OUT
Hottie toddies
Stayin' warm with hot winter beverages with a little something extra by Rory Flynn
It's freakin' freezing outside. Socializing with friends at a winter house party, you soon realize one thing: holding that frigid keg cup of Natty has only further chilled your tattered, winter-torn soul. Enter: one red-faced Cory Bates, tucking a large pot under one arm and wielding a soup ladie in the other. Like a shivering mad scientist, he flips on the stove and starts pouring bottles of hard alcohol and apple cider, stopping only to taste its readiness.
Bates, St. Louis senior, says making spiked apple cider is very simple."I have only made a couple batches but so far the cider has been quite a success at winter parties," Bates says. Bates uses only three ingredients: apple cider, cinnamon, and Southern Comfort. He prefers using more expensive brands of apple cider rather than the cheaper brands because the cheaper ones taste too sweet.
Spiked apple cider is just one hot alcoholic beverage that you can order around town or brew yourself to warm up during these long winter
months.
The Bourgeois Pig, by $9^{th}$ and Massachusetts Streets, has several hot alcoholic drinks on its menu. The small, cozy bar doubles as a coffee shop. The menu offers an array of "corrected" warm drinks. The menu includes traditional hot alcoholic beverages like Irish Coffee and Spiked Cider as well as elaborate drinks, like the Venetian Latte — an Amaretto, Korbel brandy, espresso and steamed milk mix. The "corrected" beverages start at $4.50, but if your wallet allows, try the $8.50 Millionaire's coffee, made with Kahlua, Bailey's, Grand Marnier, Frangelico, coffee and whipped cream. Bartender Jamie Zoeller says he serves many of the drinks during winter.
The more popular of these warm alcoholic drinks generally include coffee, tea or hot chocolate; other tasty creations include mulled wine, hot toddies and mead.
What do you mean, mead?
Mead is a beverage created
from fermented honey and water that predates both wine and beer, according to www.aboutmead.com. Also called honey wine, it can be mulled with spices similar to warm apple cider and has a reputation as an aphrodiaci.. To test the love potion out for yourself, visit the Replay Lounge at $10^{th}$ and Massachusetts Streets, where mead is served on the heated back patio throughout the winter. The Replay Lounge also serves Hot Melted Andes drinks (consisting of hot chocolate and Rumplemintz Liqueur) and hot toddies. Replay Lounge bartender Amanda Meyers recommends a hot toddy, a whiskey-butter-cinnamon combo, for a sore throat.
Puttin' the pot on
Making these hot drinks can be quite easy. According to www. barnonedrinks.com, the liquor should be heated separately before the other drinks. Never heat liquor to a boiling point or the alcohol will boil out of it.
KIT LEFFLER
RECIPES
Cider and tequila hot toddy
4 cups apple cider
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
½ cup tequila
¼ cup triple sec or other orange-flavored
liqueur
Lime slices
1.In a pot, heat cider and cranberry juice cocktail until warm (not boiling) and remove from heat
2.Stir in tequila and liqueur
3.Serve in mugs, garnished with lime slices
4.Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice or nutmeg to spice it up.
**Recipe:** www.recipezaar.com
Mulled* wine with brandy
*mulled means heated and spiced
*mulled means heated and spiced
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
15 cloves
1 bottle red wine
¼ cup brandy
Simmer all except wine and brandy in a pot for approximately 10 minutes. Add the bottle of wine and heat up until warm. Do not boil. Add brandy and let the flavor set in. Serve warm.
Recipe: www.wineintro.com
Goldonaya Grog
1 ½ oz. Cinnamon Vodka
6 oz. Apple cider
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
Heat vodka, cider and orange peel in a pot (not to boiling). Add cloves. Pour into a mug. Add cinnamon stick and serve.
Recipe: www.barnonedrinks.com
01.26.2006 JAYPLAY
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