'Tis the season for colder weather, days off from school and/or work, and holiday gatherings. It's the end of December, so as exhausted as you are, try to enjoy it! This final month of the year can feel like a race to the finish, with classes to wrap up, gifts to buy, and travel to take, but hey, you get some time off from your normal life to hopefully enjoy some time with family and friends. If you're like me, you're looking forward to the food and drinks that typically accompany such gatherings.
If you're especially like me, you're not necessarily that pumped about the standard mashed potatoes and turkey. You're gearing up for the speciality items that only find themselves on the table at this time of year -- especially the seasonal cocktails. To me, it's only really the holidays if you see cranberries in a highball glass or rosemary in a red martini. There's just something about having a drink tailored to the holiday, and it's not too difficult to make these at home. In many cases you can just tweak an existing recipe. With that in mind, here are easy tweaks to the 5 most popular alcoholic drinks in the U.S. (according to a study by HangoverHeaven.com).
1. Mead
Most people have heard of mead, considering it's the overall most popular trendy drink, but if you aren't familiar: It's an alcoholic beverage made from fermenting honey. To give you some context, wine is made by fermenting fruit so it's similar to that. Mead is good on its own -- and is a unique flavor -- but you can definitely kick it up a notch for the holidays, Try making Christmas morning "mead-mosas" by adding a splash or so of fresh orange juice. It's an easy way to make a simple mead cocktail, while also trying something special for the holiday besides the standard champagne.
2. Moscow Mule
This is my personal favorite cocktail, especially when you swap the vodka for bourbon. Lime and ginger -- what could be better? Well, if you're looking for a holiday version then there is a way to make it better. Add a bit of cranberry juice in the mix, as well as a few on top for garnish. This will give you an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser at your Christmas gathering.
3. Margarita
Think Margaritas are only meant to accompany guac in our SoCal Mexican restaurants? Think again. They can be the perfect unique addition to your menu this holiday season. Change up your typical cocktail by trying a White Christmas Margarita. The blended drink benefits from the addition of coconut milk, which creates a richer texture to the beverage, as well as cranberries for a colorful garnish.
4. Hard Seltzer
White Claw, Spiked, or whatever your brand, hard seltzers offer a light and fruity alternative to beer or wine. Plus, they can be a great addition to a cocktail or punch recipe. To give it a holiday twist, try making something like this Cherry High Ball, plus throw a couple sprigs of rosemary on top for garnish. It'll give you the red/green holiday colors, as well as a visual reminiscent of a Christmas tree.
5. Wine Pop
Wine pops are exactly what they sound like -- popsicles made of wine. Rather than the standard white or red wine pops, there's a different route to take to liven up your upcoming New Year's toast. Try making champagne pops (just make sure to make them in advance so they'll be ready to go in time). It'll give you something new to use to "cheers" in the new year.
If all else fails, you can just grab a jug of eggnog and mix it with some rum. The holidays are about who you're with, at the end of the day, not how fancy of a beverage you're drinking.
