When it’s cold outside, snowy and melancholic, hot beverages can warm up the atmosphere, especially if they also contain a bit of alcohol. Most of the countries with cold winter have their own, traditional drinks, designed to help them get through the dark season. Whether you’re planning a party, a family dinner or a similar event, including hot drinks on the menu can be an excellent idea. Aromatic, delicious and original, they can add some flavor and international character to your party. Since Christmas and the New Year’s Eve are near, you’ll have plentiful occasions to try them out. The list below includes nine different beverages from all around the world. They contain alcohol, but in case you don’t drink, keep in mind many of them can be made without it.
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Table of Contents
Glühwein, Germany
German glühwein is made of red wine and spiced up with cloves, anise, cinnamon, citrus, sugar and, sometimes, vanilla. To make it stronger, a shot of rum can be added. Mixed ingredients are heated until steaming. It’s a delicious, warming drink. A visit to a Christmas market in Germany won’t be complete without a mug of glühwein. It can also be found in pubs, restaurants and, of course, German households. Check the recipe here or for the non-alcoholic alternative here.
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Irish coffee, Ireland
Sweet, creamy and energizing, Irish coffee is a perfect wake-up call for a sleepy winter evening. After treating yourself with the mixture of caffeine and Irish whiskey, one just can’t remain drowsy. In addition to coffee and alcohol, the cocktail also contains sugar and thick cream. Check the recipe here or for the non-alcoholic alternative here.
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Mulled cider, the United Kingdom
Made from fermented apple juice, cider is a fruity beverage. It’s very popular in the United Kingdom. During the summer cider can be served cold, but in the winter it tastes lovely when slightly heated up. A variety of ingredients can be used to make mulled cider yummier, such as oranges, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger or anise. Check the recipe here or for the non-alcoholic alternative here (basically, you use non-alcoholic cider instead of the one that contains alcohol).
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Coffee Grogg, Sweden
Popular around Scandinavia, especially in snow-covered Sweden, coffee grogg is a perfect warming up and waking up drink. Brandy and coffee make the base, but various ingredients can be added, such as vanilla, sugar, butterscotch, rum, or as in the recipe below, egg yolk. Sweet, creamy and a bit thick, the grogg can serve not only as a beverage but also dessert. Check the recipe here.
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Canelazo, Colombia
The primary ingredient of canelazo is aguardiente, a type of liqueur derived from sugar cane. The drink also consists of sugar or panela (whole sugar cane), Agua de Canela (water with cinnamon) and, in some variations, fruit juice and cloves. Besides of Colobia, canelazo is also quite popular in Ecuador, Peru and the north of Argentina. It’s usually drunk in the spectacular surrounding of Andean highlands. Check the recipe here.
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Caribou, Canada
Known as liquid sunshine, caribou brings warmth to the cold Canadian winter. It’s a perfect belly warmer, sweet and flavored. Caribou can be made of different ingredients, but it typically consists of red wine (sherry and port) and hard liquor. As for the hard liquors, usually vodka and brandy are used, sometimes whiskey or rum. It’s common to add some nutmeg, cinnamon, clover or citrus. Check the recipe here.
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White glogg, Scandinavia
Glogg comes in many variations. It’s usually made of red wine, but some recipes include white wine instead. It tastes heavenly when flavored with various spices and fruit, such as cardamom, grated orange zest, chopped ginger, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, anise, almonds or raisins. A bit of rum or vodka is added to make it stronger. Check the recipe here.
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Sicak şarap, Turkey
Like many other countries, Turkey also has its way of preparing mulled wine. It’s composed of red wine, fruit (apple, pomegranate, orange or other), brown sugar, honey, spices (cinnamon, cloves, coriander), dried fruit (apricots, figs). Ingredients may vary a bit depending on the recipe. Sometimes, to make sicak şarap more powerful, a bit of rum can be mixed in. Check the recipe here.
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Sbiten, Russia
Honey-based, made with water, jam, and spices, Sbiten is a lovely heater. There are lots of alternatives: sbiten with strawberry, blackberry or apricot jam; with chili peppers, mint or molasses; cardamom pods, slices of fresh ginger, cloves, lemon zest or nutmeg. Depending on whether you want it to be an alcoholic drink or not, sbiten can be made of water or wine. Check the recipe here (also includes non-alcoholic versions).
Are you going to serve any of these cocktails during Christmas or New Year’s Eve? Let us know. And don’t forget to share this article with your friends – perhaps one of them will soon invite you for a drink then!
