After an autumn-winter walk, a warming drink with beer as the main ingredient is pure pleasure! In addition to recipes for traditional mulled lager and eggnog beer recommended for colds, this year it is also worth trying an aromatic hot stout, a festive apple ALE, and even an incredibly warming Thai-style light beer!
Pleasantly warming drinks
Mood-lifting mulled beer is - alongside mulled wine - the most popular drink for autumn-winter evenings. Easy to prepare from ingredients available at home, it not only improves thermal comfort after a long time in the cold, but also relaxes and puts you in a carefree mood. It is perfect for romantic evenings and meetings with friends, filling the room with a pleasant aroma. It is also worth trying other recipes for warming drinks and cocktails, which may be especially useful during holiday parties and celebrations.
How to make mulled beer? Just heat lager in a pot, adding honey, your favorite spices, or grandmother's raspberry syrup. It's a simple recipe known for generations, not requiring great culinary skills. With the widespread availability of various craft beers brewed in various styles, an interesting challenge might be to make mulled beer with a dark beer or one that combines with more aromatic ingredients. Chocolate, cider-like, Thai-style, or in the form of an aromatic cocktail will surely surprise almost everyone!
Traditional mulled beer
When preparing your first mulled beer, it's best to start with a classic. Mastering the following recipe to perfection will make it easier to learn how to get the most flavor from subsequent proposals.
It is worth remembering that alcohol should not be boiled, as it evaporates quickly. Whole spices can be added to the pot immediately, so their essential oils will combine more intensely with the beer. Honey, any juices or fruits are added only when the temperature of the mulled drink drops. This way, they will not lose their properties.
To prepare TRADITIONAL MULLED BEER, you will need:
- 0.5 liter of lager beer;
- 5-6 cloves;
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 1 heaped teaspoon of honey.
Put cinnamon, cloves into a pot and pour in the beer. Heat for a long time over low heat, without bringing to a boil. Remove the cloves. Pour into heat-resistant glasses, which may also contain the cinnamon stick. Add honey and mix before serving.
Mulled beer with egg
Known in Poland for hundreds of years, mulled beer with egg is often recommended to prevent colds. In the past, it was treated almost as a separate dish, as kogel-mogel was mixed with cottage cheese, and croutons were served as an addition to the drink.
The following recipe for mulled beer with egg is not as filling as its Renaissance counterpart. However, it will certainly warm even the biggest cold person after a winter walk.
To prepare MULLED BEER WITH EGG, you will need:
- 0.5 liter of lager beer;
- 2 egg yolks;
- 6-8 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 5-6 cloves;
- A pinch of ginger;
- A pinch of nutmeg.
Put cloves and cinnamon into a pot and pour in the beer. Rub the egg yolks thoroughly with sugar, a pinch of ginger, and nutmeg into a smooth, fluffy mass. Slowly pour the kogel-mogel into the beer, mix, and begin heating. Stir occasionally and heat the liquid without bringing it to a boil. Pour into heat-resistant glass.
Warming chocolate stout
A sweet warm-up during the holiday season is not only traditional mulled beer with honey, but also, for example, a double chocolate stout! Those who love the taste of cocoa will be delighted with the following recipe, which is based on a dark variety of liquor rarely found in mulled drinks.
To prepare HOT CHOCOLATE STOUT, you will need:
- 0.33 liter of chocolate stout;
- 1 cup of 30% cream at room temperature;
- 100 ml of milk at room temperature;
- ½ dark chocolate, min. 70%, chopped into small pieces;
- Whipped cream for decoration;
- Cinnamon stick for decoration;
- Brown sugar according to preference.
In a pot over low heat, constantly stirring and being careful not to burn it, melt the crushed chocolate in cream and milk. Remove from heat and pour the chocolate stout into the chocolate liquid. At this point, you can also add sugar. Put the pot back on the burner and heat, without bringing to a boil. Pour into a heat-resistant glass. Top with whipped cream and stick a cinnamon stick into it.
Aromatic apple in beer
Cider lovers will surely fall in love with the recipe for warming apples in beer! This time, the base will be the ALE type drink loved by the British. When choosing the right bottle, it is worth noting that it should be an English variety with the designation "mild" - less bitter than others.
To prepare WARMING APPLE IN BEER, you will need:
- 0.5 liter of ALE beer;
- 2 medium-sized sweet apples;
- 4 tablespoons of brown sugar;
- ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg;
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon;
- ½ teaspoon of dried ginger;
- A slice of apple with skin for decoration.
Peel the apples, remove the core, and cut into small pieces. Pour a little water into a hot pan, add the chopped fruit, sprinkle with sugar, and simmer until apple sauce is formed. Finally, mix it with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. At the same time, heat the beer in a separate pot, without bringing it to a boil. When it reaches the appropriate temperature, mix it with the hot apple sauce. Pour into a heat-resistant glass, sticking a slice of apple into its edge for decoration.
Hot Dog's Nose
Dog's Nose is a cocktail that all fans of Charles Dickens' work will surely associate with "The Pickwick Papers". It supposedly appeared in the Victorian era and even then evoked ambivalent feelings in the English. This warming drink, based on stout, smells fantastic and surprises with its full of surprises taste!
To prepare MULLED DOG'S NOSE COCKTAIL, you will need:
- 0.2 liter of stout beer;
- 2 shots of gin;
- 2 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- 2 pinches of grated nutmeg.
Mix all ingredients in a small pot and heat, without bringing to a boil. Serve the cocktail hot in heat-resistant glass.
Mulled beer in Thai style
After a long time in the cold, it is worth opting for mulled beer for a cold! Thai-style mulled wine will be perfect for this purpose - its recipe is full of Asian flavors that are refreshing, warming, and stimulating in themselves! This surprising drink will impress anyone looking for culinary inspirations from distant parts of the world.
To prepare THAI-STYLE MULLED WINE, you will need:
- 0.5 liter of lager beer;
- 4 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- 3 Kaffir lime leaves;
- 6 dried or possibly fresh mint leaves;
- 3 cm piece of ginger;
- A few coriander seeds;
- A piece of fresh lemongrass;
- 1 cm piece of deseeded chili;
- A sprig of lemongrass for decoration.
Peel the ginger and slice it. Gently crush the coriander seeds. Remove unnecessary threads from the piece of lemongrass. Leave the chili in one piece, removing all seeds and white parts inside. Put all the above ingredients, as well as mint leaves, lime, brown sugar, and beer into a pot. Bring to a boil. When the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and heat, without boiling, for 2-3 minutes. Pour the mulled wine through a sieve into a heat-resistant glass so that no solid elements are present. Before serving, put a sprig of fresh lemongrass for decoration.