Glasses Full Of Christmas Spirit
If Christmas was a flavor, that's how we'd describe all of these drinks. From rich and creamy Ponche Crema to sweet and zesty Vin Brule, here's what people are drinking around the world during the holidays.
1. Mexico: Ponche Navideno
This hot tropical beverage translates to "punch with a sting" and is traditionally drunk in Mexico during the holiday season. With no surprise, the sting comes from the healthy dose of tequila added to the simmering fruit explosion of guava, apples, pears, raisins, oranges, and Mexican apricots. Brown sugar is added for a touch of sweetness.
2. Venezuela: Ponche Crema
Ponche Crema is Venezuela's version of the iconic American eggnog. With ancient roots, the traditional recipe contains milk, eggs, sugar, and grape alcohol. Sometimes welcoming additions like lemon peel, condensed milk, cinnamon, and rum are included to boost the Christmas spirit of this creamy beverage even more.
3. Colombia: Canelazo
Colombians warm up with this comforting drink during the holidays and any time the weather turns cold. It's a simple recipe using the national alcoholic firewater known as Aguardiente. The warming bevy is heated with boiling water and injected with Christmas flavor from sugar and cinnamon.
momentcaptured1 from NYC, USA on Wikimedia
4. Greece: Tsipouro
Tsipouro is truly a festive drink of the Gods. Preparing the beverage days in advance allows the ingredients to stew and enhance the vibrant flavor profile. It's a mouthful of Christmas with a blend of whisky, brown sugar, cloves, and apple slices, strained and served warm.
Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece on Wikimedia
5. United Kingdom: Wassail
Not only does this proper English bevy spread Christmas cheer with its flavor, but it also has its own Christmas jingle. Jolly carolers sing, "Here we come a-wassailing" as they toast to good health and celebration. The concoction is a hot-mulled cider enriched with sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange juice, often spiked with rum or brandy.
Jeremy Tarling from London, United Kingdom on Wikimedia
6. United States: Eggnog
The classic eggnog drink was adapted from a British Medieval milk punch that was traditionally created with eggs, heavy cream, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Many Americans like to add an extra kick to the creamy holiday punch with a dash of rum.
Wheeler Cowperthwaite on Wikimedia
7. Italy: Vin Brule
As Christmas markets pop up around the country, you can count on huts serving Vin Brule to be there. The festive mulled wine is served hot and spicy with a broth of fruity wine, honey, orange peels, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, and lemon.
8. Germany: Gluhwein
A sip of gluhwein is a taste of Christmas. Served warm at Christmas markets sprawled across the nation, gluhwein is a staple during the festive season. Germans warm up with a steaming mug of red wine, orange and lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and sugar.
9. Caribbean: Sorrel
Sorrel is a hallmark beverage across the Caribbean islands. It became popular to drink during the holidays because the sorrel plant was once only available during that time. Made from the fruit of hibiscus flowers, it's a vibrant red juice, the color of the season.
10. Ukraine: Uzvar
A traditional Christmas Eve in Ukraine includes a toast with a glass of uzvar. The festive beverage is made from stewing dried fruits like apples, prunes, pears, and berries that create a sweet and cheerful flavor. Uzvar symbolizes a fruitful life and is served chilled.
11. Ireland: Irish Coffee
Although its drank any time of the year, the Irish coffee is extra special during the holidays. It's a hot brew balancing the bitterness of the coffee with a sweet and rich sting of Baileys cream liquor, Irish whisky, and Kahula. The Irish coffee is complete with dollop of whipped cream to top it off.
12. Bulgaria: Greyano Vino
Greyano Vino is Bulgaria's version of a mulled wine and is a staple during the holidays. It's a spicy juice made from red wine, honey, peppercorns, apples, and oranges that simmer and stew into a festive flavor. Like all traditional mulled wines, it's best served warm with loved ones.
13. Puerto Rico: Coquito
Coquito is a creamy tropical Christmas in a glass. It is a beverage drank often during the holidays made from a decadent blend of coconut milk, sweet condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and rum. Served frosty and chilled.
14. Spain: Sherry
The Spanish often serve a glass of sherry as an aperitif before a Christmas lunch. With a range of bone-dry to sweet wine sherries, there is wide appreciation for the various flavors to serve during the holidays.
15. Chile: Cola De Mono
In Chile, they sip on this cup of Christmas coffee flavored with milk, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. The aromatic coffee gets a potent and fiery kick from the anise-flavored liquor derived from the region's sugar cane.
16. Lithuania: Poppy Seed Milk
Lithuanians ring in the Winter Solstice with a traditional poppy seed milk. As you may have guessed, poppy seeds are the star ingredients that give the milk its name. The lightly sweet drink is created by blending water-soaked poppy seeds with sugar and almond extract and is served chilled like snow.
Papia Paul Chowdhury on Wikimedia
17. Scandinavia: Glogg
Holiday cheer is spread with clinking glasses of glogg. The boozy beverage relates to gluhwein but with an extra dose of alcohol. It's a simmering blend of port wine, brandy, and booze-soaked fruit. Raisins and nuts are often added to the potent punch to soothe the sting.
18. Australia: Sangria
As it's summer at Christmas in the land down under, Aussies tend to quench their thirst with refreshing fruity drinks. A pitcher of sangria is often shared with friends and family celebrating together over the holidays. As long as it's chilled, sangria has no rules but will include either red or white wine, fruit, sweetener, and bubbles like ginger ale or soda.
Evan Swigart from Chicago, USA on Wikimedia
19. Turkey: Sahlep
It's traditional in Turkey to warm up with a mug of hot sahlep. The cozy milk drink is spiced with cinnamon and other spices including sahlep powder, a spice created from wild orchids.
20. Germany: Feuerzangenbowle
Pronouncing the name is almost as fun as drinking this German fire punch. It's basically gluhwein with a caramelized sugar twist. After the rum-spiked mulled wine is created, it sits in a pot under a melting sugar cone that is caramelized by a fire. Could you get any more festive than that?
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