Christmas Tipple

Ooh, there are some lovely ideas in this thread!

When we were little we used to get black beer and lemonade it was called a Sheffield . It tasted like a green row trees fruit gum .
When I was old enough I used to like babycham and pink lady
Now it's homemade chocolate Bailey ,s or rose wine

Swanny, there is a demijohn of elderberry wine in our garage which we brought with us when we moved five years ago. I can't remember how long we had it before we moved or why we didn't bottle it. We stopped making wine long ago. I can't pluck up the courage to try it, but I can't bring myself to pour it down the sink either! Perhaps I should advertise for a guinea pig!

I have always enjoyed a drink but my husband can't drink alcohol due to medication and it doesn't seem the same having alcohol on your own and him having a fizzy drink. I did have red wine when out with friends but after 2 months without any alcohol I dont know if I want to start again. Daft when we have loads of different booze in the house. Hopefully my taste for it will come back. ;)

Mulled wine, home made, at least on Christmas Eve with Carols from Kings.

And Buck's Fizz, lots of it, with proper squeezed orange juice, on Christmas morning. Well, I say morning, but most likely on and off from about 11 until dinner at about 5.

Don't like Baileys - too creamy for me. Dh is a fan, though.

Bucks fizz with Christmas day breakfast, wine with lunch, port and brandy after lunch, cocktails or whatever anyone wants in the evening at the extended family gathering. Pawn star martini with prosecco shot on the side - perfect! Oh, Bailey's in hot chocolate - delicious. My mum bless her, always bought advoccat and Emva cream sherry at Christmas! I sound like a hardened drinker but any 2 of the above would knock me out!

I do love a Buck's Fizz on Christmas morning, with smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches - yummy. Having spent my formative years in Bristol, a drop of cream sherry has to be included in the celebrations as well!

I was given a bottle of sloe gin years ago and loved it, so thanks carolmary for reminding me of it.

When I was under 10 (when we moved from that house) my mother used to make elderberry wine and it was left to mature in old stone water-bottles. I can remember being given some mixed with hot water when I had a bad cold

Just tried chocolate Baileys, thought I'd died and gone to heaven!! Normally hate Baileys,but this is the dog's proverbials. Bubbles will always rock myboat.

Oh well, sounds as though Gordon's sloe gin is a good second choice greyduster. I'm always stuck for Christmas ideas to give my DDs so that could be a very welcome present. Thanks for letting me know.

I have had Gordon's sloe gin, shandi. It was good, but I think the added dimension of having made it oneself enhances it somehow! Someone gave me a bottle once that was obviously the result of a "second pressing". A very pale colour and more gin than sloe! I drank it though!

Christmas day we usually have a full English breakfast as "brunch" with Lindauer which is a methode champenoise made here in NZ. Sounds posh but it is usually very cheap (about $10 a bottle) even though it wins international prizes. After that we're a bit careful as we have a big dinner in the evening, though there will be plenty of Aussie red wine and NZ white on hand.

pensionpat

Sloe gin is one of the many tipples that I enjoy too. Used to make it every year and give bottles for Christmas presents.

Yummy, yummy

Yumm, greyduster, I'd forgotten about sloe gin. I made some about three years ago and since then our nearby fields have been populated by horses and I can't get at the blackthorn bushes to pick any .

I see you can buy it now, has anyone tried the shop bought variety?

You have just reminded me that I have a bottle of sloe gin tucked away somewhere - we made two bottles and I know we only drank one! We haven't made any this year - it's been a bad year for sloes in this neck of the woods. I think they must go in cycles (in the sloe lane? ).

Damson brandy sounds pretty good but I'm surprised no-one has mentioned sloe gin. We always make some every autumn, keep it for a year and open it at Christmas. Sloes also work well in vodka. Reminds one of those lovely Autumn days. (If you can't get sloes in your area I believe you can buy it ready made. Don't know what it's like.) I remember one Christmas when my husband had the flu and spent Christmas day in bed, my mother and I got very tipsy on white ladies, which if I remember rightly was a lethal mix of gin, lemon juice and Cointreau or some such horrible mixture! Never again!It has to be tea with Christmas cake though, the idea of Bristol Cream with it, which I know some people enjoy, makes me feel quite ill.

Love your style pensionpat.

Can't stand Baileys, just a glass of our homemade damson brandy after the turkey, yum!

No alchol for breakfast ( steady on absent)
We always have coffee and a croissant, something light and easy , as there is so much to do before lunchtime.
After lunchtime.....anything goes ( usually down the throat.)

You all sound so grown up and sophisticated, I don't drink alcohol it just gives me headaches, even a sip of sherry taken as a toast made me ill.

Hot chocolate is my tipple........mmmmmmmmmm

My friend recently introduced me to her favourite tipple - which is now mine too. Equal quantities of Kahlúa and Bailey's, poured over ice and stirred gently. It's gorgeous - and definitely one to be drunk in moderation ..

Thanks for that, will give it a go tomorrow night. Will try not to frink to many or you might well get a few stupid postings on gransnet from me!

Barmyoldbat if you google Porn star Martini you will find plenty of variations and it has a lot of ingredients far too many to try and duplicate at home. Basically it is vodka, passion fruit. vanilla syrup and lime juice. The one thing that sets it apart and is in all the recipes is that it is served with a shot of either Champagne or Prossecco, quite decadent. It really is delicious.

I'm teetotal at the moment - was advised last year to quit alcohol - not easy when you enjoy G & T or V & T, also love beer & cider.

I have to avoid drinking Christmas Eve as I drive to DDs on Christmas Morning & that's a "dry" day as DD won't have alcohol in house (she enjoys drinking when she goes out) & I have to drive home, so it'll be sparkling Non Alcoholic Wine with Lunch

May treat myself to a Baileys on Christmas Night, my favourite for Christmas used to be Mandarin Napolean with ice, don't seem to see it now also loved Cherry Brandy (not Cherry B). May also treat my self to a decent whiskey so I can indulge in my favourite Irish Coffee - I'll wait & see