Drinks for the festive season!

It's that time of year again when we start to think about entertaining and what better way to make one's loved ones feel welcome than wiht a homemade beverage?
Here are some ideas to impress your guests...


Apéritif Maison (Le Petit Bourg)

1 litre/4 cups red wine – Merlot is perfect
12cl/1/4 cup Calvados (apple brandy though any brandy would do I'd imagine)
150g/6 ozs. sugar
2 tablsp. Chicory
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 3 oranges


Mix all together and leave for a couple of days. Strain into holy water bottle.....
and enjoy!


Cocktail for 30 people….

2 bottles gin
1 bottle vodka
1 bottle crème de cassis
7 litres orange juice

Mix all together and serve chilled with little bits of fruit (optional)

Mulled Wine


1 Bottle of Bordeaux red wine
½ bottle Port
Same quantity of water
Freshly ground nutmeg
Cinnamon stick
Sugar

Heat up all together and add sugar to taste

Kir Royale
Put a drop of Crème de Cassis in the bottom of a champagne glass and top up with sparkling white wine/cider/perry



Quarante quatre: (forty four)
Bit late for this one - mine has been waiting for dégustation since August, but here goes...
Simplicity at it’s best and a great ‘digestif’.  Impress your neighbours and/or friends by offering them an after-dinner Calvados homemade liquor.

Alternatively, you may like to serve a little 44 with white wine as an apéritif!

You will need:
1 litre of  Calvados
1 orange
44 sugar lumps
44 cloves or
44 coffee grains

and 44 days of patience!

Pour the Calvados into a large Kilner jar with  44 sugar lumps and 44 coffee grains or ...... if you’ve opted for cloves....
Stick the 44 cloves into an orange and add to jar.
Wait at least 44 days before tasting.
( Quarante quatre will, however, keep for centuries in the Kilner jar)

Quarante Quatre '44'

Fragrant and fruity, served as a digestif or with white wine, as a aperitif,'Quarante Quatre'is one of my local recipés which, once tasted, is frequently requested!
And the good news is that, at 47 days to go to Christmas (!!!) you can make it now and serve to guests at your festive table or offer it as an original Christmas gift.

You will need:

1 litre of Calvados/clear eau-de-vie or Vokda
1 orange
44 sugar lumps
44 cloves or
44 coffee grains (I use both!)

and 44 days of patience!

Pour the Calvados into a large Kilner jar with 44 sugar lumps and 44 coffee grains or ...... if you’ve opted for cloves....
Stick the 44 cloves into an orange and add to jar.
Wait at least 44 days before tasting.
Quarante quatre will, however, keep for centuries in the Kilner jar but once it's all gone you may like to try a vingt-deux...
Add some white wine to the Kilner jar, leaving the orange in the jar, and leave for, yes, you've guesses it - 22 days!!
Santé...

What's seldom is wonderful!

No Monday morning blues in this house this week.....or Tuesday....or even Wednesday for that matter - il neige - yes, it's snowing........and what a treat for kids in Normandy!!

Our two, Ellen and Kate, apart from les sports d'hiver - skiing holidays - haven't ever seen so much of the white stuff......they're having a ball......the dogs too.....Maman too....Papa, who has to venture out to work, a little less, no doubt, although on Monday was able to enjoy the welcomed change from rain and wind with the rest of us....and off we went to our nearest wood - le bois de Saga - after which we enjoyed a mulled wine.......

Vin Chaud......... you will need:

1 bottle of fairly cheap Bordeaux

1/2 bottle of port and the same quantity of water

freshly ground nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

A few grains of Cardamon

Grated rind and juice of an orange

Sugar to taste

Slowely heat all up together and serve piping hot, preferably beside a roaring fire....

Santé!