Christmas, for many reasons, is a special time of year, but few things can truly capture the spirt of the season like food and drink.

While many will enjoy a glass of wine or a glass of brandy during the season, the drinks of today stand in stark contrast to how people enjoyed drinks during the Victorian era.

Those drinks, generally warmed and spiced, personified Christmas and the spirit of the season and helped set the stage for those that celebrated the time period.

Three drinks in particular stand out from that time period, all of them served warm to make those colder days pass a little easier.

Perhaps the most common was mulled wine. Mulled wine, possibly the oldest of the three mentioned here, dates back to ancient Rome, and can be found in various versions throughout Europe but in England the drink was made very popular during the Christmas season.

Right behind that is the drink known as Smoking Bishop. The drink is featured in one of Charles Dickens’ most famous lines from “A Christmas Carol,” spoken by the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge to his underling Bob Cratchet toward the end of the famous story.

Smoking Bishop is made from wine and port, boiled and simmered with various spices and fruits for a long period of time. During Dickens’ time the drink would be simmered overnight.

The third drink — A Hot Gin Punch — has its roots in Dickens’ famous book of redemption itself. In a blog post by Bryan Kozlowski on Slate.com, it is described as a gin-infused drink mixed and cooked with lemon.

All three drinks were not generally something one made after a hard day, but Austin Living asked Hormel Historic Home bartender Luke Harrington to create modern day versions of the drink with his own twist on them while keeping to the general flavor profile of each.

Harrington found the drinks easy enough to make, admitting that in many ways they were very similar, although not without some challenge.

“Just simmering them on a warm spot,” Harrington said. “We don’t have the wood stove they had.”

Like they were originally served, Harrington’s versions were served warm while admitting they weren’t something he was able to just throw together.

“They do take some prep,” he said. “They’re not something everybody has. They would be more of a party drink.”

But if you want something different this holiday season and want to enjoy your very own taste of Dickens, then Harrington suggests a good reason for giving them a try.

“They’re something different,” he said. “They are good and warming.”

Smoking Bishop

The Smoking Bishop has an obvious citrus flavors infused through orange and lemon flavors. The cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg had a nice spiced flavor that serves to add to the warming of the drink. Harrington added to his version ginger beer to give it a modern connection.

•1 bottle of cabernet

•1 bottle port

•1 orange

•1 lemon

•1/2 cup sugar

•20 whole cloves

•1 tsp cinnamon

•1/4 tsp nutmeg

•1 ginger beer

•Boil the wine and ginger beer  with the sugar to dissolve it.

•Submerge a coffee filter filled with the orange, lemon, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the wine and simmer. Let sit over night in a warm place, reheat in the morning. Add the port wine which will cause it to steam.

Hot Gin Punch

(Featured in “A Christmas Carol”)

The Hot Gin Punch is bolder with a strong influence of the gin, but it’s not overpowering. The orange and pineapple adds a nice tang to the bold profile.

•1 cup of gin

•1 cup of sweet port wine

•1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

•1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

•1/2 tsp cloves

•Pinch of nutmeg

•1 lemon (juice and rind)

•1 orange (juice and rind)

•Pineapple slices

•Mix the ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve warm

Mulled wine

Mulled wine is the easiest to make of the three with the longest history. While still strong in spice, it is lighter than the other two despite having a similar taste. Because it doesn’t have so much spice, it allows for a smoother taste. Harrington also added two ounces of Jagermeister.

•2 ounces Jaegermeister

•1 bottle of red wine

•1 cup brown sugar

•Mix together and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Note: Letting it go further will make the drink sweeter.