Christmas Cordial

This is a great tasting cordial that will help you digest those heavy holiday meals! Filled with seasonal fruits and spices, Christmas Cordial is perfect to serve at a winter gathering. It also makes a great holiday present.

I am all about quick and easy, but sometimes it is just worth it to put a little extra effort into your herbal holiday drinks. If you take the time and put a little bit of energy into this holiday beverage, you will have the best drink at any gathering because you can’t buy this stuff at the store.

Making Christmas Cordial

The big thing about this Christmas Cordial is that you need to get started making it now. The recipe comes from my book, The Herbal Kitchen. Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients inside…

• Pomegranate is a heart tonic that boosts blood vessel health and reduces plaque buildup. Full of festive color, it also provides antioxidants and iron. Here’s the best technique for getting the seeds out.
• Orange brings zesty flavor, vitamin C, and potassium. In this recipe, you also get the benefits of orange peels, which help with digestion, gas, and bloating while warding off colds and flu.
• Dates are well-known as a natural sweetener, but they also have many benefits. They are high in antioxidants and are a source of minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

• Cinnamon increases warmth and helps with digestion of fats and cold foods. This spice dissolves mucus and clears respiratory stagnation that can accompany a cold or eating dairy foods.
• Allspice is an excellent digestive aid. This warming and pungent spice assists with the breakdown of heavy foods, settles upset stomachs, and also fights off colds and flu.
• Ginger relieves nausea, dispels gas, eliminates mucus congestion, and reduces inflammation that causes aches and pains. What’s more, ginger moves the blood and warms you up.
• Nutmeg is a superb carminative that mediates the effects of rich holiday feasts, too many desserts, and overeating, especially when it comes to rich, dairy-filled foods.

How to Serve Cordial

Cordials are meant to be drunk in little sips. Cordial glasses are usually a half an ounce to an ounce. While larger amounts of alcohol are not good for you, a half an ounce of alcohol can really stimulate digestion and circulation.

I love cordial glasses. I have a lot of them, all different kinds, and think they’re so cute. You can find all manner of cordial glasses at thrift stores and antique stores.

Ready to make more festive and healthy herbal drinks? Get your free Herbal Holiday Drinks

Print Recipe

Christmas Cordial

Author: Kami McBride

Ingredients

• 2 cups pomegranate arils
• Finely chopped peel and fruit of 1 fresh orange
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
• 7 whole allspice berries
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg
• 3 cups brandy or to cover by 2 inches
• 1 cup honey

Instructions

• Fill a clean glass jar with the pomegranate arils, orange peel and fruit, dates, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Pour the brandy over the fruit and herbs.
• Put a lid on the jar, label the jar with the date and contents, store it in a dark place, and let the ingredients infuse for one month. Make sure your fruit and herbs stay covered with brandy.Occasionally check to see if you need to add more brandy, as some of it may have been soaked up by the plant material. Especially check your mixture the first few days after making it. The brandy should cover the ingredients by at least 2 inches.
• Place a funnel into the mouth of a clean, sterilized jar and lay muslin on top of the funnel.
• Carefully pour the alcohol through the muslin and funnel, letting the muslin catch the herbs and fruit, and being careful not to let them spill into the jar.
• Allow all the liquid to strain through the cloth into the jar. Do not squeeze the muslin, or you will end up with a cloudy extract. Just let the liquid drip through the cloth.
• Discard the herbs and fruit. Add it to your compost or just put it on the dirt in your garden.
• Add honey to the alcohol to sweeten the cordial.
• Plan on a shelf life of one year.

I would love to hear from you! Do you have any favorite recipes or herbal gifts to make for the holidays? Please share in the comments below!