More Traditional Holiday Drinks
Chef Phil Delaplane
Hot Toddy
A “Toddy” today is any alcoholic drink made by boiling water, sugar and spices.
The traditional Scottish Hot Toddy is whiskey, sugar or honey with options like
cloves, cinnamon or lemon. The Hot Toddy could have been invented by the nontraditional drinkers of Scotland. Their whiskey was harsh and earthy. It would go
down easier when warmed and mixed with sugar and spices. Some say the name
is from the ‘Tobian’ springs that supplied the old Edinburgh with its water.
For each:
1 oz.
Whiskey, Brandy or Rum
1 Tbsp.
Honey
1 tsp.
Lemon juice
1 cup
boiling water
Coat the inside of a mug with Honey, add liquor, lemon juice and water.
Stir well and enjoy. Repeat as needed.
Hot Buttered Rum
Instead of the Whiskey, Brandy or Sherry as used in Europe, we in the new world
took advantage of our new resource: Sugar! Molasses is the by-product of sugar
refining and Rum is the distilled liquor from molasses. Rum became the ‘go to’
spirit for the new Americans. Plus, good sterile liquor was preferable to
questionable water. What a great way to warm-up on a cold winter day.
Traditionally, Hot Buttered Rum was made with Oak-aged, dark Rum because of
its rich, full flavor. Enjoy it anytime, or celebrate ‘Hot Buttered Rum Day’, which is
January 17th, the original ‘Twelfth Night’ celebration before the Christian calendar
was introduced.
12-14 servings.
1 stick
Butter, softened
2 cups
Light brown sugar
1 tsp.
Cinnamon
½ tsp.
Nutmeg
In a bowl, cream together and chill. This can be done well ahead of time.
In a mug, add 1-1½ Tbsp. of butter mixture, 2 oz. Rum and fill with boiling water.
Posset
In its traditional form, Posset is hot milk curdled with Ale or Wine and spiced. It
dates back to 100 AD when milk and eggs were revered as symbols of fertility and
long life and alcohol was used in religious ceremonies. A Posset has three distinct
layers. The frothy top called the grace, the custard in the middle and most of the
alcohol on the bottom. It was served in a special ‘Posset Pot’, which looked like a
hybrid teapot. Imbibing was done by sipping from the spout rather than a cup or
mug as is done today, this drink has fallen to its most lasting legacy: Eggnog!
Eggnog
This classic holiday drink is a descendent of Posset. ‘Nog’ was old English for
strong beer. As the Posset recipe evolved, the Nog began being mixed with eggs,
then dairy. In England, it was reserved for the aristocracy because of the rarity
and expense of eggs, dairy, and the liquors used. In the colonies, where Rum was
abundant and a popular pseudonym for Rum was ‘Grog’. The egg drink was called
‘Egg and Grog’. In America there was no shortage of milk, eggs and Rum, so the
drink was widely consumed. Eggnog has become a quintessential holiday drink,
being much more popular here than where it was conceived. You can make your
own, although many are standoffish by the raw eggs or you can buy a few
cartoons of eggnog at the store and add Brandy, Whiskey or Rum. Or go old and
traditional and add Ale. This is a recipe for good, old American traditional Eggnog.
8-10 servings
6 ea.
Eggs, separated
½ cup
Sugar
2 tsp.
Vanilla extract
Pinch
Salt
2 cups
Milk
1 cup
Rum or more to suit your taste
2 cups
Heavy cream
½ tsp.
Nutmeg
¼ tsp.
Cinnamon
Whisk yolks, sugar salt and vanilla until light yellow and creamy. Add Rum and
milk, stir to combine. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or longer. When ready to serve. Whip
cream in one bowl and egg whites in another. Both should be beaten to stiff
peaks. Fold these into yolk mixture. Serve in cups or glasses garnished cinnamon
and nutmeg. Omit rum for non-drinkers and kids.
Hot Chocolate
Even though ‘Hot Chocolate’ and ‘Hot Cocoa’ are often terms that are used
interchangeably, they are very different. The first being dairy and solid chocolate
(richer) and the latter has cocoa powder, sugar and dairy.
A chocolate drink was being consumed by the Mayan and then the Aztecs when
Cortez arrived in the 1500’s. The drink was cold, bitter and flavored with chilies
and spices. When Cortez returned to Spain, he brought the cocoa beans and the
recipe with him. The Spanish loved it and kept it a secret for almost 100 years.
During this secret time the recipe changed to a hot drink, without chilies and
sugar was added. In the early 1600’s it was introduced to France and then spread
throughout Europe. By the 1800’s, milk was added to more closely resemble
what we consume today. Even though opening an envelope and mixing with hot
water is very easy, it will never be as good as making it from scratch!
4 servings
1 qt.
Milk (use ½ & ½ to be even richer)
8 oz.
Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Heat dairy in a sauce pan to a simmer (don’t boil). Add chocolate and stir to
combine. Serve in mugs. Add marshmallows if desired. (This will also replicate the
froth the Maya and Aztec savored and how Mexican hot chocolate appears
today.)