Christmas festivities really hit Birmingham with the introduction of the city’s Frankfurt Market which started in mid-November. For most Brummies this means it’s time to start supping gluhwein whilst stood in the cold, trying not to get their drink knocked down them by the masses of other drinkers.
GLUWEIN
Said to originate from Rome in the second century, their conquering legions brought mulled wine up as far as the Scottish boarders, although the German gluhwein has kind of conquered Birmingham. Both of them are pretty similar in execution; wine, sugar and spices. And those spices are all the ones which smell like Christmas; cinnamon, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and citrus. Making your own mulled wine is pretty simple, most supermarkets sell a pre-prepared bottles to heat up, sachets to add to your own wine or the spices to knock up your own recipe. Of course easier still is to let someone else make it for you – whether that’s at the Christmas Market or one of the many pubs in the city.
HOT BUTTERED RUM
But a spiced winter warmer isn’t just all about mulled wine. A drink originating from colonial America should give it a run for it’s money this winter and involves spiced rum, something sweet (brown sugar, honey or maple syrup), hot water, a cinnamon stick…and butter. Yep, Hot Buttered Rum is totally a thing and unlike mulled wine, which can be a bit sickly sweet, this is a big old hug in a mug sort of drink. The spiced rum and sliver of butter makes it a pretty perfect drink right into the New Year. If you want to make your own, there are plenty of recipes online, but rumour has it that Island Bar on Suffolk St has been brewing up a special recipe using their own spiced rum mix and might even be sharing it with their Bitters n Twisted sister venues.
THE HOT TODDY
And it wouldn’t be fair to talk warming winter drinks without mentioning everyone’s favourite medicinal one, the Hot Toddy. Claimed to have been prescribed by physicians back in the 1800s and referenced by Dickens, it’s one of those drinks that may or may not have medicinal qualities but will almost certainly make you feel better. It’s a pretty simple drink made with hot water, honey, lemon and a healthy glug of a spirit (my favourite is whisky, but rum or brandy are good too). If warm drinks aren’t your thing then ask for the equally medicinal-sounding Penicillin cocktail which contains much the same ingredients as a Hot Toddy but is cooler with added ginger – the Church on Great Hampton St in the Jewellery Quarter does a great version.
EGGNOG
If winter warmers aren’t your thing and you prefer something a bit creamier then maybe it’s time to delve into the drinks cupboard and pull out that bottle of advocaat that’s been gathering dust. This rich, brandy drink that looks like custard only ever seems to make an appearance in winter and its easy to see why – mix it with some lemonade and lime juice and you have the kitschy as hell Snowball cocktail. Similar still is Eggnog, a drink which has its origins from the early medieval British drink posset and is made up of milk, cream, eggs, sugar and a spirit, but these days seems to be more commonly found as a flavoured syrup for coffee.
But don’t be put off it all this seems like a bit too much to handle and you just want a nice beer. The Birmingham-based Two Towers Brewery will be re-releasing their Sleighed beer, a dark porter style beer with hints of spices, particularly cinnamon.
If all this is still too much festivity to handle, then just order a cranberry juice…but where’s the festive spirit in that?!
Words by Laura at Full to the Brum
Image by Jack Adams
