Drink Matron

Tag: mulled wine

  • Cuddle up and stay warm with Tom and Jerry

    I’d say it’s pretty apropos that today is National Cuddle Up Day, given that in most of the U.S., the temperatures have plummeted to ridiculous lows. Here in New York City, we’re expected to have a low of -8 tonight, officially ruining the day of everyone tricked by the warm 49 degree morning that melted away most of the weekend’s winter storm.

    The good news about cold weather is that it’s really the best excuse to drink tasty warm cocktails. Of course, there’s hot buttered rum, mulled wine or cider, a good old Irish coffee, or if you’ve got some friends or a whole lot of roommates, crock pot cocktails, but I think the best way to warm away all the cold weather is a midwestern favorite of mine – The Tom and Jerry.

    Tom and JerryThe Tom and Jerry has nothing to do with the beloved cartoon cat and mouse, and it’s not a vague reference to the cocktail king of old, Jerry Thomas. The name is taken from a book written by Pierce Egan, Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom , and the subsequent stage play Tom and Jerry, or Life in London. The drink itself was invented to promote the play.

    Similar to homemade eggnog, the Tom and Jerry is quite popular in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and you might be hard pressed to find anyone who knows what it is outside this region. This is only a problem if you have no interest in making your own batter, or if you don’t drink cocktails of which you’ve never heard.

    For those of you who have some time or a grocery store that carries ready-made batter, let’s get started, shall we?

    Tom and Jerry

    Ingredients for batter:

    12 eggs, separated
    1 pound sugar (if you’d like it sweeter, add more)
    2 ounces aged rum
    1/2 tsp ground cloves
    1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
    1/2 tsp ground allspice

    Ingredients for Serving:

    Brandy
    Aged rum
    Hot milk
    Boiling water

    Beat the egg yolks well, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the rum and spices. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the yolk mixture until well mixed. Keep batter refrigerated until serving.

    For each drink, put 2 ounces of batter into a mug. Add 1 oz each of brandy and aged rum, and fill with equal parts hot milk and boiling water. Top with grated nutmeg. If using a small coffee cup or classic Tom & Jerry mug, you can cut the serving size in half. Serve with a spoon.

    Just a note: While this recipe is for making your own Tom & Jerry mix, in case you have no time or no urge to make it, frozen batter can be found in bakeries or the dairy coolers at grocery stores, in liquor stores or on the internet.

  • On the seventh day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Mulled Wine and Cider!

    It’s Christmas and it’s cold and snowy. Nothing beats warming up after a snowball fight with a nice steaming cup of mulled wine or cider. Pulling a big pot outside during family get-togethers will keep everyone toasty while the kids play, and might even get Grandma to tell you an embarrassing story about your dad.

    Mulled-Wine-4Mulled Wine

    Ingredients:

    12 whole cloves
    2 nutmegs, cracked into pieces with a hammer
    2 bottles dry red wine
    1/2 cup sugar
    Stripped zest from 2 oranges and 2 lemons, plus more zest for garnish
    3/4 cup fresh orange juice
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    2 cinnamon sticks

    Preparation

    1. Tie the cloves and nutmeg pieces in a small square of cheesecloth, or put them in a large metal tea ball.

    2. In a large pot, combine the wine, sugar, orange and lemon zests, orange and lemon juices, and cinnamon sticks. Add the clove-and-nutmeg bundle. Heat over medium-low heat until steam begins to rise from the pot and the mixture is hot, about 10 minutes; do not let it boil. Remove the clove-and-nutmeg bundle. Keep the wine warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

    3. Ladle the wine into cups or heatproof glasses, garnish with the citrus zest and serve warm.

    wbrewMichigan Mulled Wine Cheat

    Ingredients:

    2-3 bottle of Leelanau Witches Brew Spiced Red Wine
    2-3 apples, sliced
    2 oranges, sliced
    Handful cherries
    5-10 Cinnamon sticks

    Combine ingredients in a crock pot and warm on medium for about an hour.

     

    Mulled_Cider

    Hot Mulled Cider

    Ingredients:

    1/2 gallon of fresh, unfiltered apple cider
    1 orange
    15 cloves
    4 3-inch sticks of cinnamon
    15 allspice berries
    1 teaspoon of nutmeg
    7 pods of cardamon
    1/4 cup brown sugar

    Preparation
    1. Pour apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high. While cider is heating up peel two thick strips from the orange. Press half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

    2. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices. If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit. Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.