Drink and Be Merry - Drink Recipes for the Holidays

December Tea - Fruity, Sweet Punch (Makes 10 Servings)

What you will need: Heatproof punch glasses and a large saucepan or stockpot

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 qt hot black tea
• 1 1/4 cup orange flavor liqueur
• Juice of two lemons and two oranges
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whipcream

Dissolve honey and tea, stirring all the time. Add the orange liqueur, lemon and orange slices, and cinnamon. Heat the punch, stirring all the time, but do not let it boil. Divide the punch among the glasses and top each glass with whip cream.

(Source: The Bartenders Guide, Peter Bohrmann)

North Pole - Tangy, spicy drink for the evening

What you need: Cocktail glass and shaker

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. vodka.
• 2 tsp. Drambuie
• 2 tsp. Campari

Shake all the ingredients together, with ice, in the mixing glass and strain into the cocktail glass

(Source: The Bartenders Guide, Peter Bohrmann)

Holiday Punch

• 2-48 oz. (1.36 L) cans pineapple juice
• 1-40 oz. (1.14 L) bottle cranberry juice
• 2-750 mL bottles soda water
• 1 litre strawberry, raspberry or lime sherbet

Optional
1½ oz. Vodka
(for an individual cocktail)

Directions
In a punch bowl, mix juices. Pour in soda water. Top with scoops of sherbet.

Makes about 16 1-cup (250 mL) servings.

For an individual cocktail, add 1½ oz. of vodka.
(Source: http://www.whattodrink.com/)

Rum Eggnog - A filling, after dinner drink

What you need: Large Rocks Glass and Shaker

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 ounces of milk or light cream
• 1 1/2 ounces dark rum
• 2 tsp sugar syrum
• 1 egg yolk
• Grated nutmeg

Shake the ingredients together firmly, with the ice, in the shaker and strain into the glass. Sprinkle a little grated nutmeg on top.
(Source: The Bartenders Guide, Peter Bohrmann)

The Classic Shirley Timple - Non-Alcoholic Drink
(Side note: We served this for a friend that was prego at the time of our Christmas Party. This made her feel like she was part of the party without the alcohol.)

• 1 1/2 oz cherry juice
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• Ginger ale for topping up
• Garnish: 1 slice of lemon and 2 maraschino cherries

Pour the juices into the glass over ice cubes. Stir, top up with Ginger Ale, and stir again. Perch the slice on lemon on the rim of the glass and fasten the cherries to it with a toothpick.
(Source: The Bartenders Guide, Peter Bohrmann)

Please don't drink and drive this holiday season. Get a designated driver. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Share some of your favorite drink recipes!