If there was ever a perfect time for cozying up in front of a fire listening to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” it’s now. Because, baby, it sure is. I can’t recall the last time I heard forecasters brandishing wind chills of -5 in Mississippi, but parts of our Deep South are expected to reach that shivering mark. How about some warming libations to ward off the freeze? Something rich, creamy and comforting. Or beautifully transparent, ruby red or burnished amber.
At spots like Coffee House on 5th in downtown Columbus and Beans and Cream at Brickerton, demand for the hot stuff, of course, rises sharply as temperatures plummet.
“We have different seasonal specialties that we do,” said Rachel Guerry of the Coffee House Monday. One of those is a caramel apple cider. The rich potable is topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel. House coffees, naturally are popular and requests for hot chocolates and hot teas go up.
Ray Hightower, manager of Beans and Cream, expects the frigid spell to keep them “super busy” with coffees, flavored hot chocolates and seasonal gingerbread lattes and mochas. “Of course, you also have the people who order frozen drinks year-round, no matter how cold it is,” he added.
When you’re holed up at home, make warming potions yourself. (Yes, we know the “warming” of drinking a hot beverage is more perceived than scientific, but there’s a certain comfort in wrapping your fingers around a steaming mug and gently blowing between sips.)
Whether you like to curl up with hot cider, or take a jar of hot lemon and ginger tea to a sick friend, here are a few drink ideas to help weather the worst.
Flavor it up
It’s not winter without hot chocolate, of course. But there are ways to spice this stand-by up. For a Mexican spiced hot chocolate from realsimple.com, gather two pinches of ground chipotle chili pepper and two pinches of ground cinnamon. Prepare the hot cocoa mix according to package directions and mix it with half the chipotle and half the cinnamon. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with the remaining chipotle and cinnamon.
For a minty hot cocoa float, add 1/4 cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream (just before serving) and a sprig of fresh mint to a mug of hot chocolate.
Recipes like “lemon-aid,” from canadianliving.com, can deliver a little tender, loving care; it’s an all-natural cold remedy aid in disguise. Honey helps suppress a cough, lemon is full of vitamin C and ginger helps soothe aching muscles.
Of course, what we drink our winter warmers from makes a difference, too. Surely there’s a study somewhere that proves hot chocolate from my favorite hefty, blue-toned pottery mug I found in a mountain gallery delivers more serotonin or something than a plain ole coffee cup.
So, choose the vessel that makes you happy, put on your comfiest sweater and keep reading for variations on a warm glow.
LEMON-AID
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 slice fresh ginger
4 teaspoons flavored honey, such as wildflower or clover
(Source: canadianliving.com)
CRANBERRY APPLE CIDER
2 cups apple cider
3/4 cup fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
(Source: realsimple.com)
MULLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
1 orange
8 inches stick cinnamon, broken
8 whole cloves
4 whole allspice
1 32 ounce bottle cranberry juice
1 11-1/2 ounce can frozen white grape-raspberry juice concentrate
4 cups water
(Source: bhg.com)
SPIRITED CRANBERRY-ORANGE TEA SIPPER
Makes 6 servings
3 cups light cranberry-raspberry drink
1 cup water
4 bags orange-spice-flavor tea
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vodka or water
6 cinnamon sticks (optional)
(Source: bhg.com)
POMEGRANATE-GINGER TEA
Makes 10 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Slow cook: 5 to 5 1/2 hours (low) OR 3 hours (high)
3 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups water
2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup sugar
2 2-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled
3 inches stick cinnamon
3 herbal tea bags, such as red zinger, or regular tea bags
(Source: bhg.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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