Ever Pair a Drink With a Cozy Mystery Book? Make It a Holiday Tradition!

Hi, blog readers and visitors!  I'm pairing this blog post with a post from my entertainment blog titled Books: Reading List: Five (5) Popular Cozy Mysteries Published 2020 and Beyond!

Here are festive, cozy drink pairings for each book — “Sip While You Sleuth”. Have fun! 🍵📚

(AI art using CoPilot)

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🎄 The Mistletoe Mystery — Nita Prose

Drink Pairing: Classic Hot Chocolate with Peppermint

Sweet, comforting, and a little nostalgic—just like Molly Gray herself. The peppermint adds a gentle holiday twist without overpowering the cozy calm of the story.

Optional Garnish: Whipped cream + crushed candy cane
Mocktail-Friendly: Already perfect as is!

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🧶 It Came Upon a Midnight Shear — Allie Pleiter

Drink Pairing: Mulled Apple Cider

Warm spices, apples, and a hint of citrus mirror the small-town charm and crafty atmosphere of a knitting shop during the holidays.

Spice Tip: Cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices

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🎅 Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen — Vicki Delany

Drink Pairing: Eggnog (Classic or Dairy-Free)

A town that celebrates Christmas year-round deserves the most iconic holiday drink of all. Rich, indulgent, and unapologetically festive.

Flavor Boost: Nutmeg + vanilla
Lighter Option: Almond-milk eggnog with cinnamon

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📚 The Thursday Murder Club — Richard Osman

Drink Pairing: English Breakfast Tea with Milk & Honey

Comforting, traditional, and best enjoyed slowly—just like the clever conversations and gentle humor among the Thursday Murder Club members.

Upgrade Idea: Serve with shortbread or a biscotti
Evening Swap: Earl Grey or chamomile for late-night reading

Here’s a simple, comforting recipe.

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🍵 Ingredients

• 1 English Breakfast tea bag (or 1 teaspoon loose-leaf tea)
• 1 cup freshly boiled water
• 2–3 teaspoons milk (whole, oat, or your preferred type)
• 1–2 teaspoons honey (adjust to taste)

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🫖 Instructions

1. Boil water: Bring fresh water to a rolling boil.
2. Steep tea: Place the tea bag (or loose tea in an infuser) in a mug. Pour hot water over it and steep for 3–5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
3. Add milk: Remove the tea bag/infuser, then stir in milk.
4. Sweeten: Add honey and stir until dissolved.
5. Serve: Enjoy hot, optionally garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon for extra warmth.

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✨ Tips

• Use whole milk for a richer taste, or oat milk for a nutty, dairy-free option.
• Adjust steeping time: shorter for a lighter cup, longer for a stronger brew.
• A dash of vanilla extract can add a cozy twist. 

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🕯️ Blackmail and Bibingka — Mia P. Manansala

Drink Pairing: Hot Coconut Latte* OR Ginger Tea

Coconut and ginger complement the Filipino holiday flavors featured in the story and pair beautifully with bibingka-inspired notes.

Fun Twist: Add a pinch of cinnamon or toasted coconut flakes
Non-Coffee Option: Ginger tea with honey and lemon

*To make it more festive, make a peppermint-coconut latte variation.  You will combine strong coffee or espresso with a heated and frothed mixture of full-fat canned coconut milk, peppermint extract, and your choice of sweetener.  Here’s a cozy, dairy-free–friendly Hot Peppermint-Coconut “Latte” — festive, comforting, and perfect for sipping while reading a holiday mystery ☕🌴🎄

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Hot Peppermint-Coconut Latte

Serves: 1
Time: 5–7 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup coconut milk (full-fat for extra creaminess, or light if preferred)

• ¼ cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
  (for caffeine-free: substitute strong peppermint tea)

• ¼ tsp peppermint extract
  (start small — peppermint is powerful!)

• 1–2 tsp maple syrup, honey, or sugar (to taste)

• Pinch of salt (optional, but enhances flavor)

• Optional: pinch of vanilla extract

Toppings (Optional but Fun!)

• Whipped coconut cream

• Crushed peppermint candy or candy-cane dust

• Toasted coconut flakes

• Dark chocolate shavings

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Instructions

1. Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming (do not boil).

2. Whisk in sweetener, peppermint extract, vanilla (if using), and salt.

3. Brew coffee or espresso and pour it into your favorite mug.

4. Add the hot coconut milk mixture to the coffee.

5. Froth or whisk for extra foam, if desired.

6. Top and serve immediately — preferably with a cozy book and blanket.

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Flavor Variations

• Chocolate Peppermint Coconut Latte: Add 1 tsp cocoa powder or chocolate syrup while heating the milk.

• Extra Festive: Add a tiny pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.

• No Coffee Version: Use hot peppermint tea or hot water instead of coffee. 

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 ☕🔍✨

Wassail is a Wonderful Way to Celebrate Winter and the Holiday Spirit!

Did you know that a cup of warm wassail is very soothing to a sore throat? Yes. One time it was a Christmas holiday and I was under the weather. I had a sore throat and my daughter came over and made some wassail in a crock pot. I took one sip and it felt so good going down my throat. Who knew?

Sore throat or not, a drink of warm wassail is delicious, especially during the wintry months. There are so many recipe variations.

"Wassail is a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year." (Source: Wikipedia)

The Christmas tree and other decorations are up and I am counting the days until December 25th. For this blog post, I simply must share a wonderful wassail recipe that a friend shared with me in response to a question I asked about celebrating the Winter Solstice. I know some people don't care too much for eggnog but most people really enjoy a delicious wassail drink.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with this Wassail Recipe by Spiderdust:  Core out of some apples (not the whole way through), stuff them with sugar, put a bunch of cloves in an orange, and then roast all of the fruit for half an hour. Put the roasted fruit in a gallon of cider with some cinnamon sticks, allspice, some pieces of crystallized ginger, a few pieces of star anise, and then grate some nutmeg over it all. Optional: Throw in some fresh or frozen cranberries. Let it simmer on low all day long. People can serve themselves as they please. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

“Here We Come A-wassailing (or Here We Come A-caroling) is an English traditional Christmas carol and New Year song, apparently composed c. 1850.  (Source)

More Wassail Recipes:

* Original acrylic elf painting, Wassail: Santa's elves at workbench, Woodworking tools, Alphabet letter W, Gift for Dad, Fantasy Christmas ~ Found on Etsy

Here are five interesting and fun facts about wassail:

🍎 1. It originally meant “be healthy.”

The word wassail comes from the Old English toast “waes hael,” meaning “be hale” or “be healthy.” It was both a greeting and a blessing.

🍻 2. There are two kinds of wassailing

Historically, “wassail” could mean:

• A drink — a warm, spiced beverage (often cider, ale, or wine).

• A ritual — going door-to-door singing and offering a bowl of wassail in exchange for gifts, similar to modern caroling.

🌳 3. People used it to “bless” apple trees

In traditional apple-tree wassailing, villagers sang, recited rhymes, and splashed cider on apple trees to encourage a good harvest. They also placed toast soaked in cider in the trees as an offering to the orchard spirits.

🎶 4. Many Christmas songs come from wassailing traditions

Songs like “Here We Come A-Wassailing” and “The Gloucestershire Wassail” are remnants of these old rituals and were originally sung while going door to door with a wassail bowl.

🍯 5. Historic recipes were delightfully weird

Classic wassail wasn’t just mulled cider—it often included:

• roasted apples

• eggs or custard

• spices

• ale and wine mixed together
  The result was a frothy, almost dessert-like punch.