food
The BEST warm drinks 5 cocktails to curl up with this winter BY ANN WALCZAK Curling up in a cozy chair with a blanket and clutching a steaming cup is the epitome of relaxing bliss during fall and winter. Comforting, pleasing and (to be honest) needed, hot cocktails have been around since colonial times, illustrating that adding booze to a cuppa is synonymous with joy. There’s just nothing like a strong sip of warming liquid to simultaneously enliven and relax the body – to reattach you with your humanity. Here are five of the best, complete with suggested recipes.
Hot Toddy
Glühwein
Though the most familiar of hot cocktails, the Hot Toddy is also the most varied in terms of recipe from place to place and person to person. Traditionally, the Toddy is simply made up of spirit, sugar and water and it’s been popular since 1750, proving some things don’t ever go out of style.
Glühwein, essentially a type of mulled wine, is traditionally served at stalls at the Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria. A similar drink in Sweden is called glögg. My family is part German, and we make it darn near every year. Any dry red wine will work – we tend to use Merlot. You also want to add a shot of liquor to each glass, usually rum or brandy, but amaretto is also a good choice. My family? We keep it überGerman with Jägermeister.
Traditional version: Rinse mug with boiling water and dump. To a hot mug, add ¼ ounce demerara sugar, a lemon peel and 1 ounce hot water. Stir. Add 2 ounces whiskey and another 1 ounce hot water. My version: Rinse mug with boiling water and dump. To a hot mug, add ½ ounce honey, a clove studded lemon slice, 2 ounces whiskey and 4-6 ounces hot brewed black tea. Stir.
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hopeforwomenmag.com
SPRING 2022
In a large stock pot, bring to a simmer 1 orange, peeled in strips, ½ juiced and ½ sliced in rounds, 1 ½ cups water, ½ cup turbinado or granulated sugar, 40 whole cloves, 4 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole star anise and 2 750ml bottles dry red wine. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add 1-2 ounces rum, brandy, amaretto or Jägermeister to each mug and ladle glühwein on top.
