From winter ales to whisky, CBC hosts reveal their favourite holiday drinks
Because something's got to wash down that overcooked turkey
Oh, the holidays! That gut-busting time of year when indulgence runs rampant.
Dad's chili, grandma's Christmas shortbread, those creamy mountains of mashed potatoes — there's just so much nibbling and noshing to do.
And while lots of folks look forward to gobbling up some seasonal goodies, others like to get their hands around a special drink over the holidays. We asked some CBCers to fill us in on their favourites.
Doug Dirks
"I LOVE eggnog – it's weird, but wonderful. And none of this fat-free, calorie-reduced stuff either! I am not a connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but if I see it in the dairy section of the grocery store, or someone is serving it at a party, I will dive right in. I'm not opposed to a little bit of rum in there either, but I'm just as happy to swill it straight up."
Shannon Scott
CBC Calgary News at 11
"In university my girlfriends and I would drink something we called 'hot vanilla drinks.' It's basically hot milk with sugar and vanilla with a lot of cinnamon sprinkled on top. We used vanilla extract because we were broke students, and whatever milk we had in the house. I liked to drink it while watching White Christmas, and I plan to have some while I watch it this year. For me, the drink is warm and soothing, like a hug."
(And you know what might go well with Shannon's drink? Some of her amazing chocolate zucchini muffins.)
Rob Brown
CBC Calgary News at 6
"I love craft beer. I especially love it at this time of year 'cause I'm a fan of the dark stuff. I also like the unexpected. So the seasonal 'winter ales' always surprise. Craft brewers are constantly experimenting with new and unusual ingredients. A winter ale can be earthy, it can be sweet — however it's put together, it's always welcome going down. And it's worth savouring because you know that ale won't be on offer for long. Nothing better at the end of the day after carving the slopes with my little boys. That's an ale earned."
Russell Bowers
"My favourite seasonal drink is the same one we left out for Santa when we were kids growing up in Newfoundland — a glass of Purity syrup. It's fairly basic: you take a 12 oz. glass, pour in about an inch of the syrup and add cold water. From what I gather, Santa's favourite flavour is strawberry, which is also mine — but I quite like raspberry, too. It just makes you feel like Christmas is on the go."
David Gray
"I drink whisky, whether it has an 'e' in it or not. Alberta rye is just fine by me, though this time of year, there's nothing like a fine Scotch whisky, a roaring fire, the boys from the band and my Scottish uncles. The evening will eventually lead to long songs and bad quotations. And no, I don't add water. The good people of Scotland spent a dozen years getting the water out of the beverage. I'm not going to put it back in."