sugar and cream)
• Double cream, slightly whipped for topping
• Sugar as desired

 

Directions:

• In a glass with a stem, add black coffee and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add 30ml Irish whiskey to the cup and stir.
• Pour the slightly whipped double cream over the coffee until you reach the rim of the glass. DO NOT STIR.