Christmas is spice time, just look at this months Mixology monday wrap up! Apart from the egg-nog like Ponche Crema swizzle, and the warm Cocoa Crema how about some ice cold drinks with christmas`ey spices? Here are some fruity cocktails and clove studded garnishes.
TWINKLING STAR
2 oz Tequila reposado
1 oz pineapple juice
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz raw sugar syrup
Dash passionfruit syrup
½ barspoon grenadine
Crushed ice
Garnish clove studded carambola slice and a small mint sprig.
Shake everything except the grenadine. Strain and pour over sparkling fresh crushed ice, add a dash grenadine. Cut a slice of a carambola, place one clove in the middle and 5 at the each end of the star. Place on rim with a small mint sprig behind to add some fragrance and contrast in color.
PONCHE CREMA
Ponche crema is a cream based liqueur from Venezuela traditionally served during Christmas time, its quite similar to the egg nog. I choose to use ponche crema for my christmas holiday post and not the Swedish glogg as i`ve already written about it.
Instead i made a twist of an Aruban ponche crema swizzle using 3 different rums, a white, a dark and a touch of demerara rum as well to give it a punch of that deep demerara flavor which is so intoxicating.
First thing to do is making the Ponche Crema, then the swizzle.
PONCHE CREMA
The basic ingredients of Ponche Crema are milk, sugar, rum, spices and eggs. The drink should be cooled for 2 hours and can be served with mint leaves. There are many different versions of this and this is mine:
* 2 tins of condensed milk, one sweetened and one unsweetened
* 4 egg yellows
* 2 egg whites
* Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
* 4 cups of milk
* A pinch of muscot nut and a pinch of mace, grated
* 3 cups white rum, 0,5 cup dark rum, 0.5 cup demerara rum
Preparation of Ponche Crema
Beat first the egg whites and then the yellows until light and frothy. Add milk, sweetened and unsweetened condensed milk, seeds of 1 vanilla bean and lastly rums are added. According to taste, the proportions of milk and rum can be altered.
Those who want their Ponche Crema to be of a thick consistency can boil it by pouring the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens, about fifteen minutes. Set aside to cool.
PONCHE CREMA SWIZZLE
This is an Aruban recipe:
6 oz ponche crema
1.5 oz tequila
dash of angostura bitters
Blend all ingredients with crushed ice and pour into a tumbler and top with a dash of bitters. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
COCOA CREMA
This is a warm version i made with a cocoa lollipop made from 70% dark cocoa. Same as above but instead of chilling it, warm it up and when warm enough, dip the cocoa lollipop in the drink and let it slowly melt and add dark cocoa flavors to the crema. It’s a very childlike drink this but oh so yummy!
NUTMEG
Nutmeg is one of the oldest spices known. It comes from an evergreen tree (myristica fragrans) native to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, near Indonesia. This tree is bearing a nut with two separate flavors. Nutmeg is one flavor and the mace another, achieved by grinding the lacy outer covering surrounding the nutmeg.
It has a warm spicy flavor and as heat greatly diminishes its flavor its best added towards the end of cooking and should be grated fresh. Mace is often preferred in light-coloured dishes as it gives a saffron-like bright orange colour.
Too much nutmeg, however, can cause serious health problems and even death. Typical symptoms of a nutmeg overdose (~ 5-6 teaspoons) are thirst and nausea.
SPICY GINGER PUNCH
2 oz vanilla infused white rum
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz cinnamon syrup
3 thin slices fresh ginger
Dash pimento dram
Ginger beer to top
Crushed ice, vanilla bean garnish
Muddle ginger with cinnamon syrup and lime juice in shaker. Add rum and pimento dram and shake over ice. Double strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Top with Ginger beer, add more crushed ice to fill. Garnish vanilla bean.
This drink is light, refreshing and spicy.
Around christmas the blood oranges are in season here, i have waited all fall for them to show up on the shelves and now i totally indulge myself in blood orange cocktails.
This drink combines fresh blood orange juice, cinnamon syrup, fresh lime juice, tequila reposado, and crushed ice.
BLOOD ORANGE PUNCH
2 oz aged cachaca
o.5 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz cinnamon syrup
2 oz fresh blood orange juice
Top with a dash grenadine
Shake over ice and pour in glass filled with crushed ice, top with a dash grenadine, add more crushed ice to fill. Garnish with a clove studded lime spiral and cinnamon stick.
So with these spicy cocktails i say merry christmas to you and happy holidays!
