Be the life of your Christmas party and whip up these festive sips that pack an alcoholic punch
Christmas parties are never complete without drinks. This is why we’ve asked the island's top sommelier, restaurateur and chefs for their easy festive recipes that make for a merrier celebration. Daniel Chavez, the chef and co-owner of Canchita Peruvian Cuisine, shared his family’s classic hot chocolate recipe—which can be boozed up with a splash of Pisco, while Summer Hill chef-owner showed us how to make his Quatre Epice Eggnog, inspired by eggnog and the French spiced bread.
When the festive season comes, so does the mulled wine that appears on the menus of restaurants and bars. Shangri-La Hotel’s area head sommelier, Britt Ng, tweaked his version to make it more palatable to our hot and humid weather. And finally, Leopold gastrobar founder and director Klaus Leopold, who hails from Austria, gave us his mother’s recipe for a traditional Austrian Christmas punch. Prepare these yuletide sips and bring your loved ones some festive cheer.
Read more: Why Moët & Chandon’s Extraordinaire Pop-Up at Ion Orchard Will Put You in a Festive Mood
Peruvian Hot Chocolate
“Drinking hot chocolate during Christmas has been widely popular in Peru for many years,” shares Daniel Chavez, the chef and co-owner of Peruvian restaurant, Canchita Peruvian Cuisine. When he used to live in his native country more than 25 years ago, his grandmother’s hot chocolate recipe would be the sweet ending to the year-end festive family gatherings which also involved lighting firecrackers and eating panettone. “Peruvian hot chocolate is quite comforting,” adds Chavez, and here is his grandmother’s recipe which can be “boozed up” with a splash of Pisco.
Makes 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 250g chocolate (chopped)
- 2 cups milk,
- 1 can of evaporated milk
- 40g panela (gula melaka)
- 30ml Pisco (optional
METHOD
- In a heavy saucepan, boil the water with the cinnamon stick and cloves. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes before adding the Pisco (optional).
- Discard the spices and add the chopped chocolate; stir until it is melted.
- Add the milk, evaporated milk, panela (gula melaka) and orange zest.
- Pour into a cup and serve with grated chocolate.