If you can see Mt. Baker, you are part of The Experience

Cold Days, Hot Toddies

Posted

Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 11.24.51 AMBy Kara Furr

While I’m all for a good Tom and Jerry on a cold winter day, so many more hot cocktails are just as perfect to curl up with after playing out in the snow.

Here are six drink recipes to warm you up this winter.

Mulled wine

(Makes six servings)

1 bottle good (not great) red wine

½ cup sugar

Zest & juice of 1 large orange

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

3 star anise

¼ t ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large, nonaluminum pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and serve immediately.

Mulled wine is almost infinitely customizable. Start with this recipe and then customize the spices and juice to your taste; try adding ¼ cup of brandy.

Bourbon apple cider

(Makes four servings)

3 cups apple cider

3 T dark brown sugar

5 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

¼ t ground nutmeg

¾ cup bourbon

Bring first five ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Add bourbon and stir. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and serve hot.

Do it the easy way for one by topping off a steaming mug of your favorite brand of spiced apple cider with 1.5 ounces of bourbon.

Have you had a particularly active day? Add a small pat of butter to each mug – you’ve earned it.

Boozy hot chocolate

1.5 oz. of your chosen liquor

6 ounces hot chocolate

Our favorite additions:

Bailey’s Irish Cream

Peppermint schnapps

Grand Marnier

Caramel sauce and either bourbon ? or whiskey

Hot buttered rum

1 small pat of butter

1 t brown sugar

2 oz. dark rum

Hot water

Dash vanilla

Ground cinnamon, nutmeg ? and allspice to taste

Stir together all ingredients except water in a mug. Top off with hot water.

Irish coffee

1.5 ounces Irish whiskey

1 T brown sugar

Freshly brewed hot coffee

Heavy cream, softly whipped

Pour whiskey and sugar into a mug, top off with coffee and stir until the sugar dissolves. Top with whipped cream.

Hot toddy

1 oz. good bourbon, brandy ? or scotch

1 T honey

2 t lemon juice

Boiled water

Combine liquor, honey and lemon juice in a small mug. Top off with boiled water. Stir until the honey dissolves. Make it more interesting: Use brewed chai tea instead of water. x