The holidays always feel like a crossroads — a thousand twinkling invitations to dial it up or dial it down, to indulge or to soften, to pour a glass or pour into ourselves. And honestly? That’s the energy I love most about this season: the duality. The “both/and.” The tiny moment where you check in with yourself and realize you get to decide how you want to feel.
This split-personality mulled cocktail was born right in that liminal space. It can show up two ways: always warm and but sometimes alcohol-free, or with a splash of Pinot Grigio for a little holiday sparkle. It’s your Jekyll-and-Hyde-but-make-it-cozy moment. A shapeshifter. A permission slip in a glass to be who you need to be, without missing one shred of the joy or celebration.
Ayurveda doesn’t demonize alcohol. It also doesn’t glamorize it. Like all substances, alcohol can be medicine…or poison, determined by how we use it. Regardless of how we’re using it, it’s undeniably powerful. A substance that can either stoke the fire or burn the house down.
Alcohol can be helpful when:
digestion is sluggish and needs a little spark
the body is cold and heavy (kapha is elevated)
there’s a desire for ritual, warmth, connection
Alcohol can be harmful when:
pitta is already running hot
vata feels fragile or depleted
the nervous system is craving grounding, not stimulation
we’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or using it as a shortcut to relax
In other words: the body always knows whether it wants a drink or not. The question is whether we’re listening.
I don’t drink as much anymore — not from a place of restriction, but from a place of self-awareness. It started when I got pregnant with my son; I simply never brought alcohol back into my life the way it had been present before his arrival.
There are a few reasons. Alcohol just doesn’t make me feel my best most of the time. My body is like, “girl, we have things to do tomorrow,” and honestly, she’s right.
And I’m able to actually see the impact on my rest, stress and more when I partake.
But sometimes?
A little wine at a holiday dinner feels decadent, ceremonial, delicious.
Sometimes the moment wants that warmth.
Other times it doesn’t. And I honor that, too.
This warm, shapeshifting cocktail lets me toggle between those versions of myself without overthinking it. One path is cozy and spirit-free, perfect for nights when I want clarity and sweetness. The other is spirited and celebratory, perfect when a little indulgence feels like joy, not complication.
Both choices are valid. Both choices are beautiful. Both choices are Ayurvedic when they come from awareness.
So here’s the invitation:
Let your drink be a reflection of your actual state, not the expectations swirling around the holidays.
Ask yourself:
Do I want warmth or wind-down?
Do I want clarity or celebration?
Do I want to feel lit-up or lulled?
There’s no “right” answer.
There’s just the truth of the moment.
And you get to choose the version of this drink — and the version of you — that feels honest.
Cheers to that double-faced magic — the ability to say yes, the ability to say no, and the wisdom to know which one your body is actually asking for.
“La Bicchierata” means quite literally “the moment you have a drink” in Italian. No comment on what you’re drinking, but you’re celebrating. This season, let your celebrations be less about rules or expectations and more about resonance. Less pressure, more presence. Less “should,” more self-trust.
The magic of this recipe is in its ability to be either alcoholic, or zero-proof – without losing any of it’s magic. The ingredients are the same (save for one – you choose either wine, or tea) and the process is similar – one you simmer longer than the other, but that’s it!
The world of tea and the world of wine are similar in that the specific substance you choose will impact the final flavor, but in the recipe notes below I give you some solid options to use what you have and love, without having to go on a wild goose chase for something when you’re just trying to make a drink! I used a whole-flower chrysanthemum tea which was DIVINE; the tea is beautiful to brew, as the flowers open as they steep. This tea sounds exotic, and it is (kinda) but it’s also very easy to find if you go to a place that isn’t a grocery store shelf to source it. Your local Asian grocery store or an online herbal outlet (like that linked below) will be a great source. Once you have it, it’s a beautiful caffeine-free option to add to your tea nook!
Otherwise, enjoy this one, every which way, with all of your people!
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