There are so many choices when it comes to the perfect festive drink.
No doubt, 90% of them involve cinnamon in some shape or form, be it Cinnamon Powder, Cinnamon Sticks or Cinnamon Syrup... Cinnamon and Christmas Drinks are destined to be forever intertwined.
Apparently the link between Cinnamon and Christmas is thought to date back as far as medieval times when it was used for food preservation. Because it was the festive period, there was far more food being prepared, which meant more chance of getting a good whiff of Cinnamon.
Then of course, you also have the other Christmas smells...Cloves, Nutmeg and Ginger. Catch a sniff of any of these spices and you know that the festive season has arrived!
The standard Vanbliss Menu contains flavourings like Vanilla, Caramel and Hazelnut. But, As soon as the nights begin to draw in and the temperature drops, we all know it's time to make some seasonal additions.
Between mid November and early January, if you happen to get the chance to visit Vanbliss. You will have the opportunity to try things like Gingerbread Hot Chocolates,Christmas Cake Cappuccinos,Cinnamon Lattes and Peppermint Espressos. 馃構
Christmas is without doubt, the best time of year to experiment with coffee flavouring, and a Christmas coffee is guaranteed to brighten an otherwise cold and gloomy day.
So... which of the above is my favourite Christmas drink?
None of them 馃憥馃槃馃憥
My favourite Christmas drink isn't my favourite because of its flavour, or because of its links to Christmas. It's not even my favourite because it stops me freezing during a cold British winter,
Actually, my favourite Christmas Coffee has earned the 'Top Spot' simply because.. There is no other time in the year that anyone would even consider drinking it, let alone drinking it at every opportunity!
Have you guessed?
The Christmas Coffee that I have awarded first place in my Christmas Drinks List is....
The Baileys Mocha!!!
Without divulging the recipe (Because I dont want to break the rules of this competition 馃槈)
The combination of Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Spray Cream, Baileys and Marshmallows is just divine!
For those of you that are unfamiliar with what Baileys is... It's an alcoholic Irish cream liqueur which manages to pack an impressive 164 calories into a single measure.
So once you have added the other ingredients (Still not a recipe 馃槈) you have pretty much made yourself an alcoholic meal.
Baileys Hot Mochas are particularly impressive because they are an 'anytime drink'. If you meet up with a friend for a cold winter walk at 10am, you may get some strange or even concerned looks if you take the Brandy with you.. But take a Baileys Hot Mocha and not only will it be met with approval, you will likely have others asking you where you got it so that they can get one of their own.
After a Meal... Baileys Mocha
Netflix & Chill... Baileys Mocha
Business Lunch... Baileys Mocha
Just Before Bed... Baileys Mocha (ok, maybe not just before bed, but you see my point)
The versatile, anytime of the day Christmas Drink!
Feel free to drink as many of them as you want (if you are not driving) without care or worry.
And then when you make your New Years Resolution to lose weight and be more healthy.. You can vow to never drink another Baileys Mocha ever again. Then,11 months later you can begin the whole festive process again. 馃槉
A Side Note
These challenges get more and more interesting. I find myself switching constantly between writing and researching.
Well, not exactly researching per se. More like Googling immediate answers to random questions that have decided to niggle away at me.
For example.. Before sitting down to tell you about my Favourite Christmas Drink, I had never before considered when it was that Hot Chocolate was first introduced to the English consumers.
(1657 if anyone is interested 馃槃)
I was extremely surprised to learn that Hot Chocolate was introduced to England before Tea though. And, that it was frowned upon, along with all hot drinks by the medical professionals, as it was believed to 'boil ones blood'.. A very nasty affair indeed.
And so, there is something for all of us.. You now know what my favourite Christmas Drink is, and I have learned a few facts about Hot Chocolate that I will absolutely never need.
Merry Christmas 馃巺鈽曪笍
