Hungarians’ favourite winter drinks – recipe VIDEOS

Photo credit: Pintér Árpád, Pixeltaster

The weather does not really want to go above 0 degrees Celsius, and we desperately need something to warm us up. It does not matter if you are enjoying a cosy night-in with your partner or having a look around at one of Budapest’s famous Christmas markets, these drinks will warm your soul.

Mulled wine

There’s no Christmas fair without a hot cup of mulled wine that we love to warm our ice-cold hands with. The good news is, you don’t have to go to the Christmas fair if you are thirsty for this spicy delicacy. The variations are endless. Chances are that you’ll find more made from red wine than white wine. Luckily, Hungary is not short of premium quality wines, and we believe that a good cup of mulled wine requires a quality bottle to begin with. Here’s a simple recipe to follow.

Advent punch

If you do not drink alcohol, an excellent alternative for mulled wine is the advent punch. You’ll find this in all of its variations at every Christmas fair in the country. This is a very simple recipe with only a few ingredients, and you drink it either hot or cold. All you need is 125 ml pineapple juice, 250 ml orange juice, 250 ml cranberry juice, 125 ml ginger ale. You can use anis and orange slices for decoration.

Hot chocolate or hot cocoa

When I was little, we used to start every Saturday with a cup of hot cocoa during winter. It is the easiest and cheapest hot drink that turns a boring weekend-in into a cosy snuggle fest. You just mix milk and (sugared) cocoa powder together and heat up in the microwave or on the stove (if you’re fancy).

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Making hot chocolate is a little more complicated, so you need to step up your game. You are going to need more than two ingredients, but the consistency of your drink will be perfect. It is very similar to hot cocoa but very different at the same time.

Pálinka

Is there a time of year that does not agree with palinka? NO. The strong shot can warm you instantly, when you are shivering at a Christmas market, looking for the last perfect Christmas gift. Christmas market caterers also came up with the brilliant idea of putting palinka into the advent punch, so you can have it as a long drink if you’re not a fan of the shot.