"holiday cocktails" news and stories

Happy National Eggnog Day!

Infrequently (nay, never) have eggs and liquor been married into such a winning combination. But the pairing of egg and nog (British slang for strong ale) have become a loved and hated holiday tradition since the early nineteenth century.

The recipe -- which relies upon dairy, eggs, sugar, nutmeg and alcohol (typically whiskey, rum or brandy) -- was once used to toast to one's health but has since evolved to become a Christmas tradition. Get in the spirit with our recommended recipe.

If there's one thing to be said about eggnog, it's that it sparks a spirited love-hate debate. Do you enjoy a glass of it during the holidays or are you appalled by the thought of drinking raw egg? Weigh in, in the comments!

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I don't know if I have a special drink I have around the holidays, though I guess if I had to think of one it would be egg nog. Not that I drink a lot of it around the holidays, it's just that it's the only holiday-related drink that I can think of having. If I'm going to have a drink, I usually stick to what I have other months of the year, even if it is Christmas.

Fandango has a quiz where they'll figure out which drink is best for you during the holidays. They ask you questions such as your favorite color, what type of movies you like, your idea of a fun time, etc. Then they tell you what you should be drinking. It works with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

I don't know how accurate it is since I got "Whiskey," which I can't stomach.

With all the holidays coming up, we here at Slashfood want to help you celebrate and share some recipes with you. Hot or cold they're all good, and just the thing to put you in a party mood. Some of my favorites are hot drinks like mulled cider with rum and mulled wine. They're easy to make and you can control how strong they are, so you don't get obliterated at the beginning of your party, or fall asleep on your guests late at night.

Mulled Wine
Buy mulling spices or use a mix of cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and some citrus zest or slices of any type. Take a bottle of inexpensive but decent red wine and pour into a pot, add the mulling spices and zest, bring to a low simmer for five minutes, then strain into a mug. To control the strength and make the wine a bit less potent you can add some fruit juice such as orange, apple, cranberry, pomegranate, etc. before warming it up.

Mulled Sweet Apple Cider with Rum
Buy mulling spices or use a mix of cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and citrus zest or slices. Add to sweet apple cider in a pot and bring to a simmer for five minutes then strain, pour into a mug and add a shot of rum of your preference.