Xmas Booze

Around the season our thoughts turn lightly to the joy of booze. A warming, tasty drink on a dark, cold night. My Xmas favourites are....red wine, port, sherry (has to be Manzanilla the lethally dry one). And all those untrendy drinks like Madeira (really nice) Ginger Wine (yummy and spicy) Pudding Wines (WHY do people drink normal wine with puddings...mostly it's disgusting....) Tokay (very odd almost hallucinogenically weird wine made in Hungary from aged and mouldered grapes, try it). My friend Barbara is almost a paid up member of the champagne marketing board so I'd better mention that too......I am also strangely attracted by a recipe for Wassail Bowl, a spicy beer punch with apples which seems wonderfully medieval.