Drinks for Christmas Morning

Christmas morning! Plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and a time to make sure your guests enjoy themselves. A time to admire the Christmas tree, sit by the fireplace, or maybe by the pool, and exchange gifts, old stories and, of course, a nice Christmas cocktail. But what if you want to serve something besides the same old hot cocoa or mimosas?

To help you with your holiday celebrations, I have once again opened up the family recipe vault in order to share some of our favorite Christmas morning cocktail recipes as well as some non-alcoholic Christmas drink recipes for the "under 21's" who may be present. Christmas morning drinks should be a special treat for everyone; old, young, or in-between so, with that in mind, the first three cocktail recipes listed are alcohol free. The last two recipes provided are official "Christmas Morning Cocktails" since both actually include a wee bit of alcohol. A few of the drinks are served hot and a few are served cold. Either way, all of them have a special twist or ingredient that make them unique to our family Christmas celebration. I hope you enjoy them. And have a wonderful Christmas morning!

1. PINEAPPLE ALE PUNCH - MAKES 5 QUARTS

This recipe makes about five quarts of punch and is a wonderful drink on Christmas morning for those of us celebrating in a warmer climate.

Ingredients:

Sweet Cider (2 quarts)

Sprigs of fresh mint (2 or 3)

Lemon zest (1 teaspoon)

Sparkling water (1 quart)

Shredded pineapple (1 cup)

Oranges, sliced thin (2 oranges)

Ginger ale (2 quarts)

Strawberries, sliced thinly (6 large strawberries)

Instructions:

Mix the cider and the mixed fruit together. Put into the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. Pour mixture into a punch bowl. Add ice, mint sprigs, strawberries, ginger ale, and sparkling water. Ready to serve.

2. HOT CINNAMON CIDER _- MAKES 4 QUARTS

This Christmas drink recipe is perfect for those who would like something a warm on a cold holiday morning but would prefer to forgo the coffee on Christmas morning.

Ingredients:

Brown sugar (1 ½ cups)

Cinnamon sticks (6 sticks)

Whole cloves (2 teaspoons)

Whole allspice (2 teaspoons)

Ground nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon)

Sweet cider (4 quarts)

Fresh orange juice (one fruit, squeezed, 1/4 cup)

Instructions:
Mix the brown sugar, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon sticks. Pour into a pot. Add in cider and over a low heat, bring the entire mixture to a rolling boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Carefully strain through a wire strainer or through some cheesecloth and reheat. Serve in mugs with a dash of ground nutmeg on top of each cup.

3. ORANGE TEA PUNCH - MAKES 4 ½ QUARTS

Another nice cool Christmas morning drink for those of us celebrating Christmas in a warmer climate.

Ingredients:

Strong tea (1 quart)

Orange Juice (1 quart)

Lemon juice (1 cup)

Grapefruit juice (1 cup)

Raspberry - cranberry juice cocktail (1 cup)

White sugar (1 ½ cups)

Water (1 ½ cups)

Orange, sliced thinly (1 fruit)

Tangerines, sliced thinly (3 fruits)

Ginger Ale (1 quart)

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a large punch bowl and add ice. Garnish with orange and tangerine slices.

4. MILK AND BRANDY PUNCH - MAKES ONE DRINK

This Christmas cocktail is perfect for warm or cold mornings since it's served cold and the bourbon is sure to warm you up if you get chilly.

Ingredients:

Light cream, ice cold (6 tablespoons)

Bourbon, cold (1 ¾ ounces)

Powdered sugar, sifted (I1 teaspoon)

Vanilla (1/2 teaspoon)

Ground nutmeg (dash)

Cinnamon (dash)

Raspberries (half pint)

Instructions:
Combine first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into an 8-ounce highball glass. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg on top, place a raspberry on the edge of the glass as garnish and voila! Milk and Brandy Punch!

5. BRANDY SPECIAL - MAKES ONE DRINK

Once again, a nice Christmas morning cocktail for those looking to stay cool or get warm. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lemon juice (1 dash)

Applejack brandy (2 tablespoons)

Brandy (1 tablespoon)

Champagne (1 bottle)

Cointreau (1 tablespoon)

Orange, thinly sliced (1 fruit)

Crushed Ice

Instructions:
Combine applejack brandy, brandy, cointreau, and lemon juice crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into an 8-ounce highball glass. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg on top, slip a thin slice of orange onto the edge of the glass as a garnish and voila! A Brandy Special

Have a Merry Christmas morning everyone!