Christmas and eating go hand in hand. I have always gone to people’s houses for a party or for dinner, and the food laid out is impressive and memorable. If it was a Christmas party before the big day or a Christmas dinner to celebrate December 25, the food laid out before all the guests is appetizing.
Of course, you need something to drink when you are eating. No one wants to choke, especially on Christmas. My family and loyal readers know I take my beverages seriously. Some meals and holidays have a beverage that pairs great with the food you’re eating. For Christmas, I like to celebrate the season with tasty, warm beverages that have spices and flavors to celebrate the season. There are two drinks I like to make that taste good, and they fill your house with pleasant aromas that are perfect for the Holidays.
Two Great Drinks for Christmas
There are two drinks in particular that I like to make for Christmas. One drink is a virgin recipe the whole family can enjoy. The other is a tasty beverage mommies and daddies can enjoy after the Miracles of Christ have gone to bed. I’ll start with the recipe everyone can enjoy, but first, I want to tell you what I like about making and enjoying these beverages. First, they taste good, and that’s important when you’re sitting down to eat or drink something.
These drinks are served warm, so when you have a sip, it will drive the cold away. A warm mug will warm up your hands, and a sip will keep your insides warm. Flavor and warmth. It’s a win-win combination for the winter.
Speaking of winter, you can make these drinks for the entire season, not just for Christmas or New Year’s. While these drinks are traditionally for the Holiday season, there is nothing stopping you from making, drinking, and enjoying these throughout the entire season of winter.
Why you Should Make these Drinks
- They taste good.
- Warmth in a mug to make your tummy and hands cozy.
- Heating up the beverages will give your home a pleasant aroma.
- Your drinks might just be the talk of the neighborhood!
Finally, making these beverages will fill your home with the aromas of spices. It’s a warming scent that will add an extra level of comfort to your abode.
Okay, I can see you’re excited. Here are the drinks I’ve been talking about.
Wassail
We’ve all heard about wassail, either drinking it or singing a Christmas carol about it. I’ve been curious about Wassail for a long time. My curiosity coupled with my love for traditional drinks got me to try a recipe one Christmas.
There are two ways of making Wassail. You can make it with alcohol or without. I usually make our Wassail without alcohol. I made it one year, and all of my Miracles of Christ loved it. Every Christmas, they ask me when I’m going to make it.
There is a simple Wassail recipe I used this year from Lauren Allen’s website. Here is a link to the recipe. The recipe calls for cloves. I tend to skip the cloves. People here don’t like their smell. It still has a nice, warm aroma without them, so you won’t miss it if you don’t use them.
I make the Wassail as soon as I get the chance. This year, children were impatient with me getting to it, so they left me a reminder to make Wassail Punch to celebrate the season.
Smoking Bishop
“I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!” – Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”
I first learned of Smoking Bishop when reading “A Christmas Carol”. Spoiler Alert: Ebeneezer Scrooge becomes a better boss to Bob Cratchit. In Charles Dickens’ story, Scrooge tells Cratchit they will discuss Bob’s family, “… this very afternoon over a Christmas bowl of Smoking Bishop.” I was curious about this drink and sought to know more about it. I found a recipe for the drink years ago and have made it every year since then. If you like wine you’re in luck. The fruit added to the drink gives it a tart flavor that emerges through the sweetness.
Like the Wassail, making this drink will add a nice fragrance to your home, and it tastes good. This will also warm you up as you sit down at the end of a long day of work or Christmas shopping. If you’re health-conscious, I’m sure you could cut back on the added sugar or skip it entirely.
Other Christmas Beverages
There are other beverages you could enjoy this Christmas. As a beer connoisseur, I enjoy dark porters this time of year. Some Christmas beers will come with spices and fruits perfect for the season. I love a good bottle of “Mad Elf” on a cold winter’s night. Darker beers tend to go better when it comes to Christmas or winter in general. A glass of wine (red for me) can also go well with your meal or a cozy fire. If you’ve finished your meal, maybe some port.
Christmas is about tradition. Wassail and Smoking Bishop have a tradition that go back to the 19th century. A pot of either will hearken back to Dickensian days where people gathered around to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Try one of these, or feel free to share what you drink when you’re celebrating with friends and family.
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