As the holiday season approaches, you may be looking for the perfect oak-infused beverage to celebrate the season. If you enjoy an oak-infused wine as much as we do, try out this delicious recipe for a Charles Dickens-inspired holiday season.
There are plenty of cocktails going around this time of year begging you to budget for gallons of eggnog or seasonal items. The beauty of this cocktail is that it uses ingredients you probably already have or are likely to grab any time at the grocery store.
The Smoking Bishop Oak-Infused Wine
The Smoking Bishop can be enjoyed multiple times a year, which is excellent because you may be adding this drink to your list of favorites shortly after your first sip!
If you remember the Charles Dickens tale “A Christmas Carol’, you may remember that Ebenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit share this lovely concoction in the book. Perhaps it was a favorite of Dickens but we find little to no mention of where this delightful drink was first introduced.
Regardless of its origins, this drink pairs well with several Christmas entrees and sweets. The dark, oak-filled flavor captivates the taste buds and will give your guests a sense of awe. This mulled wine recipe will surely be the talk of your friends, with an oak-infused port set to dazzle them. The combination of oak-infused mulled wine and oak-infused port makes this one of our favorite Christmas drink recipes.
Ingredients and Instructions
To make a Smoking Bishop, you’ll need:
- 5 medium oranges
- 1 medium grapefruit
- 36 whole cloves
- 1 bottle of port wine
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 bottle of oak infused mulled wine
Once you have the ingredients, you’ll need to heat the oranges and grapefruit using your oven or stovetop. Wait until the fruits are slightly browned, and then remove them to cool.
In a separate pan or Dutch oven, use low heat to dissolve the sugar into a mixture of mulled wine, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. When the sugar is dissolved, we recommend adding the fruit and letting it sit overnight so the flavors can get to know each other.
The next day, juice the fruits from the night before into the mixture and strain the liquid of the leftover solids into a receptacle. You should have a deep red mixture that smells amazing and tastes like a reduction. You can add the port to the mix and chill it in the fridge or even serve it hot to your guests.
Making the Holidays Special
We hope this recipe finds you well at the end of the year. With this drink, we hope you can warm yourself from winter’s chill and make your friends marvel at what a master cocktail artist you are.
If you’d like to learn more about Infusion Spiral, see how it can impart unique and beautiful flavors and aromas to fine wine and spirits. Learn more about us or shop our products.