Christmas 2022: Popular Christmas cocktails from around the world

Posset, a traditional Christmas cocktail in North America, is the predecessor of eggnog. The chilled milk punch can be prepared with or without rum. It is often prepared with milk, heavy cream, egg yolks and whites, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

The traditional hot toddy can be enjoyed all winter long and is not just a Christmas beverage. The usual ingredients are hot rum or brandy as the base, honey, lemon, and occasionally tea. 

The drink was endorsed as a treatment for the common cold when it was introduced in Scotland somewhere in the 18th century. Nowadays, it's widely perceived as a drunk means to escape the winter chill.

Swedish mulled wine known as glögg is traditionally made with vodka or aquavit, red wine, raisins, oranges, and mulling spices (such as cinnamon and anise star). 

It's typically served in mugs that are overflowing and topped with almonds or dried fruit. Leave out the vodka and substitute alcohol-free wine for a non-alcoholic version.

Wassail is a traditional English and UK Christmas punch. On any chilly winter night, bourbon, cider, cranberries, and loads of spices will warm your heart. The ancient Anglo-Saxon custom of drinking wassail, a hot mulled cider, with friends and neighbours at the end of the year has its roots in paganism.

Although the French are renowned for their superb Champagnes, the Kir Royale is a household favourite during the holiday season in France.

The Kir Royale is a concoction of dry champagne (decent sparkling wine will do if you can't locate it or don't want to spend the extra money on the nice stuff), blackcurrant liqueur, and Crème de Cassis.

An authentic Bellini, which bears the artist Giovanni Bellini's name, must be created using Prosecco and white peach puree from Italy.

The Prosecco is poured on top of the chilled flute glasses with the peach puree, and the mixture is just barely swirled to combine. Prosecco is a sparkling wine with Italian roots that is mostly made from the Glera grape. This cultivar is renowned for its bland flavours and the peculiar quality of tasting slightly sweet despite being cultivated dry. This is as a result of its delicate notes of apple, melon, and honeysuckle.

Coffee lovers can indulge in this Christmas classic made with whisky, Irish cream, chocolate syrup and black coffee. This drink from Ireland will enrich your holiday spirit soul with some caffeine love.

 

Feuerzangenbowle, sometimes known as "German fire punch," is not for the timid. This holiday or new year's cocktail begins with mulled wine and rum in a kettle. The mulled wine is placed on top of a burning zuckerhut (sugar cone), which has been drenched in rum. As the sugar gently caramelises, it drips into the drink.

Using feuerzange (fire tongs), which enable the sugar cone to safely melt over the drink, a spectacular effect is produced. A fondue set can also be used to make feuerzangenbowl.

Coquito, which means "small coconut" in Spanish, is a common holiday cocktail. Due to its resemblance in creamy texture to coconut eggnog and its associations with traditional holiday drinks like Mexico's Rompope.

A concoction of Puerto Rican rum, condensed milk, coconut cream, and the key ingredient, coconut milk. 

This Jamaican festive treat is appropriately tropical and created with hibiscus flowers from a variety called sorrel in Jamaica and rosella in Australia (not to be confused with the green herb sorrel). You can get dried hibiscus buds at Hispanic or Caribbean markets.

Sorrel — or dried hibiscus — is steeped with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, oranges, and Jamaican white rum.