Be your own bartender this Christmas with a little help from us. Who needs going to a crowded bar this summer when you can whip up these tropical Asian drinks by yourself. They can be ready in 5 minutes and it’s a whole lot of fun too!
Ready for the Christmas magic? Let’s go!
Christmas is a time for family!
1. Matcha Soda
Matcha… and soda? Yes, you can do this! What is more refreshing than a glass of fizzy green tea soda during this sweltering heat? This quick and easy drink is a must-have for your Christmas party this summer.
If you enjoy making and experimenting with different types of drinks at home, you’ll know that simple syrup is an important item. If you are not sure about what this magic spell is about, well… the simple syrup, as its name suggests, consists of 2 simple ingredients: water and sugar!
The ideal ratio of water and sugar is 1:1 (one part water and one part sugar) but after testing it out ourselves, we figure 3:1 works better (three parts water, one part sugar).
A helpful tip for you: Matcha powder is the star of this drink and it makes a big difference when you go for the higher quality matcha powder (the lighter coloured ones).
Other drink ideas: matcha latte with pearls, dalgona matcha latte, or even matcha cocktails.
INGREDIENTS/ Yields 4 drinks
- 2 cups (470 ml) Sprite or Calpico soda
- 1 cup (230 ml) water
- 1/3 cup (80 g) sugar
- 4 tsp Ujinotsuyu matcha green tea powder
- Mint leaves (for garnishing, optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small pot, bring water to a boil and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Add 4 tsp of green tea powder and stir well. Remove from heat and allow to chill.
- Fill the glasses with ice. Pour the matcha syrup to half of each glass, followed by the Sprite or the Calpico soda. You can garnish this matcha soda with some mint leaves to complete the taste.
It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!
2. Magic Galaxy Squash
We don't know how to create a galaxy painting but we sure know how to mix up a Christmas magic galaxy drink! The key to making this drink is to be creative and experimental with different colours! When you’re feeling joy, you’ve hit the spot.
Here’s a magic trick: When you mix the butterfly blue pea tea with some lemon, it turns into a soft pinkish purple colour. Abracadabra!
Bartender’s tips for layering the drinks:
- Start with the heaviest ingredients then move on to the lighter ones. The first layer from the bottom up is red syrup, followed by Sprite ice cubes, cold Sprite, lemon juice and butterfly pea flower/or powder tea.
- Use highball glasses if you want the layers of the drinks more defined.
- Pour each layer slowly on the back of the spoon.
INGREDIENTS/ Yields 4 drinks
- 1 tsp My Blue Tea butterfly pea powder
- 1 cup (400 ml) Sprite frozen
- 1 1/2 cup (400 ml) Sprite cold
- 8 tbsp Hale’s red syrup
INSTRUCTIONS/ Yields 4 drinks
- Stir the butterfly pea powder into 1 cup (230 ml) of hot water to make the tea.
- Freeze half of the butterfly blue pea tea and 1 cup of Sprite in an ice cube tray. Leave it overnight.
- Start assembling the drink by adding 2 tbsp of Hale’s red syrup in each glass. Add Sprite ice cubes until it fills about half of the glass, followed by the cold Sprite.
- Pour the butterfly blue pea tea slowly into the glass, you will see the colour slowly change to a light purple.
- Top the glass with butterfly blue pea ice cubes. It’s time to impress your guests!
The best way to spread Christmas is by sharing drinks!
3. Thai Pink Milk (Nom Yen)
If you have been following our Christmas recipe blogs, you know Hale’s red syrup is our new favourite item this summer. This versatile thick ruby syrup is adored by every Thai generation. It can be mixed in a refreshing non-alcoholic drink for hot days or used to make a colourful and flavourful dessert. Nom yen (Thai pink milk) is on our must-try Christmas drinks list because of its mellow, creamy flavour. This non-alcoholic drink is usually enjoyed by young kids but many adults love it too.
INGREDIENTS/ Yields 2 drinks
- 2 tbsp Hale’s red syrup
- 4 tbsp condensed milk (optional)
- 1 1/2 cup (400 ml) your choice of milk
- 1 cup ice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Freeze the glass for 10-15 minutes before you serve.
- Pour ice cubes into the cup/ glass, followed by red syrup, condensed milk, and finally your choice of milk. Stir the ingredients until they are nicely blended. Your 2-minute Christmas drink is ready!
Christmas is the day that holds all time together!
4. Viet Egg Coffee
Yes! We know that you have been wondering about how to make this unusual drink that everyone is talking about. Well, before we start, we have an interesting story to share.
There was a young barista working at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Viet Nam in the 1940s. He was passionate and experimental. Due to the serious shortage of milk during the time when the French war was happening at the time, he decided to find an alternative ingredient that can promote a foamy, creamy texture and complement the traditional Vietnamese coffee.
Egg was the answer!
Following the success of this unique concoction, he opened his own coffee store making only egg coffee, which has turned into one of the most iconic drinks of Hanoi. He is Nguyen Van Giang, the father of egg coffee!
Helpful tips for you:
- Rinse the filter chamber and the cup with hot water and put on top of the glass/cup. The right temperature allows the coffee to be brewed perfectly.
- Prefer an iced coffee? Add some crushed ice before pouring in the whipped egg foam into the cup. You can even dust a layer of chocolate powder on top to balance the bitter taste of coffee.
Storage suggestions: We suggest consuming this egg coffee within 1-2 hours as it contains raw egg.
INGREDIENTS/ Yields 2 drinks
- 2 eggs
- 1 Long Cam coffee filter
- 4 tbsp Trung Nguyen gourmet coffee blend
- 4 tsp condensed milk
- Hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put 4 tbsp of Trung Nguyen ground coffee in the filter chamber. Lightly shake the filter to even out the ground coffee. Gently press down the ground coffee with the coffee press.
- Pour the hot water into the filter chamber just over the level of the coffee press and leave for 2-3 minutes. Pour the hot water into the chamber until half way and wait for another 5-10 seconds for the water to come through. You’ll see the rich and dark brown coffee extract dripping slowly from the filter.
- In 7-10 minutes, repeat the process of adding hot water into the chamber to halfway mark. Wait for the coffee to drip slowly. Check out this video on how to make coffee using Viet coffee filter.
- While waiting for the coffee to brew, crack 2 eggs into a bowl. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and transfer them into another bowl. Add condensed milk into the bowl that has egg yolks. Whisk vigorously until the foam is formed. (Of course, you can also use an electric mixer.)
- Pour the nicely whipped egg foam on top of the Vietnamese coffee. Your Christmas drink is ready to serve!
Pretty easy, don’t you think? Christmas doesn’t have to be hectic or stressful. We hope you have enjoyed reading and creating our authentic Asian Christmas recipes. The holiday season has just started and the Asian Pantry team wishes you a Merry Christmas with your family and friends.
Eat, drink and be merry!
Liked our cooking tips so far? Stay tuned for our weekly blog to get more kitchen tips and creative food ideas! Join our close-knit food lovers community Asian Nom Nom to connect with others.
Sources: Vietcetera; Thrillist
