The Drink You Make Only Once a Year

There are drinks we make without thinking.
And then there are drinks we wait for.

The ones that appear only once a year — when the air changes, when calendars slow down, when kitchens smell different. They aren’t rare because ingredients are hard to find. They’re rare because we decided they should be.

Eggnog. Mulled wine. That specific version of hot chocolate reserved for holidays only.

The power of waiting

When a drink shows up every day, it becomes invisible.
When it shows up once a year, it becomes an event.

Anticipation does something interesting to the brain. It sharpens memory. It attaches emotion. It turns a recipe into a ritual.

You don’t just remember the taste — you remember when it appeared.

Why we don’t make it more often

We could make these drinks any time.
We choose not to.

Because part of the joy is knowing this moment is temporary. That once the season passes, the drink will quietly disappear again — waiting for next year.

Scarcity creates reverence.

A quiet agreement with ourselves

Making a once-a-year drink is a signal.
It says: this time matters.

Not because it’s loud.
Not because it’s extravagant.
But because it’s intentional.

And sometimes, that’s enough.