For many families and groups of friends the December holidays are a reason to spend a few days in a city that they don’t usually call home. Naturally the holidays are also synonymous with feasts, where special drinks are served, such as unique wines, craft beers and cocktails. Make your holiday feast memorable by ordering a beer cocktail during your stay at a Mercure Hotel. This is made possible by the Mercure Hotels of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, who have crafted a recipe book filled to the brim with delicious beer cocktails, some of which are tailor made for the holidays.
Beer cocktails that are a perfect fit during the Christmas season in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the most fun cities to visit during the Christmas break. Especially the second day of Christmas is an ideal day to wander around the canals. With most locals inside or out of town with their families, you won’t be bothered by the usual bustle of the city. Instead you’ll be greeted by an uncharacteristic peacefulness. It will seem as if you have the canals all to yourself. When you return to your Mercure Hotel after a long day of walking, treat yourself by ordering a Campbierie beer cocktail. This beer cocktail mixes Campari with vodka and Ijwit. Ijwit is a white beer from Brouwerij ‘t Ij, a local brewery in Amsterdam. Because lemon and coriander seeds are added during the brewing process, this beer is able to stand up against the bold flavors of vodka and Campari. Garnish this beer cocktail with dried orange peel and you are left with a delightful cocktail.
Order a beer cocktail when you visit Antwerp during the holidays
There are also several Belgian cities, such as Antwerp, that are a pleasure to visit during the holidays. One of the most well-known types of beer in Belgium is Lambic: a type of beer where raspberries are added during the brewing process. Not only the unique taste of this type of beer is a perfect fit for the holidays, but also its deep red color is perfect within this context. Concocted by the Mercure Hotel Antwerp City is the Raspberry Mojito, a tasty beer cocktail that uses Lambic. As the name betrays, this beer cocktail is inspired by the classic Mojito. Where it differs is in the use of Raspberry beer, instead of the usual combination of sparkling water and sugar. The remaining ingredients are the usual suspects of a Mojito, namely rum, limes and mint leaves. To finish, this cocktail is garnished with a few fresh raspberries. With this cocktail you will be able to unwind after a day of roaming the historical city center of Antwerp.
Kick off the new year the right way with this beer cocktail
There are few things more connected with New Year’s Eve than foaming champagne glasses, poured during the final countdown to midnight. Make this year’s countdown extra special and order a Black Velvet beer cocktail at the Mercure Hotel where you are spending the night. The ingredients for this cocktail are Guinness (or a different brand of stout beer) and champagne. By pouring the champagne over the curved side of a spoon, it will float atop of the beer. With the beer cocktail in your hand, find a place with a good view at one of our hotels and enjoy all the festive fireworks shot up into the sky at and after midnight.
