3 Winter Holiday Drinks That Will Keep You Warm

Citrus fruits can balance out a lot of the heavy chocolate or spice flavors that come with holiday foods and drinks. Making great holiday beverages is just as important as making great holiday food, and wintertime is a great time for hot warming drinks. Whether the warmth comes from spices or alcohol people will expect to have some interesting beverage choices at holiday parties. Great holiday drinks do not have to contain alcohol, although alcohol can add a lot of interesting flavors to holiday drinks. If you want to serve non alcoholic drinks to your friends and family over the holidays or if you want a great hot drink the family can enjoy together try some of these delicious hot winter favorites:

Orange Hot Chocolate – To make a unique hot chocolate mix hot milk, orange zest, and chocolate syrup or chocolate syrup together. Mix the juice from half of a Florida orange or a Honeybell tangelo into a little milk and add it to the drink. Stir together and top with homemade whipped cream. Garnish with an orange wedge and some grated orange zest on top. Or, to add a little sweetness, use a long strip of candied Florida orange peel as a stir stick and garnish.

Cranberry Citrus Punch – This is a great non-alcoholic punch that can be served for any occasion but is wonderful for holidays and winter weddings. All you need to do to make this delicious warming beverage is combine cranberry juice cocktail with fresh Florida orange juice, brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks. Cook the concoction in a slow cooker to let the flavors really blend together and put over a warmer so that it stays warm throughout the party. Top with a little fresh orange zest and cinnamon to really bring out the flavor. For a fun twist use Blood orange juice instead of Florida orange juice to really bring out the cranberry flavor.

Holiday Cider – This is a great all purpose cider that is appropriate for all winter holidays and can be enjoyed all winter long. Use a slow cooker to cook the ingredients together and then just warm up on the stove or in the microwave by the cup or use the slow cooker to keep it warm all night. To make holiday cider combine apple cider, brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, fresh Florida orange juice, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Use the juice of a Honeybell tangelo instead of a Florida orange if you to want add a little tartness to the mixture.