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Festive Beverages For One and All


I love the idea of only having recipes for certain times of the year, it always makes celebrations feel that much more special.


With this year being (thankfully) so much different from the 2020 holiday season, I thought we all might be in need of a beverage recipe or two!


Here's one for the adults -- and another for the kids -- that are cozy, full of flavor, are super simple, and feel extra special.


We served the mulled wine at our Thanksgiving festivities and it was a HUGE hit. The non-alcoholic wassail recipe went over like gangbusters last Christmas, I'm excited to bring them both back in just a few weeks!


 

Mulled Wine


  • 8 cups red wine

  • 1-1.5 cups brandy

  • 1.5 cups pineapple juice (or apple cider)

  • 1 diced sweet apple

  • 1 thinly sliced orange

  • 1 cup blueberries

  • 1 cup cranberries

  • 3 cinnamon sticks

  • 3 star anise

  • 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled (but not diced)

  • Light brown sugar or honey to taste

Over medium heat in a wide stock pot, pour in red wine and add pineapple juice or apple cider, all fruit, spices, and ginger. Bring to a slow boil while stirring frequently.


Drop heat to low (no simmering bubbles) and add the 1-1.5 cups of brandy.


As the flavors incorporate, give it a taste and add either the honey or brown sugar (if you're going vegan) to adjust the sweetness to your liking. Leave on the stove and serve warm in festive holiday mugs.


**The pineapple/brown sugar combination will create a lighter/more citrus flavor, the apple cider/honey combo is more sweet, rich, and complex. Have fun with your combinations and find the ingredients/ratios that work best for your crowd!

 

Wassail Mix


This one might be a bit of a stretch when you read the ingredients, but I promise this tastes amazing and when combined together in no way tastes like the individual ingredients!


You can keep a large batch of this on hand to make by the cup, or -- just like the mulled wine recipe -- keep a large batch on the stove and have folks ladle out what they'd like.


This also makes for a fantastic homemade gift when packaged in a decorated mason jar.


Additional PS....add a little whiskey (or Fireball) if you'd like to make this adult-friendly! :)


  • 2 cups Tang

  • 1 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup Country Time Lemonade mix

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger

  • pinch of nutmeg

Combine all dry ingredients and make sure they're evenly incorporated.


Add 2 tbsp of mix to 8oz of hot water, stir, and enjoy!


Personally I like to add much more in the spice department to the mix than the recipe calls for, but I do keep the ratios (4:2:1) about the same.

 

Happy Holidays, y'all! <3

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