17 Unique Holiday 2017 Drink Ideas That Are Way More Exciting Than Another Hot Toddy
The thing that's always bugged me about holiday parties is the cocktails. I mean, don't get me wrong — I love a good party, especially when cocktails are involved. But it's the lack of creative cocktails thereof that really grinds my gears. Seriously, it's always the same old bowl of eggnog, or the same old hot toddy mix. Maybe it's mulled wine in a mule mug, I don't know. Sure, I love a good cup of eggnog, or like one mug of hot toddy (mulled wine, meh, I could kind of leave that one and never look back), but there's just a lack in ingenuity when it comes to unique holiday drink ideas that I feel is kind of lacking year over year.
I get it, I mean, cocktails are kind of an afterthought, especially when you're hosting and have other things — aka turkey, ham, and a gazillion side dishes — to worry about.
So this year, I've decided to take matters into my own hands. I'm the captain of my holiday cocktail destiny after all! If you're anything like me and are looking to infuse a little zip into your holiday zest, then look no further because these holiday drinks will be sure to get you in the spirit. Literally. Bottoms up.
Pomegranate Ginger Paloma
I'm going to kick things off with this beautiful pomegranate ginger Paloma recipe, courtesy of Half Baked Harvest. I love so many things about this recipe, starting with the fact that it's just so seasonally on point with the pomegranate and ginger ingredient. Now a Paloma, which is a tequila-based cocktail, is typically made with a grapefruit-flavored soda like Fresca. This recipe however also calls for ginger beer (yum) giving a classic cocktail a bit of a fun and unusual holiday twist. You can find the recipe here.
Chilean Holiday Punch
This is not eggnog. I mean, it looks like eggnog, but I promise — it's not eggnog. It's Chilean Holiday Punch, and who doesn't love a little holiday punch? So here's the skinny on this baby: It's a Chilean punch which means it's going to have some bolder flavors. This one's slightly more spice heavy, but nothing too crazy. The X factor ingredient here is Chilean Pisco, which is a type of Spanish brandy. There's also a bit of coffee in this recipe as well, so this is probably best served as a pre-dinner apertif, or as an after dinner pick me up. You can find the complete recipe at The Kitchn.
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
I'm loving all the things about this pretty in pink, sparkling cranberry punch. First of all, just look at it. It's beautiful. And pink. Killer combo. Second of all, it could not be easier to make. Seriously, the ingredient list calls for only three things: pink lemonade, sparkeling water and cranberry juice. Now this is the family friendly version so if you wanna kick thing up a notch, a little vodka as your base alcohol should do the trick. Just don't forget to add the cranberry on top for that little bit of wow factor! Check out the complete recipe courtesy of Taste & Tell here.
Mulled Cider
I'm loving a lot of things about this mulled cider courtesy of The Kitchn. First of all, its cider, which is always a holiday crowd pleaser. Second of all, you can make it in the slow cooker which is basically the lazy girls solution to all things holiday goodness. All you need for this recipe is a gallon of fresh apple cider, one medium orange, ginger, cloves and cinnamon sticks (for both flavor and effect). Throw it all into the slow cooker and let that baby cook. Just remember, low and slow people, low and slow. You can find the complete recipe at The Kitchn.
The Campari Mint Spritz
Who doesn't love a little campari with their spritz amiright? Which is why this recipe courtesy of The Kitchn is all the Campari goodness in a glass. I love that this is not only packed with sweetness and flavor but with only four ingredients is also super easy to put together on the holiday fly. You can find the recipe right here.
Candy Cane Martini
Fair warning, one too many of these candy martinis and you will be on your face. Legit, it's all vodka (respect) with a candy cane dropped in for that hint of holiday flavor and to... take the edge off? I mean hey, sometimes you need a stiff drink. Holidays are stress amiright? If you're in that camp then this ones definitely for you. Just don't say I didn't warn you. You can find the complete recipe courtesy of Endless Simmer here.
Cranberry Margarita
If you're anything like me and have a perpetual thirst for all things margaritas, then this recipe, courtesy of The Kitchn is the answer. It's definitely not for the sweet or tart averse. Between the cranberry puree and the Grand Marnier, this suckers all about the pucker factor. If that jingles your holiday bells than look no further. You can find the complete recipe here.
White Christmas Mojito
This is all things holiday perfection. I mean the mint. The pomegranate. The white rum. The... coconut milk. OK, that last ingredient is a little bit of a curve ball. But still. It's just gorgeousness in a glass. It's also not super complicated to make which is always a big bonus. You can find the complete recipe on Half Baked Harvest.
Pumpkin Pie Martini
Rich. Creamy. Pumpkin. Martinis. Yummmm. This martini is legit redefining pumpkin spice. It's pretty rum heavy so probably best served after dinner as a dessert cocktail. Once you've whipped this up to perfection simply sprinkle in some graham cracker crust for some big time bonus points. You can find the complete recipe on Pass The Sushi.
Berry Coconut Spritzer
I know, I know. Another spritzer. But hear me out because this coconut berry spritzer courtesy of Dessert Now Dinner Later is all the holiday cheer you could hope for and again could not be easier to make. Just take a little frozen fruit, some seltzer water a little cream of coconut. Again, add vodka at your discretion to give it a little kick — just don't forget to rim the glass with coconut flakes for that extra bit of wow factor holiday goodness. You can find the recipe here.
Slow Cooker Cider Wassail
Cider is always a great choice for the holidays and this slow cooked wassail mulled cider is no exception. I like this recipe because dates back to the drinks roots Wassail. Wa what? I'll explain. Wassail's roots trace back to Medieval Times and it is, simply, just cider. Nothing fussy. Just plain old mulled cider. Now that you know you'll thanks me next time you find yourself at the Renaissance Faire. Anyways, this recipe is old school and I love that you can just throw it all in to the slow cooker and let simmer. You can finds the complete recipe on A Spicy Perspective.
Champagne Punch
Two words: Champagne Punch. Just let that swirl around in your beautiful mind for a second. Yeah, pretty great. So I think this is the perfect punch for an elevated holiday party. It's so easy to whip up on the quick which is always a bonus, it's festive (hello, champagne) and it's just fun. Gotta love bubbles. You can find the recipe on Foodie Crush.
Peppermintini
Peppermintini. It just rolls off the tongue doesn't it? It does. So, this another holiday twist on a classic cocktail that, in my opinion, should be a year-round drink. But I guess that would make it less special. So, in this recipe — brought to us by our friends over at A Spicy Perspective — white chocolate liquor, vanilla vodka, half and half, and of course candy canes will do this trick. Don't forget to rim the glass with smashed candy canes for the ultimate effect. You can find the complete recipe here.
Fig & Honey Cocktail
I'm loving the elegant simplicity of this pretty fig and honey cocktail. This recipe, which is brought to us from the creative cooking genius Tori Avey, is so pretty and lovely. It goes without saying, but you must love figs if you're going to pull this off, as that's obviously the main ingredient. You can find the complete recipe right here.
Sparkling Hibiscus Holiday Punch
OK, last holiday punch idea I swear! But this one is just too good to pass up and also so pretty and hibiscus-y to boot! This is a great drink to make in large batches. You can find the complete recipe courtesy of The Kitchn here.
Raspberry Russian
Another clever cocktail, this Raspberry Russian which is a play on the classic white Russian, is an easy holiday drink that you can whip up in no time! It's also very ingredient friendly — all you need are fresh raspberries, heavy cream, Chambord and vodka. If you're feeling spry, you can DIY the ice cubes as seen in the photo above by simply freezing a raspberry into the cube. Cute! You can find the complete recipe on Food Fanatic.
Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour
Full disclosure. I have a weakness for whiskey sours. I mean, they're just too good to resist and whenever I drink they just take me to this happy cozy place mind and body. So when I found this recipe, which comes replete with cinnamon and maple I thought whoa, this is a game changer. Again, light on the ingredient list, all you need for this recipe is some Bulleit bourbon, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon. You can find the complete recipe on Cookie and Kate.
Meghan Markle Singing "Santa Baby" Is The Perfect Way To Get Into The Holiday Spirit
Plenty of people have offered up their renditions of Santa Baby over the years. But until this week, most people had no idea that the Duchess of Sussex was one of them. Meghan Markle sang "Santa Baby" when she was in high school, and The Daily Mail has video evidence.
In The Daily Mail's video, a 17-year-old Meghan performs the classic (if not creepy) holiday song at Los Angeles' Immaculate Heart High School Christmas show in 1998, the outlet explains. Long before becoming a royal or a Hollywood star, Meghan was just a teen performing a Christmas song alongside her friends at a holiday concert.
Meghan's Christmas celebration this year, meanwhile, probably won't include any "Santa Baby" performances. She and Prince Harry, along with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, are spending the holiday at the Queen of the United Kingdom's private Sandringham estate.
It's also pretty funny that, as The Daily Mail points out, Meghan's "Santa Baby" co-performer, Natalie Fryman, also became an actress. Fryman has appeared on several TV shows, including Lost and Hawaii Five-0. (Not everyone can become a member of the royal family, though, so it looks like the two friends weren't exactly on the same path.)
These days, Meghan's focus is on a very different baby. She and Prince Harry are expecting their first child, and the baby is due this spring. Kensington Palace made the official announcement in October, and Meghan's baby bump has been steadily growing over the last couple of months.
Harry and Meghan's baby will have a royal playmate who's not too much older, too. Will and Kate's third child, Prince Louis, was born in April, which means there will only be about a year's age gap between the two young royals.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share two photographs of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, taken by The Duchess at Kensington Palace.
This image was taken on 2nd May, on Princess Charlotte’s third Birthday.
This image of Prince Louis was taken by The Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace on 26th April.
The Duke and Duchess would like to thank members of the public for their kind messages following the birth of Prince Louis, and for Princess Charlotte’s third birthday. pic.twitter.com/bjxhZhvbXN
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As for the royals' Christmas plans, it sounds like there will be plenty of holiday tradition going on, even if that doesn't include any "Santa Baby" renditions. According to The Daily Mail, the royals exchange Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve and set them out for one another — but they don't actually open them until Christmas Day. That's one way to build anticipation!
The royals' Christmas traditions will also include a Christmas Day dinner and a trip to church, The Daily Mail notes. The younger royals, meanwhile, will have the chance to put the last few ornaments on the Queen's Sandringham tree.
And as for what the royals' Christmas dinner will entail, former royal chef Darren McGrady has some ideas. McGrady told Good Housekeeping that the royals' Christmas lunch will likely include "a salad with shrimp or lobster, and a roasted turkey, and all of your traditional side dishes like parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and Christmas pudding with brandy butter for dessert." That sounds like a meal enough already — but it's followed by a Christmas dinner buffet several hours later, too.
With all of the holiday excitement going on, fans of the royal family might forget about the so-called feud between Meghan and Kate. Based on all of these plans and updates, it sounds like the royals are thrilled to spend the holidays together. Who knows — maybe Kate will even join Meghan in a "Santa Baby" singalong, even if there's no video footage to prove it.
6 American Holiday Traditions Meghan Markle Won't Be Able To Do
The holiday season is a time to enjoy traditions that have been celebrated for years on end. We all get a bit upset if the holiday rituals we've enjoyed since we were kids get disrupted (What do you mean I can't run around playing with my presents and actually have to help make lunch?!), so put in a thought for the American holiday traditions Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, can no longer take part in. Her holidays are now going to be spent with one of the most traditional families in the entire world, where the festive season is meant to run like clockwork and protocol must be followed at all times.
The Queen has actually relaxed quite a lot of rules for Meghan over the holidays, including the rumor that she's invited Meghan's mother Doria Ragland to spend Christmas with them at royal residence Sandringham (formerly a massive no-no, according to Vanity Fair). However, there are various traditions that Meghan will likely not experience at the royal household, from the traditional post-lunch movie, to the emphasis on turkey and stuffing. Now that Meghan is part of the family, though perhaps she'll start injecting a dose of Americana into the celebrations, and give them a taste of eggnog and It's A Wonderful Life.
1Spend Christmas Morning In Her Pajamas
Members of the Royal Family usually attend the Christmas morning mass at St. Mary Magdalene on the estate at Sandringham. It's a huge photo opportunity and means that any chance of spending the morning opening presents, eating chocolate coins, and lounging in one's pajamas is strictly verboten. The royals actually attend two services: a private one at 9 a.m. and a public one at 11 a.m. Anything less than serious medical emergencies, and Meghan will definitely have to put in an appearance.
2Make Christmas Lunch The Main Meal Of The Day
According to ex-royal chef Darren McGrady, the royal Christmas doesn't prioritize Christmas lunch in the way that Americans traditionally do. Instead, the day involves a big breakfast, a giant lunch involving two 25 lb turkeys, then afternoon tea with cake, scones and sandwiches, and after that a dinner buffet involving whole wheels of cheese and cold goodies from Harrod's. And, of course, Meghan won't be able to cook any of it herself; royals are kept strictly out of the kitchen.
3Take That Delightful Post-Lunch Nap
Post-lunch, it's not actually an option at Christmas for Meghan to fulfil the great American tradition of putting on Netflix in the background of a nap. Instead, the royal family either does puzzles, goes for walks around the estate, or plays charades. An utterly unsubstantiated rumor came out that Meghan had been asked to "tone down" her acting skills so as not to "upset" the Queen at Charades — which is very unlikely, as apparently the Queen herself is an amazing mimic and the Queen Mother once did an Ali G rap at the Christmas table.
4Watch "It's A Wonderful Life" While Digesting
For It's A Wonderful Life, insert any other traditional movie that happens to be on TV post-3 p.m., one everybody knows so well they can basically recite it: Miracle On 34th St, The Santa Clause, or any other kind of Christmas classic. Nope. The English royal family must watch the Queen's Christmas address to the nation, which has been pre-taped, on TV at 3 p.m. sharp. In the evening, a film night does sometimes happen — in a room completely filled with swords and war memorabilia, fitted out with a projector and screen.
5Drink Eggnog
This egg-based holiday treat is far more popular in the U.S. than it is in the UK;there's no record of it being served at the royal family's Christmases, with cocktails, cherry brandy and cider brewed from Sandringham's own apples being preferred tipples instead.
6Party To Welcome In The New Year
Not much of a chance of staying up late to welcome in 2018 for Meghan. If she and Harry are still staying at Sandringham at the end of the year, they'll witness the New Year's Day hunt. The Queen and Prince Philip host pheasant shoots and horse ridingaround the estate in Sandringham to mark Jan. 1 every year. Otherwise, they'll be expected to stay quietly indoors; being seen dancing in the street as the fireworks begin for the new year is Not The Done Thing for royals.
While Meghan is leaving a lot of American holiday traditions behind, she's also getting an insight into one of the most ancient sets of ritual around the holidays in the world. But let's face it, the food sounds kind of amazing.
A Meghan Markle Musical Is Coming Soon To BBC Radio & The Details Are Royally Exciting
If you're obsessed with everything royal family related (like myself), there's a new musical event coming soon that you're definitely going to love. According to People, there's a Meghan Markle musical in the works. And honestly, can you even think of a more exciting musical idea?
Unfortunately for royal watchers, the musical won't be hitting the stage (anytime soon, that is). People reported that this program is set to hit BBC Radio and will be on the lighthearted, fun side. Luckily, fans won't have to wait too long to hear it. The publication reported that the program, which is cheekily titled The Sixth in Line to Be King and I, is set to air on New Year's Day.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the musical, starring comedian Pippa Evans as the Duchess of Sussex, is set to be an “inspired celebration of Meghan Markle‘s life to date." They also reported that they will "look ahead to what promises to be an exciting 2019 for the happy royal couple as they expect their first child in the spring.” The musical comedy is only going to have a run time of 15 minutes, so there's a lot of Markle-related content that they'll have to fit in that time period.
Since there's been so many updates on the duchess, from the original engagement announcement in November 2017 to her recent baby news, there's definitely a lot of material for the creators of The Sixth in Line To Be King and I to work with.
Of course, there are some undeniably major points that you can expect the musical to cover. As for that aforementioned engagement announcement, that's the moment when Markle was really thrust into the world's spotlight. What better way for the program to start than there? As for the next beat that they'll have to cover, there's no question that the royal wedding of basically everyone's dreams, which took place in May, has to be a part of the musical. Can't you already imagine the lovely renditions about Markle and Prince Harry's love story?
Seeing as though a big part of Markle's royal life this past year has involved attending a variety of events and royal engagements, there just has to be some kind of number about that, don't you think? There could be an Australian-themed musical number, which would tie back to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first overseas tour together. Or there could be a moment featuring Queen Elizabeth, since Markle and the monarch did attend an engagement together back in June. Hearing "the queen" hitting those high notes? That would be a must-listen.
Since the musical will also take a peek into the duchess' future, it's only natural that there may also be some fun moments featuring Markle and Harry's life as parents to baby Sussex. Basically, this musical is going to have everything you could ever hope for and more.
Looking back on all of Markle's major moments from the past year, I know that I'm more than ready to relive all of the fun during the musical event all about the Duchess of Sussex. So, be sure to mark your calendars for the program, royal watchers, because you're definitely going to want to tune in to this.
Will The 'Harry Potter' Films Be On Netflix UK? It's Going To Be A Long Old Winter Without Any Butterbeer
January oh January, why art thou so grim. But OK let's look at all the positives of January. Christmas is done, all that stress is over. New Year's eve, done. You can get on that "new year new me" flex. Or you can be real and do what January was made for — cosy nights in, Netflix and chill vibes. Oi you, mind out of the gutter! I mean just watching stuff. Anyhow, what is more cosy than skipping away into a magical world as far as can be from this one. So will the Harry Potter films be on Netflix UKanytime soon?
OK so here is the goss on the matter. Basically back on November 1, Netflix made the day of all their French and Belgian users by putting those damn films online. Ugh mon dieu, I am hideously jealous. Anyhow, that obviously got the old rumour mill spinning and UK users were like, maybe us? Please? And then the plot thickened when, as the Daily Mail reported, flipping New Zealand and Australia Netflix got them too, from January 15. But what about us?! Accio patience, because I am low key losing it RN. Yet, no news nor sign of them hitting our shores as of yet which is just absolutely crushing. Bustle reached out to Netflix UK for commen.
But real talk, what is the flipping delay here guys? And I don't want to sound a bit Neville Longbottom here but, why's it always us? OK so The Mirror reported that this is all down to some pesky flipping licensing agreements. Sigh. The newspaper quotes New on Netflix, saying that it's due to licensing agreements between film studio Warner Bros. and Sky/Now TV in the UK. So that's why it's a solid non for the UK, while it was a oui for France and Belgium.
I guess fans were maybe hoping that this year Netflix would do a surprise drop like it did last New Year's day. Don't you remember? Yep, they drove everyone bonkers by casually dropping the entire 10 seasons of Friends. Which is basically every single hungover person's dream. However, akin to Cinderella turning into a pumpkin or whatever, this was for a limited time only so everyone got to marathoning while they could. But then, a Christmas miracle, brought to you by the holiday armadillo.
The One Where Friends is Going Nowhere, Don't Worry
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So I guess we should be grateful at least for this. However we really could do with something new this winter season right? What is there to be excited about as a well needed distraction from that huge Potter shaped hole in our televisual delights?
Well, it ain't quite magical but, A Series Of Unfortunate Events certainly is very beautiful and imaginative and fun for people of all ages, right? Well the third season of the smash hit series dropped on Netflix UK on January 1. The show, based on the books of the same name, is in its last ever season. And according to the trailer, this one is going to be the best so far.
"With the third and final season drawing near, we have nothing left to say, dear viewer, but that we have saved the worst for last".
So will the Baudelaire children escape the dastardly AF Count Olaf and have a happy ending? Fingers flipping crossed.
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