Wonderful Wine

Warm drinks for cold nights

As a child, when- something, really anything that ever I became brings us feelings of peace, ill, my love and safety. As the mother cold weather settles in would always make around us, cozy up in a me hot tea to relieve blanket or next to a fire whatever ailed me. To with a drink that infuses this day there is some- such emotions. From thing about a hot the imbibers to the drink that brings tee totalers, for the me great comfort Wonderful Wine young and old alike, and reminds me of Heather Ezell there are numerous being enveloped in hot drinks to see us a loving embrace. through the chill of the winter.

After the year we have expe- Coffee and tea might come to rienced, I would imagine the mind first, but there are other vast majority of us could use alternatives.

Photos by heather ezell

Hot toddies, glühwein, cider, hot chocolate, even Horlicks — that I was just recently introduced to — are all substitutes to the aforementioned coffee or tea. Beginning each day, I depend on coffee to help get both eyes open and the rest of me up and going. I wish I could sip on it throughout the day and evening as some do, but caffeine and I don’t have that kind of relationship; if I am to enjoy a cup later in the day, I have to switch to decaf. This is mentioned because there are some truly tasty tipples which use coffee as the base. Italian, French, Irish and Mexican coffees, all have something stronger in addition to the coffee which yields a yummy libation. IF you have the same nighttime aversion to caffeine as I do, decaf is the answer. Hot chocolate evokes happy remembrances of childhood.

Glühwein makes you glow.

Hot toddy

2 oz. Whiskey (rum or brandy can be substituted) 1 tsp. honey or sugar

Lemon wedge

Place choice of liquor along with honey or sugar in heatproof glass, fill with boiling water. Squeeze lemon into drink and stir.

Hot apple cider

2 oz. Whiskey or apple brandy 1 tsp. honey or sugar

Hot apple cider

Stir honey or sugar into whiskey or apple brandy and cover with hot apple cider. Garnish with lemon slice, cinnamon and/or cloves. For a non-alcoholic version.

Glühwein

5 oz. red wine 1 cinnamon stick broken into pieces 2 whole cloves 1 tsp. honey

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, heat gently without boiling, strain into mug, garnish with orange wheel.

Irish Cow

4 oz. Irish cream 4 oz. Milk

Warm together in a saucepan on low heat, pour in tempered glass and top with grated nutmeg if desired.

Snuggler

2 oz. peppermint schnapps 8 oz. hot chocolate

Whipped cream

Chocolate sprinkles or shaved chocolate

Add peppermint schnapps to hot chocolate, finish with whipped cream along with shaved chocolate or sprinkles

French/Italian coffee

1 oz. Grand Marnier/1 oz. Amaretto 1 cup hot coffee

Whipped cream

Gently heat either Grand Marnier (for French version) or Amaretto (for Italian), add coffee, stir well and finish with whipped cream on top.

Irish coffee

1 tsp brown sugar 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey 1 cup hot coffee

Whipped cream

Put the sugar in the cup, pour the whiskey over it and gently heat this mixture but do not allow it to get too hot. Add the hot coffee, stir well. Top with whipped cream.

Hot buttered rum

2 sugar cubes 1 1/4 oz. dark rum

Boiling water

Butter

Cinnamon stick

Put the sugar cubes in a mug, add the rum and top with boiling water. Dot the surface with butter and stir with cinnamon stick.

Hot toddy cures what ails you.

With the addition of spirits, amped up (grown-up) versions are sure to create new and equally cheerful memories. For me, one less desirable recollection of my youth was my first encounter with the hot toddy. My grandfather stirred one up and swore it would clear up an awful congestion. After ingesting it, I clearly remember thinking it was the devil and I might die. The toddy was neither the devil nor did I die, plus it worked. These days I swear by it if I am experiencing the same symptoms and like magic, it clears me up. (Now the taste is enjoyable, so I often have one, “just because,” seemingly it will raise your temperature!)

A less well-known potent potable is glühwein, which is quite popular in German-speaking countries around Christmastime. In German, glühen, translates to “glow,” which points to the color it brings to your cheeks after imbibing. Typically, it is made with red wine and mulling spices so it is sometimes also referred to as “mulled wine.” As a wine “purist” (but not a snob, mind you) I must admit I was skeptical about glühwein, but it really IS good and certainly does bring a glow to your cheeks and all over to be certain.

If non-alcoholic refreshment is best for you, warmed cider is wonderful as is tea, which is ancient and varied. Tea has been consumed for thousands of years. Yes, thousands! There’s green, oolong and black. Some have caffeine, others do not. Throughout the world, tea is consumed, shared, has healing properties and evokes the same feelings my mother instilled in me; love, comfort, safety and the perception that everything is going to be all right.

As you can gather, there are a multitude of choices to keep us toasty and keep the chill at bay. Cold nights call for a good book or movie and a heated beverage to soothe our souls and wrap us in a virtual hug. Take care. Be well. Cheers!

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