SEASONS CHEERS
Sure, sure, eggnog is nice, and if you have to drink it, get the one from Northville's own Guernsey Farms, which tops the list for creamiest, thickest and eggiest all at once. Add sufficient rum — enough to thin it to a drinkable texture — and you're set for a caloriffic night.
But why not try something a little bit different on this particular New Year's Eve of note?
Here are a few unusual — and tasty — drink recipes that are best served after a long day of frenzied fun and millennial merrymaking.
Hot Cranberry Punch (nonalcoholic)
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups apple juice
1 cup pear juice
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 lemon, sliced thin
Bring all ingredients to a boil, and then simmer while it's waiting to be served. Garnish each serving with apple or orange slices.
Slovak Hot Brandy
This traditional Slovak recipe depends on your personal taste to determine the correct quantities.
Take some honey, and warm it in a saucepan. Add some butter, and let it melt. Then add brandy. Serve hot.
Glögg
This is a traditional Scandinavian drink, served at the holidays or after a long day outdoors in the snow.
1-1/2 cups red wine
1-1/2 cups ruby port
1 cup vodka
6 pods green cardamom
5 whole cloves
1 large orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
Warm the ingredients in a saucepan, but make sure not to boil them. Let steep for 20 minutes, and serve in mugs garnished with raisins or blanched almonds.
Poinsettia
A quick and easy cocktail:
1/4 oz. Triple Sec
splash of cranberry juice
champagne
Add all ingredients to a champagne glass and garnish with a twist of lime.
Hot Cinnamon Apple
1-1/2 oz. cinnamon schnapps
hot apple cider
Serve in a mug topped with whipped cream, nutmeg sprinkles and a cherry. Add a cinnamon stick to stir it with.
Snow Bunny
1-1/2 oz. Triple Sec
hot chocolate
Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick.
Le Celebration
Touted as the Drink of the Millennium:
Put a dash of Chambord liqueur at the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne and enjoy.
TREATS
If you're serving alcohol at a party, make sure to provide enough food, offer nonalcoholic alternatives and don't serve guests more than one drink at a time — those are just some of the responsible-host tips you'll find at www.gettips.com, the Web site of the Training for Intervention Procedures program, which promotes the responsible use of alcohol. ... Start the millennium with a jazz concert and dinner at the Harlequin Café (8047 Agnes, Detroit, 313-331-0922). The Spencer Barefield Quartet, featuring Marcus Belgrave, will perform to the tastes of a dinner prepared by master chef Sherman Sharp. Tickets are $40, call for reservations. ... Did you know that when eating out, 57 percent of Americans sometimes, often or always order a vegetarian entrée? So says the Vegetarian Resource Group, which conducted a nationwide poll about eating habits. The nonprofit organization also offers some great veggie recipes — visit their Web site at www.vrg.org to check them out.
