Best Coffee Beverages to Drink Over The Holidays

With some major holidays just around the corner, there’s nothing more comforting than to bundle up in the chilly weather with a delicious, warm cup of coffee. Here are just a few.

1. Peppermint Mocha

If any coffee beverage has the word peppermint in it, it immediately brings back nostalgic memories of Christmas morning and candy canes. That is exactly what this peppermint mocha is designed to do! 

During the holidays, any type of peppermint latte, frappe, or hot coffee will be sold at almost every popular coffee shop around the world. However, there’s no need to go outside and grab this scrumptious beverage because you can make it right in your own cozy home!

First, let’s dive into its history of how this drink came about before you scramble over the recipe...

Who invented the peppermint mocha? It was first invented and popularized in 2002 by a large US coffee chain. Nowadays, it's available hot, iced and blended and sold by many national coffee shops and local cafes during the holiday season.

Here’s how you can make it at home without breaking your bank for one cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

1. ¾ cup of milk
2. 3 tbsp sugar
3. 2 packets of Waka instant coffee
4. 4 tbsp hot water
5. ½ tsp mint or peppermint extract
6. 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
7. ¼ tsp vanilla extract
8. Optional: whipped cream

Directions:

1. In a small pot over the stove, add the milk, cacao powder, and sugar and heat it over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges and the sugar is dissolved.
2. In a separate mug, make your coffee with the instant coffee and hot water.
3. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the coffee, mint extract, and vanilla extract.
4. Serve it in a cute mug and top it with whipped cream and enjoy!

2. Eggnog Coffee

Eggnog is another one of those names that remind you of the holidays, especially during the winter time. It is a very popular beverage that is not only consumed with coffee, but even just by itself.

Before the eggnog latte came the eggnog itself. So, where did it come from? Eggnog was actually invented in the early medieval period in Britain, where people would mix the egg yolk, milk, spices, and a little bit of alcohol. 

Adding onto this legendary drink, many coffee chains have decided to add a twist of coffee into it. It reminds people of the holidays while also getting the caffeine kick you love and need.

Can you make this right at home? Yes, you can! Here’s a simple way how.

Ingredients:

1. ⅔ cup of milk
2. ⅔ cup of eggnog
3. 2 packets of Waka instant coffee
4. 4 tbsp hot water
5. 1 pinch of ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, pour the milk and eggnog in and heat over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge.
2. In a mug, make the strong coffee by mixing the instant coffee and hot water.
3. Pour the steamed milk concoction into the mug with the coffee slowly while holding back the foam with a spoon.
4. Spoon the foam over the top of the latte, sprinkle nutmeg on top, and enjoy!

3. Gingerbread Latte

Close your eyes and imagine the smell of gingerbread wafting through your house and just let it sink in. The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without some gingerbread in any shape or form.

In this case, think and dream about a delicious, flavorful, scrumptious gingerbread latte. While you imagine the smell and taste, let’s dive a little bit into its history and how it was invented.

Where did the gingerbread latte come from? In order to find out, you have to go way back in time to the era of the Crusades. When trade was bustling around Europe, some of the most popular items traded were spices! Spices were then included in a plethora of food items mostly for preservation, but also for flavor.

Eventually, these spices found their way into the drinks (coffee included) and it ended up being absolutely delicious.

You can easily make this drink with some simple ingredients you may already have in your home. Read closely.

Ingredients:

1. ¾ cup of strong, brewed Waka instant coffee (1 tbsp mixed with hot water)
2. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
3. 1 tsp ground ginger
4. 2 tsp sugar or honey
5. 2 tbsp molasses
6. 1 ½ cup of milk

Directions:

1. In a large cup combine the sugar, molasses, coffee, and all the spices and whisk thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved completely.
2. Pour the mixture into a cute mug (pour depending on how strong you want your gingerbread flavor to be in your coffee).
3. In a small saucepan, pour the milk until small bubbles form around the edges and foam it with a whisk or shake it in a bottle.
4. Pour the hot milk into the mug with the gingerbread-flavored mixture and stir until combined. Enjoy!

4. Irish Coffee

Now, this one is an exciting drink that’s bound to get you itching waiting for the holidays to come faster. Irish coffee is a coffee beverage only geared towards adults.

Irish coffee is typically spiked with some fragrant alcohol such as whiskey, in order to give you an extra kick for the holidays.

The drink is believed to be invented in Foynes, a small town in west Ireland. In the 40’s, this small town was the place of one of the busiest airports in Ireland. It was the hub of many passengers flying between Europe and America, including many American politicians and Hollywood stars.

While the airport was a connection hub for refueling, the bad weather in that area many times required longer overnight stops. In 1942, a new restaurant managed by the young Irish Chef, Joe Sheridan was in charge of entertaining the American VIP’s stuck at the airport. 

Mr. Sheridan decided to make something special to warm the disappointed customers on that cold night. He made hot coffee, added Irish whiskey, a bit of brown sugar, and added whipped cream on top of each cup.

Here’s how you can make it at home!

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of strong brewed Waka instant coffee
2. 1 tbsp. Brown sugar
3. 1 ½ oz. Irish whiskey
4. Whipped cream or ¼ cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Pour the hot coffee in a mug and pour the sugar inside and stir until the sugar is dissolved completely. 
2. Add in the Irish whiskey and stir until combined.
3. Top it with some whipped cream OR slowly pour in some heavy whipping cream over the top of the drink and enjoy.

Make all of these holiday coffee drinks with Waka instant coffee. Get it here.