By
George Brozowski
TIS
the season and it's the reason for this ramble rather than
a rant or a rave; however, I will stay on course and discourse
about holiday spirits since it's my raison d'être.
The
holidays, as atheists prefer to refer to it, Christmas for
the Christians, Chanukah for the Jews, and Kwanzaa celebrated
by African-Americans have different meanings and traditions,
but they all share in their love of the spirit and spirits
of the season. Since I am a devout practicing Black Polish-Red,
White and Blue-IrishCatholic-Jewish-Druid Atheist, the holidays
are even more meaningful for me. It means it's time to imbibe
in all the glorious drinks that all these wonderful divergent
ethnicities, cultures, and religions have gifted to us over
the centuries.
Prepare
to unhinge your jaw and stretch your epiglottis and roll some
wonderful new words around in your mouth as we explore the
etymology of holiday libations. The spirits of the season
purportedly originated with Hippocras not to be confused with
Hippocrates, the famous first physician. It was also known
as Ypocras, Hypocras, Ipocras and Ippocras that eventually
evolved over the centuries and in other countries into Gluhwein
known as Glug, Glogg, Nog, Grog, which evolved into one of
my personal favorites, the ever popular Nog n' Grog that became
a bit more civilized as it morphed into eggnog. And of course
let's not forget Negus, Eierpunsch, Rompope, Advocaat, Coquito,
Auld Man's Milk, Kogel Mogel, Sack Posset, Fig Sue,Syllabub,
Vin Chaud, and the closer to home Mulled Wine and Waes Haeil
orWassail - what the hell. Now, if you think for an instant
that I made up any of those words, guess again because even
though I am good, I ain't that good. Just jump on the Internet
and go to your Funk & Wagnalls website and check it out
for yourself. Better yet, to enjoy your new found historical
knowledge down three Wassails in rapid succession and then
recite this list of drinks, if you can!! Ho, Ho, Ho!!
The
true beauty of these seasonal splendors is that they can be
produced using virtually any spirit and proportions that suit
your fancy and palate. Traditional Grog can be made with a
strong hot tea mixed with sugar and your choice of rum or
brandy or anything else that sets your soul free. You can
ignite the rum or not; you can add carmel if you choose or
a touch of lemon or orange. Personally, I prefer Brandy with
a splash of hot tea but you may prefer hot tea with a splash
of Brandy. Whatever!
A
long time ago in a land far, far away, actually England a
few centuries ago, the drink of the season was The Bishop,
a hot punch made of wine, oranges and sugar. Then along came
Wassail, which in Germanic countries, was a contraction of
the Middle English phrase wæs hæil, "be healthy".
It's a hot, spiced punch also associated with Yuletide. Historically,
it began as a mulled ale made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger,
and nutmeg and topped with slices of toast. Over time that
evolved into your choice of a base of wine, fruit juice, or
mulled ale, and again, as you please, with brandy or sherry
added along with any available fruit such as apples or oranges.
Gluehwein is a slightly different variation that adds cloves,
sugar and oranges.
Apple
brandy hot toddies have been around since Adam discovered
apples back in the Garden of Eden and tried to get Eve drunk
and we all know how that turned out. Just boil water, add
some honey and stir until it dissolves and pour lemon juice
and apple brandy into a mug and add a cinnamon stick for more
flavor.
Popular
during the early 20th century, Brandy Alexander is a gin-based
cocktail. It's a mixture of brandy, dark creme de cacao and
heavy cream shaken and stirred with fresh mint leaves.
Eggnog
by the very nature of its name should at the very least have
some egg in it but the rest is limitless. Normally a mixture
of milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon and beaten eggs, it can be
accompanied by your choice of whiskey or brandy or rum, or
if you're truly into the spirit of the season all three, which
could have the effect of turning it into a Long Island Eggnog.
You might notice I said brandy rather than cognac. For goodness
sake, don't take a rare old cognac and bring any of this other
stuff near it unless you're shamelessly rich or shamefully
stupid.
Hot
buttered Rum, as indicated by its name, actually requires
that you use rum (dark preferably but light will do) and butter,
sugar and cloves in hot water.
Of
course there's the usual fruit of the vine that accompanies
most meals now as throughout the rest of the year. However,
there is only one wine that appears during the holidays and
it must be drunk during the holidays as it goes bad in January.
It is really the only wine I ever drink with Thanksgiving
turkey and fixings, Beaujolais Nouveau. Those of you who disagree
with me about this wine, and I know there are quite a few
of you cognoscenti out there, can simply remove the stuffing
from the bird and stuff it somewhere else. It's crisp, it's
clear, it's clean and young and spirited and is traditionally
born on the third Thursday of each November after only a few
weeks of fermentation and is meant to be consumed immediately
if not sooner.
In
keeping with the Christian spirit of Christmas, we must acknowledge
the season's premier sommelier, Jesus Christ who went beyond
simply recommending wine and actually turned water into wine
at a wedding party when they ran out:
John
2:1-11
6
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews
for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty
gallons.
7
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water";
so they filled them to the brim.
8
Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to
the master of the banquet." They did so,
9
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been
turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from,
though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he
called the bridegroom aside
10
and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first
and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much
to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
Man
I would have loved to have tasted that wine, why I bet it
was heavenly and probably even divine!!
Champagne,
sparkling wine, bubbly, call it what you will, it is the top
toast of the season. You can of course use it in your favorite
holiday mixtures in place of other more mundane ingredients
but again save the good stuff for drinking by itself from
a flute.
With
so many wonderful drinks, there is just not enough time during
the holidays to do each justice, so I extend the spirit of
the spirits through January and February since those two months
have nothing going for them except short dark days and long
cold nights.
Food
pairings are very important to complete the seasonal setting.
It is now that I turn to my favorite chef ever, the Galloping
Gourmet. Virtually anything he prepared will go incredibly
well with wine and spirits as evidenced by him always consuming
at least two bottles of something or another during his cooking
shows.
Oh,
by the way, if you're like me and the spirits of days past
come to haunt and torment your present day then turn to the
traditional Japanese ghostbuster, Tamagosake a mixture of
egg, sugar and sake drunk to cure hangovers.
Have
a way very merry, Ho Ho Ho.
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