Drink in the Holidays with these Seasonal Beverages
The holidays are a time for once-a-year traditions, whether it’s the giving of gifts or mixing of drinks. Regarding the latter, we tend to like our holiday beverages tasty, whether nogged, mulled or marshmallowed, and presented with distinctive holiday flair. Here’s a few spots in Long Beach offering some of the most unique takes on holiday drinks.
FICKLEWOOD CIDERWORKS
Long Beach’s foremost cidery will be offering a full lineup of unique takes and mixes. Ficklewood Ciderworks (720 E. Broadway) will begin with its hot-spiced cider with a “chilly toddy” mix of lemon, ginger, cinnamon and warming spices. The “Pom Pomme” comes with pomegranate juice, ginger beer, and solstice cider with flavors of lemongrass and rosemary. The “Moody Manhattan” begins with Moody Root cider and adds flavors of beet and date sugar, blood orange, and pistachio.
ROMEO CHOCOLATES
Hot Cocoa Spheres
Long Beach’s renowned chocolatier is offering a delicious sphere of ethically-sourced chocolate in a shell filled with cocoa powder, marshmallow and gingerbread spice. Romeo Chocolates (4150 McGowen St.) sphere can be had in a decadent dark chocolate, milk chocolate or Belgian dark chocolate. Once you have it home, simply put the sphere in a mug, warm up some milk and pour it over and watch as all the goodies and goodness inside the sphere is revealed; a delicious gift opening itself for you.
THE ORDINARIE
This popular downtown tavern doesn't just add a new drink or two during the holiday, no, for the fourth year, The Ordinarie (210 The Promenade N.) will present “Miracle,” a total remake of its entire restaurant decor and drink menu to coincide with the holidays. It’s a bright, spectacular and slightly kitschy celebration with decorations matched by more than a dozen drinks, including the likes of the Christmapolitan (a cosmo with, among other things, spiced cranberry sauce), Snowball Old Fashioned (an old fashioned poured over an actual snowball), and Grandma Got Run Over by A T-Rex (a vodka, citrus blend served in a Santa Hatted T-Rex mug).
DISTRICT WINE
MULLED WINE
Given its relaxed, homey interior – it has the feel of a collection of cozy dens – District Wine (144 Linden Ave.) is a great place to get together with friends and/or family for the holidays. And for the holidays, District Wine will be making its own version of this Christmas staple, combining red wine with cinnamon, apple cider, cloves and orange, served warm. A delicious, comforting beverage, you might think of pairing it with District’s sweet and savory bar nuts, made with a blend of herbs, spices and dark chocolate.
LONG BEACH CREAMERY
Eggnog is the drink most associated with the holidays and, as you’d expect, it can be found at numerous local eateries and bars. You might try this frozen version from one of Long Beach’s most creative and popular ice creameries. Long Beach Creamery (222 Broadway, 4141 Long Beach Blvd.) creates it using eggnog from the acclaimed Broguiere’s Farm Fresh Dairy, with a jigger of cognac as well as cinnamon and nutmeg added, this is not only delicious, but the whipping process, actually lightens the nog, so you have a flavorful and light treat.