Well, things are back to normal around here. That was one crazy week of hippie-on-hippie violence. Then again, I’ve always said that hippies need to have a civil war or at least to have American boys and girls going door to door telling them to suck on this.
Does anyone here have any good recipes for holiday drinks? Preferably without eggs or cream but with alcohol.
Cat Lady
The threats to sit out 2010 and 2012 made me say fuck you twice in one post to someone on my team. What a week indeed. The DFH’s have looked into the abyss, and saw what it looks like when it looks back. It looks too much like Son of Erick’s sTrike Farce.
jnfr
Kir – champagne with a little cassis liqueur – is one of our favs.
I gotten say the emotional violence on sites I visit that are generally good places has made the Internets less fun this week.
re: Cat Lady. Oh yeah, it’s all felt very Freeper to me.
KRK
Glögg
Kennedy
Nothing fancy and no recipe required, but one of my favorite holiday drinks is Redbreast on the rocks.
Nice and smooth; spicy aroma goes well with your typical holiday fare, or as an after dinner/social drink.
DougJ
Kir – champagne with a little cassis liqueur – is one of our favs.
I love that too. I also like to put a little dark rum and a little cointreau into some champagne.
Max
Hot Buttered Rum
– Boil some water
– Pour it into a mug with a shot or two of rum
– Add a pat of butter (adjust as you like)
– Sweeten with sugar to your liking
A few of these and you will pass out on the couch and wake up 2 hours later with a pile of drool beside you.
lutton
Glögg sounds great, plus it open the possibilty for a conversation like,
“What happened to you?!?”
“I got Glögged last night…”
KCinDC
We got through the Obama-Clinton wars. We’ll get through this, though there may be a few more PUMA-teabaggers in the end.
ihop
three fingers of good bourbon in a short glass with some water makes me all ‘ho, ho, ho’.
lutton
>>Hot Buttered Rum
we used to take that skiing because you could mix everything but the hot water, and get that at the lodge.
Xanthippas
Kanuchi, the drink you can chew! This link says it’s served as a soup, but my Cherokee relatives drink it cold. And I suppose you can add alcohol to it. Or at least, it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody has.
blahblahblah
My favorite drink involves gin on the rocks, cut with a little more gin. Forget the vermouth.
Shell
English Farmer’s Wassail
Heat a quart of cider until just simmering. Stir in spices-1 tsp. cinnamon. 1 tsp powdered ginger. Add 1 cup of rum and the zest of one lemon. Sugar to taste. (I usually don’t. The cider is sweet enough)
Pour into bowl, garnish with roasted apples.
About 12 servings. 8 if it’s a really cold night.
blahblahblah
Cat Lady:
I left the Democratic Party and registered as an Independent. Well, in MA it’s called “unenrolled”, but it’s the same thing. I heavily supported the Clinton campaign in ’92, showing many friends portions of the DNC convention speeches. It’s not much, but I personally convinced 25 – 30 18-22yos to go out an vote because of Clenis’ promise of health care reform.
And now Obama screws us again too.
I am done with the Democratic Party. I think it’s time for Progressives and Tea Baggers to unite. Not on policy matters, for we will never see eye to eye there. But on the issue of corporate corruption ruling us in congress… yes, I think there’s a possibility for a real Left/Right coalition on that matter. They’re just as pissed off at their party as we are at ours. Let’s coordinate to screw each of our respective political parties back.
Jack Roy
Pour yourself a glass of whiskey, sit on a candy cane, and drink, you needy twit.
Okay, getting that passive-aggression out of my system, I have to ask if you’re not aware of the Cocktail DB, which I usually feel like everyone has to know of already, but…. Anyway, that link goes to something random I found by searching for “nutmeg” (no clue). I’m sure there are thousands of recipes infinitely more suitable to what you’re seeking at the moment, but it’s as good a starting place as any.
pointer
blahblahblah:
That’s a joke, right? Because if it’s not, you know you wouldn’t be screwing the Republican Party at all. You’d just be screwing the Dems, and opening the door to a Sarah Palin presidency.
But if it’s a joke, it’s laugh-out-awkward funny.
jeffreyw
Uh, what he’s havin? I don’t want that.
R-Jud
@Max: Hot buttered rum– had some tonight after a snowy walk. I whipped butter with brown sugar and cinnamon, shaped it into a log and chilled it. Then added a slice to each mug before pouring in the rum and water. Fantastic.
Shell@ 14: Sounds great, would be even better with hard cider.
Mulled wine, if you start with decent red wine, is also good: 1 lemon, sliced in half, 2 oranges, sliced in half. Tie a cinnamon stick, a peeled slice of fresh ginger, and some whole cloves up in muslin, simmer all in 1 bottle of wine + 3 cups hot water. If you really feel the need, whack some brown sugar in there as well.
jeffreyw
Some kittehs. Want one?
mr. whipple
What the heck does hippie-on-hippie violence look like, sabotaging the plug on the bong? Switching the patchouli with Chanel no5?
jeffreyw
Mebbe a new puppeh?
The momma is a chihuahuabad momma
drag0n
Glühwein, German Mulled Wine. I had the stuff in Berlin. It’s great. You can find a recipe here.
Perry Como
@Shell: This. But I prefer Applejack.
John Cole
I’m actually a little upset I only got to trot out a few “jackasses” and “idiots” and as far as I can tell, no one de-linked us. No Jane Hamsher battle either.
Things just aren’t what they used to be.
maya
One of my fave holiday drinks for a cold evening, or afternoon, is the Manhattan. My Grandfather’s simple receipt everyone can enjoy.
2 parts bourbon – highly recommend, Wild Turkey, 101 proof.
1 part sweet vermouth – any brand should do
1/2 part Rose’s Grenadine
Put all ingredients in a pitcher with crushed ice and stir. Pour in glass. Garnish with cherry if you like. It has marvelous warming powers.
gwangung
@John Cole: Well, hell, what’s the fuss, then? It can’t be too much of a fight if nobody got delinked…
SarahLoving
@DougJ,
you gotta check out Rachel Maddow’s review of the White House cocktail party. She detailed three old school and interesting drinks (The Emerson, The Stone Fence, and The Robert Frost) that you can whip up with all your fancy bitters. Check it out:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#34486358
freelancer
@John Cole:
We can’t all be traitors all the time…
jeffreyw
This is the the puppeh momma. Per Mrs J, not a good momma, she tried to eat the little ones.
jwb
@John Cole: I guess that tells us that our heart just wasn’t in it—or links aren’t what they used to be.
Maude
Don’t forget Bourbon Balls. And sit down if you eat a few so that you don’t fall down.
I used clean language throughout the HCR. Something’s wrong with me.
Sentient Puddle
@blahblahblah:
Hey look, Jane Hamsher has decided to visit BJ again!
Uli Kunkel
HCR Toddy:
1/4 part Naderite tears
1/4 part Teabagger bile
1/4 part keyboard kommando spittle
1/4 part GOP fear-discharged urine
That’s good drinkin.
Shell
Uh, you’re kidding, right? The signs and chants and interviews with Fox news flunkies from Teabagger rallies revolve around, ‘Socialism!’, ‘Obama is (multiple choice) Hitler, a Muslim, a Commie, a Kenyan,’ ‘I want my country back!,’ ‘Health Care reform will kill your grandma.’ and ‘God hates gays.’
I do think I’ve heard much from them about corporate corruption.
birthmarker
Don’t underestimate coffee prepared to your taste, with a shot of Bailey’s or frangelica or Crown Royal added. I prefer mine with whipped cream. Also goes over well at holiday parties.
DougJ
you gotta check out Rachel Maddow’s review of the White House cocktail party. She detailed three old school and interesting drinks (The Emerson, The Stone Fence, and The Robert Frost) that you can whip up with all your fancy bitters. Check it out:
Thanks.
John Cole
Although I am still waging jihad against David Sirota over twitter as a “sycophantic cultist.”
Cat Lady
@blahblahblah:
Kucinich/Bachmann 2012! That’ll work.
/not
The Coow Woow –
Drink one while listening to bell-ringers and everything will
beseem fine. With the added benefit of being able to answer the question of “what’s wrong with you”, by saying Coow Woow!R-Jud
@birthmarker:
Other than the occasional addition of steamed milk, this is the only way I like to tart up my coffee. Good call, especially on the frangelica.
Shell
Ah, Mr. Como, as a Jersey girl, I approve. I was referencing the original recipe. (Mimi Sheraton’s ‘A Vision of Sugarplums.’) And very tasty it is.
Applejack is my liquor of choice in holiday baking and cooking. Tonight I’m gonna start marinating the fruits for the Dresden stollen.
cleek
the high sage: prosecco + sage-infused simple syrup + Hendricks gin + cucumber slice. yum.
Hendricks gin n Tonic with a cucumber slice.
2 parts Baileys (or Carolans!), 1 part vodka + tiny splash of Chambord. yum.
Jason Bylinowski
I’ve been tinkering around with this for the past week or so:
1 part tea-infused vodka (homemade is best)
1 part spring water
juice from 1/4 wedge of lemon
juice from 1/4 wedge of lime
add simple sugar to taste
Heat in microwave before drinking. Tastes somewhat medicinal and soothing. Think Theraflu, but more fun.
Atlliberal
My favorite winter drink is a Peppermint Patty:
A cup of hot cocoa with a shot of peppermint schnapps and whipped cream on top.
As for the unpleasantness this week, I tend to try to stay out of flame wars. I knew from the beginning that health care was going to be messy and I haven’t been disappointed. I hope they actually get it done after all the mess!
MikeJ
Just made myself a Rob Roy. Sort of a Manhattan but with scotch instead of rye.
Max
This thread is making me want to get loaded.
I am definitely stopping at BevMo on the way home from work.
joel hanes
Kir is good stuff.
Better yet, skip the cassis, buy really good champagne, and drink it.
gwangung
@Max:
Which makes this the most worthwhile thread this week.
freelancer
Frank Rich’s new column is pretty solid, right up until the last ‘graph.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/opinion/20rich.html
blahblahblah
pointer:
Nope. I’m serious. Not a joke. A Teabagger / Liberal coalition would thoroughly screw both political parties. I’m all for it.
ds
Obama delivered something very very substantial.
The conventional wisdom after the failed 1994 health care reform effort was that it’s silly to attempt broad reform of our institutions, and we should just settle for passing occasional tweaks and tax credits while Alan Greenspan runs the country.
The bill is far from perfect, but it’s a serious attempt at tackling one of our country’s most difficult problems. Just a few years ago the idea of doing that was seen as some crazy hippie fantasy.
The plan that Howard Dean ran on in 2004 was a incremental, conservative joke compared to what looks like it will pass the Senate, and remember, that was his opening bid! And 99% of the political establishment scoffed at it and considered it some sort of pothead delusion.
Obama is successfully turning the ship. We’re going from the far right, where we’ve been for years, back to the center. It’s disappointing that we’re not going all the way to the left, but it’s still a massive achievement.
Liberals should definitely keep bitching though. Only because it will keep Lieberman happy. If he starts to think liberals might be somehow pleased by what’s going on, he’ll have to derail the whole process.
Tx Expat
A big favorite of mine is gluewein.
Perfect for cold, wintry nights and it makes the house smell amazing when preparing it. And like the poster at that link, I first had it in Germany at Christmas time at a festival in a small village close to my brother’s house.
BTW, loving the edit function! Haven’t seen it in months.
Bob in Sheboygan
My father-in-law makes great “perfect manhattans” this way:
20 oz Canadian Club whiskey
4 oz dry vermouth
3 oz sweet vermouth
liberal dash or two of bitters
Mix all of the above, then add about 4 ice cubes. Let the ice melt, then put into a bottle and put it in the freezer. Let sit in the freezer for a few hours, minimum. Serve straight up, at zero degrees, with an olive.
It’s our family’s holiday treat.
And, have a great holiday yourself.
ds
I’ve heard this sort of line before, that teabaggers are really people who are just mad at the corrupt corporate establishment. Don’t mind what they’re actually saying, or what’s on their signs. They’re really actually on our side.
Get real. They’re angry white people who are convinced they’re the “producers” in society, and hate niggers, faggots, spics, immigrants, and all the other undeserving leaches, and most of all despise our foreign black president.
When the teabaggers stop holding up blackface signs and start quoting Chomsky, get back to me. Until then, don’t delude yourself.
Ecks
I think blahblahblah needs to be cut off. Get out of the booze thread and go find a fuzzy kitty one.
Or, now that I think of it, a fuzzy puppy one, because there don’t seem to be any fuzzy kitty ones. Y’know when John was running pet pics more regularly dog people complained they were all cats, but the actual posts seem to skew heavily (if not exclusively) canine.
demkat620
@blahblahblah: Yeah, good luck with that.
Gingerbread Liquer + Vodka = Gingerbread Martini.
Enjoy!
DougJ
A Teabagger / Liberal coalition would thoroughly screw both political parties. I’m all for it.
I feel like I’m reading Animal Farm.
mcc
This seems like a bit of an open thread so I think I’ll say guys I wrote a post at TPM. Maybe you would enjoy reading it.
asiangrrlMN
@jeffreyw: She may be a bad momma, but she’s a cutie. Kittens are so adorable, too. Sigh.
@demkat620: Ditto that. I was gonna say get back to us when you grow up, but I’ll go with, “Yeah, what she said.”
Sentient Puddle
@blahblahblah:
See here’s the problem…nobody’s going to take the liberal part of that coalition seriously. If you’re going to be a serious faction, you gotta start acting like one, just like the teabaggers. To start, you need a new name, one that’s a sexual euphemism. Nobody took them seriously until we could call them “teabaggers” as opposed to, say “tea partiers.” For the liberal faction, I’d suggest the “rusty trombones,” though I’m sure you can determine one yourself.
Once you got that name, then you’ll have sent a clear signal to the media that you’re ready to be taken seriously.
Ecks
@freelancer: Hey good find. As you say, excellent read until the last paragraph… Although even there he doesn’t appear to be saying Obama *IS* a scam, just that people are getting suspicious because everything else is turning out to be. Not sure I buy that, but not QUITE as asinine as it looks.
bago
I’m 1/3 the way through hiking to Bethesda, and spotting myself a gin and tonic.
blahblahblah
df:
I agree with this assessment. I do think that there runs within the Tea Party movement a real vein of racism. I also agree that racism is horrible violence to the oppressed minority, a drain on the gross potential productivity of a nation, and a violation of fundamental human rights.
None of that changes my mind that a potential coalition between progressives and tea baggers is possible. We each must just hold our noses. While we press that red button (or lever; or opscan; or touchscreen) and the parties go *BOOM!*
I think this time, instead of going “third party”, why don’t we all just go “Independent”?
gwangung
@mcc: Good, long article and well reasoned. Appreciated.
Jim
@DougJ:
Far more self-awareness and humor in Orwell than in the Pur-O-Sphere
freelancer
@blahblahblah:
Before I indulge this urge to laugh, I gotta ask. How old are you?
MikeJ
Does the Appalachian trial go to Bethesda?
R-Jud
@blahblahblah:
“Hold my nose” with a group that includes so many out-and-out racists? No thanks.
blahblahblah
Let me put it to folks here this way: I simply don’t give a sh*t about Democratic primary politics in my state any longer. I’d gladly vote to support a Republican Tea Bagger in Massachusetts. That Tea Bagger would likely lose the general election, but, in the process, I almost certainly would also screw over moderates in the GOP. Teabaggers would then act accordingly to moderates in the Democratic Party within their states. In some races, the wingers on both sides would win. Over time this would affect policy in congress, limiting influence by corporate controlled moderates.
The wingers win at the expense of moderates! We screw the moderates, leaving progressives and tea baggers in power!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Oh, and to Ecks: Thanks for your vote of censorship. The original comment was in reply to a political comment, and thus is on topic. Even if you consider the content objectionable.
Fern
@blahblahblah: That made no sense whatsoever. Thought you’d like to know.
KCinDC
Excuse me, but what button are you talking about? There has to be a candidate’s name next to it, so you’re saying you’ll vote for the racist teabagger candidate and magically things will improve, or what?
goblue72
@SarahLoving: Ack. I have seriously resisted theoverdone trend of straight men developing crushes on Rachel Maddow, but as a booze geek, I think I just feel in love when she closed with “and remember, Martinis do not contain vodka.”
freelancer
Jesus Christ, as much as M$ fucks stuff up, Sony is just breaking even on the PS3 hardware. And they’re still losing money from cost of production.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10414022-52.html?tag=mncol;posts
I know they make their profit from games, royalties, and licenses, but that’s a bit ridiculous in terms of 4-5 years after launch.
KCinDC
Okay, I’m out. We’re in DNFTT territory, folks.
blahblahblah
KCinDC:
YES! It makes perverted sense, especially for primary politics. If you can accept that an occasional Tea Bagger will be elected regardless, but that the risk is low in your state. And, further, that the same holds true for the Tea Bagger in his state WRT to voting for a Progressive candidate in his state’s primary, then one can see a mechanism to drive corporate moderates out from the edges inward…
TJ
blahblahblah
Well, I feel your pain. A Republican who I talked into switching to Democratic in 2008 told me this morning he’s going Independent, because of this HCR fiasco. Que sera, sera. You really don’t have to ally with the teabaggers, though. It’s repellent, and besides they’re going to go apeshit on this no matter what anybody does. Think of them as cannon fodder.
I do hope the big brains in the Democratic party have a plan to make up for the falloff in GOTV for 2010 I’m hearing about.
goblue72
Glogg is alway good this time of year. This recipe is pretty close to my own which is crowd favorite. My only change is that after the brandy syrup is warm and steaming, I light it on fire to carmelize the sugars a little and take the bite off the cheap brandy I use.
Citizen Alan
@ds:
I’m sorry, I keep seeing comments like this offered as some sort of slam against Dean and it annoys the hell out of me. If Howard Dean had become president in 2004, he’d have been a liberal president faced with a Republican-run House and Senate controlled by people who genuinely believed in a “permanent Republican majority.” Of course, Dean’s incrementalist plan was dismissed as too liberal, because at that point in time, before the GOP self-immolation of 2006, it was far too liberal to ever be enacted. I suspect that if Dean had expected to take office with a huge majority in the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, he’d have been a bit more ambitious.
freelancer
@blahblahblah:
You’re a fucking idiot, and given our luck, you’re probably a precinct captain or some other gatekeeper.
Off to go see Avatar.
Citizen Alan
@DougJ:
I don’t see why. Animal Farm is at least coherent. I think pigs and sheep joining forces to take over the world is a lot more plausible than Teabaggers and neo-socialists forming a political alliance (or even getting together in the same room without a fight breaking out).
neal peart
Grade A quality snark Doug.
Thadeus Horne
@blahblahblah: Are you on the brown acid? That’s got to be one of the most delusional things I have heard this year. I would rather pry my own eye out with a rusty fork than come anywhere near any teabagger. Those people are fuckin’ nuts.
pointer
I vote for The Dirty Sanchezes. It’s pro-immigration AND pro-anal sex. Who could possible be offended by that?
Uncle Omar
Holiday drink…eight ounce tumbler, three fingers of Talisker 18. Sip and ignore.
JGabriel
DougJ:
Here’s my favorite:
1. Start with a bottle of red wine.
2. Uncork.
3. Pour into wine glass. Or wine glasses, if you’re not drinking alone.
4. Drink.
It’s a simple recipe, but it works for me.
Step 3 may be omitted in the event of an emergency, like if a St. Bernard with a little casket around his neck pulls you from a snow drift in the mountains after an avalanche.
.
joe from Lowell
I used the c-word.
Shell
Umm, complete political nihilism. So the wingers that have trashed the country win? Screw everybody else and the country be damned? Guess you’re so proud of your go-to-hell cynicism.
Funny, thought we’d had enough of that shit.
Steeplejack
@jeffreyw:
Is that a “Kitler” in the back there? He should fetch a fine price.
Steeplejack
@John Cole:
Well, we all mellow with age, Cole. Next thing you know you won’t be able to remember the last time you punched someone in the neck.
Steeplejack
@joel hanes:
In a perfect world I would drink champagne every day.
R-Jud
@Steeplejack:
THIS. A million times this.
AhabTRuler
1 X THIS ^ THIS.
flyingdonut
A Poinsettia: Champagne (not “sparkling wine” crap, but real Champagne) and cranberry juice.
A Mistletoe: Champagne, cranberry juice, and vodka.
Lolis
@blahblahblah:
Ha. You really think teabaggers are worried about corporate power? Ha. They have been fighting for corporate domination of all things for the past year. Did you miss something? I must say I have little patience for the Obama sold us out on health care crowd. But one who thinks the teabaggers have more of a mission than to get a black family out of the White House is too much.
Xecky Gilchrist
Why are people talking like the hippie war is over? Have you seen TBogg’s latest?
hoosierspud
I love having a Rusty Nail on cold winter nights. Half Scotch, half Drambui, I prefer rocks, but straight up works too.
andy
Kitchn did up some fancy-pants punches here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-question-whats-a-good-holiday-punch-straight-up-cocktails-and-spirits-103141
They got all kinda cocktail stuff if you look around!
4jkb4ia
@John Cole:
Jane Hamsher is smarter than David Sirota.
4jkb4ia
I wish I had not more or less missed this week. At EW’s there will be an avalanche of health care posts and at the feudalism one 200 COMMENTS 60% of which I expect to be “I hate Obama, Reid, Rahm, Joe Lieberman, and anybody else I can think of”.
4jkb4ia
I apologize for hurting David Sirota’s feelings in the very unlikely circumstance he reads my post.
Jado
This is expensive, but it makes over 2 gallons. And if you serve it ice cold at a party of drinkers, I am sure at least one of you will forget where you put your pants.
REAL FISH HOUSE PUNCH
JUICE OF 4 DOZEN LEMONS
1-1/2 LBS GRANULATED SUGAR
1 PINT CURACAO (BLUE FOR GREEN FHP)
1 PINT JAMAICAN RUM
1 PINT BENEDICTINE
1 QUART PEACH BRANDY
4 QUARTS BOURBON
1 PINT STRONG TEA
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS INTO A 3 GALLON JUG. SHAKE WELL. SET THE CORK LIGHTLY TO KEEP DUST OUT (DO NOT SET CORK TIGHTLY – IT WILL BLOW OUT) PUT JUG IN A COOL DRY PLACE & SHAKE ONCE A DAY FOR AT LEAST 3 WEEKS. MAKES 3 GALLONS
If you use Blue Curacao instead of regular Orange Curacao, it will turn the FHP a bright anti-freeze green. You should have made this on December 5th, but try it unaged – god knows it won’t be MORE powerful if it’s young.
Very festive for the holidays, and doubly daring for guests to drink.
Challenge your friends with something volatile this year.
Good luck.
Savage Henry
We’ve been doing well with the Poinsettia Coctail. Very easy to make.
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz cranberry juice
crushed ice
1-2 oz of champagne
Serve with a twist of orange zest