Have you ever wanted to know exactly what a Hot Toddy is or how wine is "mulled" ? 

If you're feeling adventurous and fully charged this holiday season then you should try one, or both, of these recipes. Mix up your drink selection for Christmas dinner, or take notes for what to serve at your New Year's party!

Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy's are really interesting because they are actually made with tea! Crazy right? Apart from being a tasty and cozy alcoholic beverage, Hot Toddy's historically have also helped fight off or prevent against colds and cold/flu symptoms. Why aren't we all drinking one a day? 

So where did this drink come from?

The name "Toddy" is believed to be of Indian descent, the word for palm wine. It is an alcoholic beverage produced from the sap of various different palm trees.

Aside from tea, these drinks can also be made with apple cider or hot water. But I think tea is more fun! Plus- tea is so great for overall body health. Bonus!

When making the drink, you can really get creative and use your favorite wintertime spices. Cloves, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg...

You can also choose your favorite unflavored black tea. Keemun tea works superbly though!

You want to start by combining a cup of water with all of your spices. One stick of cinnamon, one star, and a few cloves works great. Bring the combination to just below boil and then remove from heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of your loose leaf tea and let it steep for 4-5 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a large mug, and then drizzle some honey in, and then pour a shot of either rum, brandy, or whisky on top.

To top it all off, squeeze some lemon juice over the drink, and even drop the lemon in if you please!

Voila- your very own Hot Toddy! Look at you go!

Mulled Wine

We've all heard the phrase Mulled Wine, but do any of us really know what it is? Is it just hot wine? Well I'm here to tell you!

Mulled wine, served hot or warm, is traditionally an alcoholic holiday beverage. It is spiced and typically consists of red wine. The utilizes fresh fruit, almost always oranges, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, anise, and more. Sound familiar?

To make this cozy drink, you'll want to slice some oranges up, and place whole cloves into them. In a large crockpot or slow cooker, add a big concoction of items. Whatever you like in the vein of sweet spices. The oranges, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, 1-2 cups orange juice. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Then add one cup of a red wine of your choice and return to simmer for another 30 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. 

Then reduce your heat to low and add the remainder of the wine in that bottle, plus another whole bottle. After that, throw in a cup of brandy, or rum if you prefer.

Just let this mixture SIMMER for 5 minutes. No boiling !

Go ahead and strain the drink of the spices and serve up. Feel free to garnish your drink with an orange slice or cinnamon stick for aesthetic. 

Voila! Your homemade mulled wine. So fancy !