Caribbean Holiday Drinks

Every Trinidadian I know says two things as a matter of course "you can't miss carnival" and "Christmas isn't the same if it isn't at 'home'" Interestingly "home" as it refers to Trinidad is something even we 1st and 2nd generation Trini-Amerians have taken up to refer to the island. It's become Home with a capital "h" as though it is the proper name for the place. In any case, in T&T (Trinidad & Tobago) Christmas is as big a deal as it is in European countries and the best part about it is the special foods cooked at this time.

In addition to Black Cake, Sorrel, a drink made with a native hibiscus flower is incredibly popular. It has a sweet-tart taste and a little warm spiciness from the cloves and ginger. Some folks like to spike it with rum or vodka and if you do that, it makes for a different sort of holiday punch at a party.

When I was a child, dried sorrel flowers were very hard to get, but now you can even get them in health food stores, though they are usuall ground up like a tea. They work just fine though. My brother gets them this way at his food coop in Brooklyn. Another good option is Tazo's Passion tea which, though it has other flavorings, is essentially an hibiscus tea.

Coconut Nog or Ponche Creme is another tropical holiday drink that is especially good if, like me, you don't like regular egg nog.


Sorrel
Serves 8


8 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 cup dried sorrel flowers
2 cups sugar

1. Place water, cinnamon and cloves and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sorrel and sugar and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
3. Strain and store in glass bottles in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can add water as necessary to make a lighter and less concentrated drink.

Ponche Creme
Serves 4


4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of cream of coconut
3/4 cup good quality dark rum like Myer’s
1 tsp Angostura Bitters
1/4 teaspoon mixed essence (available in Caribbean markets)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting
whipped cream for garnish if desired

1. Add eggs to a blender and mix on high for 20 seconds. Add condensed milk, cream of coconut and about 1/2 of the rum. Mix again for 10 seconds.
2. Add remaining rum, Angostura bitters, mixed essence, nutmeg, and cloves. Pulse in blender once more.
3. Refrigerate and serve cold, over ice cubes, dusted with cinnamon with a dollop of whip cream.