December can bring a lot of holiday jeer.

After the significant hit to your pocket book, you’ve got to put up with distant relatives buzzing around all day and night. If you’re 21 (attention: University of Missouri, I said _if_ you’re 21), you can use a stiff drink to loosen up around these most trying of times. There are a wide variety of Christmastime poisons to choose from, too. The classic Brandy Alexander is always a good option. Hell, even a dash of Jack in your peppermint latte when grandma turns around isn’t a bad way to kick back either.

I sought a better holiday beverage. My quest had me scouring across the web, from the Chicago Tribune’s recipes to the horrible, horrible place that is Yahoo! Answers.  Readers, feel free to thank me for the experimenting I have undertaken for your sake. During this search, nothing grabbed me by the sleigh bells and impressed me with alcoholic nirvana. So, I did the next best thing: threw a bunch of my favorite stuff in a drink and called it a day.

**What you’ll need:**

Decaf black coffee

0.75 oz of brandy

1.5 oz of Evan Williams Egg Nog

whipped cream

1 tsp of cinnamon

**How to do it:**
Brew your favorite decaf (mixing caffeine with alcohol is bad news, people). Mix in a half shot of brandy and a full shot of the Evan Williams Egg Nog. Stir vigorously, and let the drink settle for a minute. 

Finish with a Leslie Knope-sized helping of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Warning: this drink has a kick to it. It might look like a harmless latte, but you’ll be feeling it before you can say, “Season’s greetings.” Grandma will suspect something is up when you are asleep on the couch from your Kentucky Coffee at 10 in the morning.