Holiday Cocktails from the Special Edition December Tea Box

Christmas has always been a large part of my life. From early childhood I remember it being that one time of year when all our Quebec and Scottish relatives came together in full jovial form. I come from a very happy family, but Christmas always seemed to bring laughter and celebration that filled the room starting from eggnog brunch to punch bowl twilight.

As I entered my adult years, I quickly realized that the eggnog and punch that we drank as kids was not what the adults were drinking. As an ode to innocent memories past, this Christmas season we have created a series of tea cocktail recipes. The top four, as voted by our members, have been listed below.

May this holiday season bring you all the joy and blessings life may offer.

From Michael and the entire Tea Sparrow Family.

COCKTAILRooibos Nut Eggnog

INGREDIENTS:

PART ONE

4 cups milk

5 tbsp Rooibos Nut Crunch Tea

5 cloves

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

PART TWO

1 ½ cups sugar

12 egg yolks

2 ½ cups light rum

4 cups light cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:


PART ONE

  1. Combine milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, Rooibos Nut Crunch Tea and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over a medium setting until it warms.
  2. Once the milk begins to boil, lower the heat to keep it at a light boil for 5 minutes.

PART TWO

  1. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy.
  2. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture from part one into the eggs.
  3. Pour entire mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil.
  4. Strain to remove cloves and tea, and let cool for about an hour.
  5. Stir in rum, cream, remaining vanilla extract and nutmeg.
  6. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Note: Serves about 12. You can half the recipe for smaller dinner parties.

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COCKTAIL – Candy Cane Martini

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz vodka

1 oz orange juice

6 oz Peppermint tea, chilled

½ oz lime juice

2 tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Brew 2 tbsp of Peppermint tea in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 mins, and then set aside to cool.
  2. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
  3. Strain into 2 chilled cocktail glasses.

Note: Keep the left over tea cool in the fridge until you are ready to make the second round. Serves 2.

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COCKTAIL Santa’s Secret Martini

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz vodka

2 oz orange juice

3 oz Santa’s Secret tea, chilled

1 tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Brew 2 tbsp of Santa’s Secret tea in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 mins, and then set aside to cool.
  2. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
  3. Strain into 2 chilled cocktail glasses.

Note: Keep the left over tea cool in the fridge until you are ready to make the second round. Serves 2.

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COCKTAIL: Green Tea Holiday Punch

INGREDIENTS:

750 mL bottle dark rum

750 mL bottle dry red wine

3 cups Cherry Rose Green tea

1 lb superfine sugar

1 large orange, for juice

1 lemon, for juice

1 BBQ lighter

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Brew the Cherry Rose Green Tea by adding 3 cups of not-quite boiling water to 6 tablespoons of tea. Brew for about 4 minutes, then set to the side and allow to cool.
  2. Heat the wine and chilled green tea with lemon and orange juices in a saucepan or chafing dish. Do not allow mixture to boil.
  3. One heated, transfer the mixture into a heatproof punch bowl.
  4. Place as much sugar as possible into a large ladle, and any excess sugar into the punch bowl.
  5. While holding the ladle over top of the punch bowl, saturate the sugar with dark rum.
  6. Ignite the rum and sugar mixture sitting in the ladle with the BBQ lighter, and then pour while still aflame into the punch bowl.
  7. Stir well and extinguish the flames.
  8. Pour the remainder of the rum into the punch. Stir well.

Note: This is the perfect drink for a holiday party, as the recipe makes 27 servings. Also, because there’s fire involved, don’t start making this one if you’re already drunk. It won’t end well.

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Enjoy the recipes responsibly and happy sipping,

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family