Category — vodka

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of red table wine
• 50 ml - 100 ml (1/4 - 1/2 cup) vodka (optional)
• 5-20 cloves
• 1 rounded tsp. cardamom seeds
• 2 to 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 or 2 pieces of ginger
• Zest of half a lemon
• 125 to 250 ml (1/2 to 1 cup) sugar
• 1 rounded tsp. vanilla sugar

Method

1. Crush the cinnamon and cardamom. Peel the lemon. Put all the spices and peel into a glass jar with the vodka.
2. Cover. Leave overnight. Strain the vodka, discard the spices.
3. Mix the spiced vodka with the wine and sugar.
4. Heat all the ingredients in a large saucepan until steaming hot. Do not boil! Stir and taste.
5. If not sweet enough, add more sugar. If too sweet, add more wine.

• 1 bottle Sparkling Wine
• 140ml (1⁄4 pint) Blackcurrant Syrup
• 3 large Oranges
• 9 Cloves
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1⁄2 tsp Ground Mace
• 1⁄2 tsp Ground Ginger
• Vodka or Gin to taste (optional)
• 285ml (1⁄2 pint) Fruit Juice (optional)
• Sugar to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180°C: 350°F: Gas 4.
2. Stick 3 cloves in each orange and place the whole oranges in a deep ovenproof dish, bake for around 20 minutes.
3. Slice the oranges into a bowl.
4. Heat the wine, but do not allow to boil, (adding the fruit juice if using) with the cinnamon, mace and ginger.
5. Add the blackcurrant syrup and the oranges and cloves and continue heating.
6. Sweeten to taste, then add the vodka or gin.
7. Serve immediately.