Smoking Bishop Recipe (2024)

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tabby

i cant believe no one has commented on this recipe. my husband made this for our holiday celebration last night. we only used 3 oranges but they were large ones. let me tell you. it was absolutely delicious and perfect for a winter night. we will definitely be including this as part of our punch rotation.

Bob

I made my shopping list for this and I'm glad I read all of the steps. Step 4 mentions cinnamon sticks which are absent from the ingredients list.

Tooty

I love, love Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I read it every holiday season. I have always wondered what a bowl of Smoking Bishop was. I wanted to make this, but it is too much for two and there are no parties with Covid. Decided to make the wine and fruit part as a base and store it in glass in the fridge. Then all we have to do is add about an equal amount of port, some cinnamon and cardamom, and heat up an amount that suits us for the evening. Delicious! Will make this for friends next year.

Fay

FANTASTIC. I made it exactly as directed, with the exception that we added the port in the cup (roughly equal parts port and wine), as we had some who didn't want as much alcohol. Both the port and non-port drinkers declared it to be NEXT LEVEL. I've made a lot of mulled wine over the years, and this preparation is definitely worth it. We are all Dickens nerds over here, so we will definitely be making it again at Christmas, reading the lovely passage as we sip!

bob

We make this every year, put I dont use sugar. great drink.

Cat

I need an idea for how to keep this hot during a party. Could this be made in a slow-cooker?

pickle pickle

Final steps Threw some extra cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks in, got it nice and smoking and served it up.Reviews are very positive and got asked for the recipe. Maybe a bit on the tart side, but you could increase sugar too taste. Would make again, with a bit more sugar or a different port.

pickle pickle

Picking up a day later Cut and juices the oranges - surprised the wine didn’t soak in more? Hmm may have used to shallow a bowl, but not much color.Using a half lemon and adding the port after straining Tasted and getting a bit more citrus bitter finish. Maybe sugar was a little light.

Ann M

I make this every year. I use navel oranges, cinnamon stick instead of cardamon. Some years it sits for 12 hours some only 4 hours. Made with cheap port and mediocre wine it tastes delicious.

pickle pickle

Building this one as I make it- hilariously fussy ingredient list but missing the cinnamon stick and lacking detail in key areas - wine - not too dry and not too sweet? So wine? No varietal recommendation a standard identification of wine huh. Used a 2018 red blend from central coast of California.- no luck on Seville oranges so used the naval, no luck on obscure sugars or ports so used coconut sugar and warrre warrior port - a tawny would be fine I suppose -

Fay

FANTASTIC. I made it exactly as directed, with the exception that we added the port in the cup (roughly equal parts port and wine), as we had some who didn't want as much alcohol. Both the port and non-port drinkers declared it to be NEXT LEVEL. I've made a lot of mulled wine over the years, and this preparation is definitely worth it. We are all Dickens nerds over here, so we will definitely be making it again at Christmas, reading the lovely passage as we sip!

danny kahn

First, seville oranges don't appear to exist in the US. I made it as directed with naval plus a lemon. We enjoyed it, but it's a bit sweet for my taste, and the flavors don't meld together well. I love the historical nature of the recipe, but I suspect there are better hot wine drinks.

maureen

Any recommendations on the type and/or brand of wine?

bob

Ruby port from Portugal and add any red wine.

Sandra

Absolutely delicious. Note that the directions call for a cinnamon stick but that’s not listed in the ingredients.

Mel K

There are hundreds of mulled wine recipes out there, but if you have the time, make this one. The first time I made it was for book club, and now I get requests for it every winter.

Tooty

I love, love Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I read it every holiday season. I have always wondered what a bowl of Smoking Bishop was. I wanted to make this, but it is too much for two and there are no parties with Covid. Decided to make the wine and fruit part as a base and store it in glass in the fridge. Then all we have to do is add about an equal amount of port, some cinnamon and cardamom, and heat up an amount that suits us for the evening. Delicious! Will make this for friends next year.

Bob

I made this for Christmas and it is absolutely amazing. The cardamon really adds a special flavor. This may become a holiday tradition.

Bob

I made my shopping list for this and I'm glad I read all of the steps. Step 4 mentions cinnamon sticks which are absent from the ingredients list.

tabby

i cant believe no one has commented on this recipe. my husband made this for our holiday celebration last night. we only used 3 oranges but they were large ones. let me tell you. it was absolutely delicious and perfect for a winter night. we will definitely be including this as part of our punch rotation.

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Smoking Bishop Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Smoking Bishop in A Christmas Carol? ›

Smoking Bishop is a type of mulled wine, punch, or wassail, especially popular in Victorian England at Christmas time, and it is mentioned in Dickens' 1843 story A Christmas Carol. "...we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob!" — Ebenezer Scrooge.

What does Smoking Bishop taste like? ›

The Smoking Bishop's original recipe weaves a delightful tapestry of flavors, harmonizing port wine, oranges (or lemons), and sugar without overwhelming sweetness. Eliza Acton, the author of Britain's inaugural cookbook in 1845, described the recipe with a touch of culinary artistry.

What does Scrooge drink in A Christmas Carol? ›

At the end of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge and his long-abused employee, Bob Cratchit, enjoy a mug of Smoking Bishop. It's a drink loaded with English history, politics and class identity.

What is a Christmas bowl? ›

The Christmas Bowl (クリスマスボウル, Kurisumasu Bōru) is the annual Japanese high-school American football championship game.

What is smoking bishop made of? ›

It is claimed to be the original Oxford brew, containing lemons, cloves, cinnamon, mace, allspice and ginger. And, of course, a substantial amount of port and red claret. they'll make a sweet bishop when gentle folks sup.”

What is the smoking bowl of Christmas bishop? ›

In a final scene from A Christmas Carol, Scrooge turns to Bob Cratchit, his belittled employee, with new eyes and invites him to be merry over a bowl of Smoking Bishop—the word “bishop” was 19th-century code for port—which referred to a roasted clove and orange-infused port punch, warmed and mulled with baking spices ...

How did smoking bishop get its name? ›

There is thought to be an element of anti-Catholicism in the irreverent names but there is no clear evidence for the associations. The smoking part of the name probably stems from the steam rising from the cup of hot wine. The bishop part may refer to the purple colour pf port reflecting the robes worn by bishops.

What is the mulled wine in A Christmas Carol? ›

Charles Dickens wrote about “a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop” in A Christmas Carol (referring to a traditional Victorian mulled wine punch) – firmly establishing mulled wine as the festive drink for centuries to come.

What kind of pudding in Christmas carol? ›

The idea of plum pudding as a Christmas dish rose to prominence during the Victorian period, as seen in A Christmas Carol (published in 1843) shown in this illustration of the Ghost of Christmas Present from the first edition.

What kind of punch did Bob Cratchit make? ›

Bob Cratchit's Hot Gin Punch

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes; taste and adjust the balance of flavors with more brown sugar or more lemon juice if desired. Pour the mixture into a jug or teapot and serve warm.

What made Scrooge cry? ›

For Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Past first shows him his childhood and his old school. Scrooge cries almost instantly at seeing the old buildings and children he used to know.

Is Scrooge skinny? ›

He was thin and stiff in appearance and not tall. He had a pointed nose, thin lips, a narrow chin, and small dark eyes. He had an ugliness caused by his sour disposition, but that vanished once he was reborn.

What did the Victorians drink at Christmas? ›

The Victorians enjoyed a range of sweet treats as part of their Christmas fare. These included a traditional Twelfth Night cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies, as well as gingerbread, figgy pudding and sugar plums, all washed down with a wassail punch, warm brandy and mulled wine.

What is the meaning of mulled wine? ›

Meaning of mulled wine in English

wine heated with added sugar and spices, drunk warm as a traditional winter drink in some countries: They invited us over on Christmas Eve for mulled wine.

Did Deimon win the Christmas Bowl? ›

Deimon won Christmas Bowl. Then an all-stars Japan team was formed to play in World Cup.

What did the guy snort in A Christmas Carol? ›

Was one of the men in the vision of Christmas yet to come snorting cocaine? No, the man was sniffing "snuff", a mixture of tobacco and spices that is used to clear the nasal passages by inducing sneezing, and which was commonly used during the time period of the story.

What are the three spirits in A Christmas Carol called? ›

In the story, Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and selfish miser, is visited first by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and then by three spirits called the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future.

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