Wine and Company

Tonight, at the house of some dear friends, I watched a horrible yet hilarious movie and discovered an amazing new wine. My palate is pretty picky when it comes to wine. My standards are simple: if it tastes likes piss, I don’t drink it. But tonight, I discovered a soulmate of the grape variety. And what’s more, there’s lots of it, for lots o’ cheap. This wonder of simultaneous tastebud and budget delight is called the Barefooot Riesling. It’s sweet, fruity, full-flavored and just refreshing. Never thought I’d say that about a white wine. Who knew? It’s sweet enough into fooling you into drinking a few glasses greedily, and grown-up enough to remind you after those glasses are emptied that its not Welches. Pick up a bottle and let me know what you think.

Grandmother’s Hot Wassail Recipe!

 

I suppose it’s about time I updated.

I’ll admit—the  music, colder weather (for TN) and abundance of Christmas cheer  DOES get me in the mood for the holidays, but the long lines to the shopping centers do not. I haven’t ventured out into the madness this year yet. Fortunately, my dad got our family Amazon Prime, so anything and everything I could want is mine with one click (and free overnight shipping!)
I highly recommend—it’s already pretty much paid for itself.
These last few weeks I’ve been finishing up final exams at le college, and consequently I haven’t gotten much of a chance to satisfy my followers’ Vanilla cravings. So, I thought I’d throw in some booze for a recipe to celebrate the end of semester and the advent of Yuletide!

This is my grandmother’s recipe for Hot Wassail—-pretty much the most badass Christmas drink ever. It’s part apple cider, part citrus beverage, and part home brew. On a cold day, nothing warms you up better when you have some of this goodness bubbling on your stove. Also, your home will smell amazing. Be sure to get yourself a big stew pot though, because this recipe will last you awhile.

Also, remember the rule:

One at Dinner
Two At Most
Three, and you’re under the table
Four, and you’ll be under the host.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY, folks!

Recipe

In the base of a 12 cup percolator put:

1 part cranberry juice

1 part orange juice
5 parts apple cider (unpasteurized)

In the percolator basket put:

6-8 whole cloves
2 tbsp. honey

1 cup brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 chopped lemon (with rind)

1/2-1 cup vodka (or rum)

Brew wassail as you normally would coffee. Serve hot with a slice of lemon or cinnamon stick.