No festive greeting is complete without a holiday-themed beverage. Bring out your inner mixologist with these delicious herbal beverages this holiday season, from traditional holiday eggnog to savory herbal cocktails to serve your guests using fresh-grown herbs and spices. You can make each of these recipes with or without alcohol, so even kids will enjoy them! Cheers, and Happy Holidays!
Holiday Eggnog
Abundant in sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla, this holiday eggnog beverage knocks it out of the park when it comes to Christmas cocktails. Even if your guests aren’t fans of traditional eggnog, you might change their minds with this recipe! The secret ingredients? Ginger and rosewater from your summer garden!
You Will Need:
- 5 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 2 ⅓ cups of whole milk
- 1 cups of heavy cream
- ½ cup of bourbon
- ¼ cup of cognac
- 1 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp of ginger
- ½ tsp of cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 oz. of rosewater, or to taste
Instructions:
- On low speed, blend or process farm-fresh eggs for one minute.
- Stir in sugar gradually and mix for one minute.
- Add bourbon, cognac, vanilla, spices,, milk, and cream with the blender on and running. One minute should be enough to blend the ingredients.
- Allow the flavors to blend in the fridge by chilling thoroughly.
- Stir in rosewater before serving your beverage.
Pepper Thyme Gin Cocktail
This beverage recipe offers a refreshing yet savory flavor thanks to the herbal blend of gin, pepper, and thyme. If you’re growing thyme indoors, it’s the perfect opportunity to use some as garnish in these holiday beverages at Christmas!
You Will Need:
- 2 tablespoons black and pink peppercorns, slightly cracked
- 3 sprigs of thyme, fresh from your indoor herb garden
- 26 oz. Bottle of gin
- 1 splash of lime juice to taste
- Honey, if desired
- Crushed ice
- A few extra sprigs of thyme for garnish
Instructions:
- Infuse your gin with thyme and whole peppercorns by adding them to your gin bottle and leaving them to sit in a cool, dark location for 3-5 days.
- Add 1.5 ounces of infused gin and half an ounce of lime juice to a beverage shaker with ice. If you’d like a sweeter drink, add honey to taste.
- Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme.
- Drink up!
Blackberry Sage Gin & Tonic
You may not usually think of blackberry and sage as your first ingredients for a holiday beverage, but it’s worth considering! This holiday cocktail combines hints of floral flavors with powerful sage to create an irresistible Christmas beverage.
You Will Need:
- 4 oz. of gin of your choice
- Club soda to taste
- 9 sage leaves from your herb garden
- One dozen blackberries
- 1–1 ½ oz of simple syrup
- Lime or lemon juice to taste
- ⅓ cup of water
- ⅓ cup of sugar
Instructions:
- Fill a medium-sized pot with 1/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar, and bring to a boil. Stir the simple syrup until the sugar dissolves, and then dip two sage leaves in it, shaking the excess liquid off. Refrigerate the leaves after coating them lightly in sugar and laying them flat to cool and candy them.
- Muddle eight sage leaves with blackberries in a shaker. Add ice to the glass, then combine with your gin selection, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- Fill two glasses with ice and shake and strain evenly.
- Add extra blackberries and candied sage to the top of your beverage and top it with club soda.
Holiday beverage recipes are easy with these recipes! Visit us at Platt Hill Nursery in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville for more holiday beverage recipe inspiration.
Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.