Cooking World

November is the time when struggle against seasonal depressions and colds pushes people to all extreme measures. The hot and spicy drinks containing alcohol is simultaneously both a cause and a purpose mixed in one glass.

One of the most popular hot alcoholic drinks is mulled wine. In its basis - red wine (less often - white), sweetened, mixed with spices and fruits. The history of mulled wine began in Ancient Greece - there the wine was mixed with honey, bay leaf, carnation, spicy herbs and warmed up - the drink for cold and rainy days was ready. For a long time in the different European countries drinks which were originated from those warmed up wine have both features of similarity, and their national features - different sets of spices, strong alcohol, etc.

One more winter drink is punch. Its native land is India, “punch” from Hindi means “five”.
In a classical variant it is a number of components, which should be mixed in a drink: rum or vodka, sugar, lemon juice, spices and water. To Europe the recipe has been brought by British seamen, and, certainly, it began to change, acquiring new details. This way has appeared egg, coffee and tea punches, apple, cherry, etc.
There is also the Russian variant of this drink, which is featured by its ability to be ignited and is famous owing to hussars’ traditions. By the way, any punch is traditionally made in big portions.