9 Holiday Drinks From Around The World: Glühwein, Uzvar Kompot, Sahlep, Cava, Cola de Mono, Sorrel Punch, Ponche Navideño, Wassail and Coquito. Most can be made with or without alcohol.
I came across this list of holiday drinks from around the world on a friend’s Facebook page earlier this week. Everything there looked so incredible, but they didn’t include any recipes! Of course, curiosity got the better of me, so I bring you my own recipe roundup of Holiday Drinks from Around The World. Feel free to pin my collage above, but please click through to the original source if you wish to pin the original recipes individually.
Coquito – Puerto Rico
Photo Credit: Always Order Dessert. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
This drink is usually described as Puerto Rican Eggnog, but with the inclusion of coconut and rum, this is definitely a drink that’s way better than just plain eggnog. Dare I say it might replace my RumChata?
Wassail – England
Photo Credit: Culinate. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
Traditional Wassail is a mulled alcoholic cider or ale with spices, baked apples and citrus, and sometimes a sweet wine or brandy is added. It was traditionally served to caroling groups to warm them up after a night outside singing. Wassail is also where “toasting” with a drink originates since toast was once floated on the surface. Culinate has a great guide to wassail if you want to read about more of the history.
Ponche Navideño – Mexico
Photo Credit: Hilah Cooking. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
Ponche Navideño (literally “Christmas Punch”) is a traditional Mexican punch of dried hibiscus flowers (jamaica), tamarind, guava, brown sugar, spices and various other additions of fruit depending on the recipe you choose to use. It’s served non-alcoholic or spiked with rum or brandy. I am a huge fan of jamaica, so this is one of my favorite holiday drinks. This recipe has a great video to go with it, so you should definitely check it out.
Sorrel Punch – Jamaica
Photo Credit: Cook Like A Jamican. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
Sorrel Punch is another hibiscus flower rum drink, but this one is served over ice rather than served hot. I think I might drink this in the summer time too!
Cola de Mono – Chile
Photo Credit: Very Best Baking. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
The name of this drink translates literally to “Tail of the Monkey”. That’s possibly because they combine milk, coffee, alcohol, and spices in this traditional Chilean breakfast drink. I would be hyper on that for sure. Maybe Santa will bring me a glass on Christmas morning?
Cava – Spain
Okay, so this one isn’t a recipe, but it sure is delicious (and easy to grab at the store). Cava is the Spanish version of champagne (since only sparkling wines made in certain regions of France can have that label). If I learned anything from my studies in Spain, it’s that Spaniards love to drink together. This sparking wine is the center of holiday celebrations from Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany (Jan. 6th) which is the day the three kings (Los Reyes Magos) arrived to celebrate the birth of Jesus and bring him gifts. Though Christmas is celebrated (especially with a Christmas Eve mass), Epiphany is the day when most Spanish children receive their gifts.
Sahlep – Turkey
Photo Credit: Serious Eats. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
Sahlep is a thick, starchy Turkish milk drink with rosewater, cinnamon, and pistachios. It gets its name from the ground orchid roots, sahlep, used in the drink. Apparently the sahlep powder is super difficult to find outside of Turkey, so I’m linking up an easier recipe that substitutes rice flour instead. This is definitely on my must make list.
Uzvar Kompot – Eastern Europe
Photo Credit: Enjoy your Cooking. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
This holiday drink is made from stewed, dried fruits like apples, plums, and pears that are allowed to reconstitute overnight. It’s served cold or at room temperature most often on Christmas Eve in Eastern European Countries (like Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Lithuania).
Glühwein (Mulled Wine) – Germany
Photo Credit: Wishful Chef. Please click through to pin the original recipe.
This German mulled wine, glühwein (literally “glow wine”), is a combination of wine, brandy, citrus, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise. I love the look of the anise floating on top of the glass. It’s best served hot and with friends. I can only imagine how great this makes your house smell!
So, now we’ve traveled around the world of holiday punch! I think I may need to do a 12 days of holiday punch binge to get a chance to try each of these. What are your favorite holiday drink recipes?
If you haven’t tried mulled wine before I highly recommend it! We have it at our wine party and it’s delicious. As a side bonus it is guaranteed to warm you up!
I’ve had it before, but never tried making it myself. It’s definitely delicious! I think I’m going to have to make each of these this winter.
Well I’ve had Coquito before and absolutely loved it. The Chilean Cola de Mono sounds heavenly too! This is a great post. I love learning about different holiday traditions from around the world, and who doesn’t love a nice cocktail? Thanks for sharing! Pinning to my Christmas board for safekeeping.
Thanks Jen! I’m excited to try the cola de mono as well. I need to plan more holiday parties so we can have more punch!