Rum

Nectarine peel adds tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the plum wine.

Passion fruit syrup can be difficult to find. We located a bottle by contacting a distributor, Fee Brothers. (Call 800-961-3337 or write to info@feebrothers.com) Because the syrup is hard to come by (and artificially flavored) we devised a substitute for it that was well received: a tablespoon of passion fruit sorbet (Häagen Dazs makes one) and a teaspoon of grenadine, per serving.

This cooked version of eggnog (without any booze) gets chilled overnight and up to two days, so you can make it ahead and serve it to anyone who comes through the door.