Entertaining with slowcooker holiday libations

If you follow our blog, you know that Jeff and I are both big slowcooker fans.

When we hosted a full Christmas dinner at our house last year for a bunch of friends, I went looking for hot winter drinks that I could prepare ahead of time and keep warm in our two slowcookers so that friends could help themselves to a hot cozy cocktail anytime they wanted. I lucked out to find two fabulous easy recipes from the same blog, A Year of Slowcooking.

Both drinks were a hit with our guests, however the hot buttered rum was the hands down favorite.  Jeff and I took another big batch of hot buttered rum to my extended family’s annual tamale party a week later,  which was again a huge hit with the adults.

Slowcooker Mulled Wine

Source: A Year of Slowcooking

Servings: 6 to 8 (we doubled the recipe for our party)

Ingredients

• 2 bottles dry red wine (we used a merlot)
• 1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)
• 2 more oranges (one to float on top, and one for garnish wedges)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves

Instructions

1. Pour wine and orange juice into slowcooker.
2. Stir in the sugar, and add the ground spices. Float the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves on top. Slice one of the oranges in rings, and float the rings on top.
3. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4. You want the wine to get as hot as a traditional hot beverage.
4. Ladle into mugs, and serve with a fresh orange wedge.
5. When serving, leave the lid off and the slowcooker on a low setting.

Slowcooker Hot Buttered Rum

Source: A Year of Slowcooking

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 4 cups warm water
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 pinch salt (even if your butter is salted, go ahead and add it)
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• shot or 2 of rum
• splash of

Instructions

• Use a 2-4 quart slowcooker.
• Add water, brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg to the crockpot.
• Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or until the butter has melted and the mixture is quite hot.
• Ladle into a mug with a shot or 2 of rum, and add a splash of eggnog.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon if you’d like.