Let’s not kid ourselves. The Holidays are all about food.. and DRINKS! From eggnog to Bailey’s to Mulled Wine, holiday drinks certainly add a lot to the coziness of the season. Here are some of our favorite — all made plant-based — that make bringing that holiday cheer just a little bit easier, especially if you don’t have time to make all these recipes from scratch!
Mulled Wine and Spiced Cider
In our house, Mulled Wine at Christmas time is simply the yummiest and coziest thing to have, bringing us right back to those adorable European Christmas markets. Nothing beats returning from a cold afternoon walk and warm our hands around the hot cup while sitting all snuggled-up by the fireplace. Making Mulled Wine and Hot Spiced Cider is pretty easy to do, but it is loads easier to use a mulling spice which can be bought in sachets, or you can simply buy a pound of the mixture and some reusable unbleached cotton sachets (or simply strain it before serving). Yummy!!!
Egg Nog
I admit, this was not something that I drank as a child growing up in the UK, but once I tried it, I fully understood what the fuss is all about! Since then, I bring it along to Christmas parties. There are lots of different brands making this delicious treat these days: So Delicious, Califa Farms and Silk. Nutpods has their own nog too! In the US, Trader Joes have their own brands of holiday nogs using almond as a base.
Holiday Creamers and Half-and-Halves
source: NutPods
Perhaps you just want to add a little holiday cheer into your morning coffee? Califia Farms has its delicious pumpikin spice creamer, as does Nutpods, which also has a cinnamon swirl creamer.
Vegan Cream Liquors
source: Bailey’s
There was a huge buzz when Bailey’s announced they were releasing an almond-based version of their delicious drink, but there are actually lots of others out there too. Bom Bom has a version called Nilli Vanilli, which is a gluten-free and dairy-free blend of premium Caribbean rum with almond milk, natural cookie, and other natural flavors, and caramel color. Besos De Oro, based in the UK, offer a liquor made from brandy and horchata, and they have two versions: original and chocolate. Do note that, at the time of writing, they’re (sadly?) only available in Europe.
Prosecco or Champagne
source: Champagne Legret & Fils
A lot of wine is vegan (some aren’t depending on the fining agent used), and while some vegans don’t worry too much about whether a wine is vegan or not, they usually don’t need to think too much about it when it comes down to bubblies! Sparkling wines tend to mostly be vegan. Moët & Chandon and Verve Cliquot are all (at the time of writing) vegan and you can find an abundance of sparkling wines at approved stockists. If you happen to be in France (lucky you!), we can highly recommend Champagne Legret & Fils, a 100% vegan Champagne (if you’re in the region, do visit their terroir here). You can pick it up in many French vegan stores, such as Mon Epicerie Paris.
BONUS! “Heidi Cocoa”
This isn’t a well-known drink, but this little secret of a treat is the yummiest thing around, and you’ll definitely want to integrate this drink into your holiday must-haves from now on! We came across this drink a couple of decades ago when we were traveling in Switzerland and staying at a little Swiss hotel owned by a rather interesting character, up high in the hillside village of Gimmewald. It’s basically hot chocolate with a splash of peppermint schnapps liquor. That’s it! You can make it next-level by adding some vegan marshmallows, some coconut whipped cream, and/or some froth plant-based milk. Delicious!
If you like it, PIN IT!
Let’s Discuss!
Now, we’d love to hear from you! Do you have any questions? Ideas? Do you agree? Do you have a favorite holiday drink and/or recipe you’d like to share with the community? We might include in a future article update!
Let’s have a discussion in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
