Beverages of the Season.

I have neglected Christmas beverages so far this year, but New Year is imminent, and surely the same refreshments will be suitable.

Recipes for Christmas drinks inevitably favour those of you in the cold parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but never fear, my friends Down Under, there are some ideas here for you too.

First – an unashamedly Hot, Sweet and Non-Alcoholic drink – based on cranberry sauce, of all things:

Skiers’ Special

¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

4 cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ ½ teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

2 (1 lb.) cans jellied cranberry sauce

1 quart pineapple juice

2 tablespoons butter.

Put the brown sugar in a large saucepan with 1 cup water, salt, and spices. Bring to boil. Meanwhile put cranberry sauce in a bowl, crush with a fork. Add 3 cups water and beat with a rotary beater until smooth. Pour cranberry liquid and pineapple juice into hot spiced sirup and heat to just boiling. Pour into mug, add a dot of butter to each and a long stick of cinnamon for a stirrer. Makes about 2 ½ quarts.

Kalispell Daily Inter Lake [Montana] December 21, 1954

And from the same newspaper, a sweet, milky beverage which can also be served cold, in which case, I suppose, it could be called Sweltering Night Punch.

Snowy Night Punch

1¼ teaspoons allspice

4 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon salt

5 cups evaporated milk

2½ cups water

2½ teaspoons vanilla

Put allspice, honey, salt, milk and water into a saucepan. Heat to just below boiling. Take from heat, stir in vanilla and serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top of each serving. Makes about 2 quarts. Good cold too.

And here is a nice idea from an Australian newspaper , which has a decidedly tropical feel so will be especially suitable for Christmas in the Summer:

Passionfruit Cup.

One small bottle cider (1 pint,) 1 lemon, 1 dozen passionfruit, 1 large bottle soda water, a little mixed fresh fruit cut into blocks, to garnish if liked.

Remove the juice from passion fruit and lemon, and add to the cider. Chill. Add chilled soda water just before serving, add sugar to sweeten, and fresh fruit to garnish.

If liked, instead of cider make a syrup of 1 cup water and half cup sugar boiled together for 3 minutes and allow to cool.

Gippsland Times (Victoria)  January 2, 1941 .

The following recipe is interesting – but I suspect its colour is its best feature.

Festive Punch

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

10 cloves

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ cup lemon juice

2 cups orange juice

¼ tablespoon peppermint

Green colouring

Green cherries.

Boil sugar and water for five minutes. Add cloves, cinnamon,  and ginger; cover and let stand until cold. Add fruit juices, strain, colour green and add peppermint. Let stand for one hour in refrigerator. Serve (one part punch to two parts ginger ale) with ice. Garnish with green cherries. Serves 12.

The Farmer and Settler (NSW) 17 December 1954

Egg Nog is Here.