| HOLIDAY TIPS |
Hot Buttered Rum
For the batter : 1 cup Brown sugar 1 stick Butter ( softened ) 2 tsps . Chinese Five Spice ½ tsp . Cinnamon 1 tsp . Vanilla
In a mixing bowl , beat softened butter , brown sugar , spices and vanilla until they resemble cookie dough batter . To store , keep covered in the refrigerator . Let sit out to get to room temperature before using .
For each drink : 1 ½ oz . Dark aged rum 2 heaping tbsps . of Butter batter Hot water
In a tempered mug , add butter batter , rum and hot water and stir . Garnish with a cinnamon stick .
Hot Buttered Rum reminds me of making holiday cookies , since there are similar spices added to butter and brown sugar . Being the youngest child in the family , I was lucky enough to get to eat what was left over on the paddles of the mixing bowl . My version of Hot Buttered Rum uses Chinese Five Spice instead of the traditional cinnamon , cloves and nutmeg . Chinese Five Spice is a blend of cinnamon , cloves , fennel , star anise and Szechuan peppercorns . That gives the batter an extra layer of holiday flavor — especially with the additional cinnamon .
Debbi Peek is the founder of the Tampa , FL-based consultancy Drink Development by Debbi Peek .
Holiday in Houston Sangria
Brew 6 oz . of hibiscus tea and chill . Once chilled , add tea to a large pitcher .
Next , add : 6 oz . Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato or Lillet Rose 1 oz . Fresh grapefruit juice 1 oz . Fresh lemon juice 1 oz . Simple syrup 8 oz . Dry rosé wine Strawberries , raspberries , grapefruit wheels and orange wheels
Fill pitcher with ice . Top with club soda .
Christmas Eve is “ family Christmas ,” and I like to batch something that we can sip on while we are cooking . The holidays in Houston usually aren ’ t very cold , so this sangria is light and fruity . The best part is , if you have leftovers ( you probably won ’ t ), it tastes even better the next day . Our Christmas morning tradition is a little less complicated — nice Champagne and tamales .
Rebecca Dowda is the director of beverage innovation at Houston , TX-based beverage marketing agency Patrick Henry Creative Promotions .
CHEERS @ HOME • WINTER 2020 | 7