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SEASONAL SIPPING How to winterize your liquor cabinet // PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
// PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
Different drinks for different days: Just as people tend to eat warmer, heartier foods in winter, drinking habits often adapt to dropped temperatures and frosty nights.
Photo illustration by Howard Ting
Winter is almost here, which means it's time to rearrange the liquor cabinet. After all, you don't want to trudge home through the snow and sit next to the fireplace only to sip on a pina colada or a Bud Light.
The same way that we change our eating habits during the winter, appropriate changes should be made to the consumption of alcohol. So what are some of the things you should stock up with? Rafael Demarco, Rio de Janeiro graduate student, says he tends to transition from more refreshing drinks in the summer to more filling drinks in the winter.
That's the general rule, but here are some more details depending on your favorite kind of alcohol.
WINTERY WINES
Choosing what type of wine to drink during the winter can be tricky. Savio Soares, who used to be a New York sommelier (someone who matches wine with food) and now imports wines from Europe, says that no matter the season, the important thing is to find out what type of wine suits you, because each wine has a personality and very distinct characteristics depending on the region it comes from and method used to produce it.
Soares says that luscious wines are perfect for the cold seasons. "A good winter wine is like a ballerina — elegant and strong," he says.
During the summer we eat foods with higher acidity; in the winter, though, we tend to consume heartier and richer foods. Soares says. To match that kind of meal, you need wines that are stronger, that offer more layers of flavor and that have a fuller body (characteristics typically associated with red wines). Soares recommends Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhône, from France, Priorats from Spain and wine from Tuscany and the southern regions of Italy. Wines from Chile,
South Africa, Australia and the West Coast are also good choices. But no matter what region the wine comes from, remember to store it in an environment that's between 45 and 57 degrees dark and humid.
HEARTY BREWS
The type of beers we drink also change with the weather. If you go inside Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St., in the middle of July and then come back six months later, you'll notice a significant difference in the beers available. Steve Bradt, Free State brewmaster, says the brewing changes the beers it makes on a seasonal basis.
Bradt says that the same way we tend to look for refreshing and crisp food during the summer and heavier and more comforting food during the winter, we also look for these different qualities in beer. "It's sort of the difference between salads in the summer and pot roasts in the winter, Bradt says. "Only the die-hards drink barley wine in July in Kansas."
Winter beers tend to have more grain, which makes them stronger and more flavorful. There also tends to be an increase in the alcohol content, which helps create that pleasant warming experience as you drink the beer. Bradt says that during the summer a beer that is too alcoholic can be oppressive because the heat takes it straight to your head.
If you want these "winter warmers," look for beers that are heavier, sweeter and more filling. These tend to be darker, and with more creative concoctions, such as caramel and roasted malts. They also don't need to be served as cold, which ends up highlighting their enriched flavors.
Some of the more popular Free State Brewery winter beers are the Invigorator Doppel Bock, which is a rich, full-bodied, German-style beer with a slightly sweet caramel background, and the Imperial Stout, which is a heavier beer with
darker color and higher alcohol content.
WARMING MIXED DRINKS
Demarco says he isn't quite sure why, but summer just calls for citrus drinks, while the winter demands something more filling. "I usually go from more fruity, clearer drinks, to more milk-incorporated drinks," he says. Demarco finds himself making white Russians and drinks that take darker rum.
Chris Brown, a bartender at Alvamar Country Club, 1809 Crossgate Drive, says he observes
the same thing with his clientele. During the summer, Brown makes a lot of vodka pineapples, sex on the beaches, daiquiris and margaritas, but during the winter he makes heavier drinks, such as bourbon and sodas and gin martini.
To stay warm and comfortable during the winter, Brown recommends always having Baileys Irish Cream and crème de menthe stocked up in your liquor cabinet. "And if you want something to wake you up when it's cold have some good Irish whiskey or good Kentucky bourbon," he says.
MIXED-DRINK RECIPES
BRAZILIAN BATIDAS
Want to impress your friends with something different? Try a winter-friendly drink with a tropical twist. Rafael Demarco, Rio de Janeiro graduate student, says that, though Brazilian batidas, which are drinks prepared with condensed milk, are popular on warm beaches, their richness makes them just as suitable for the winter cold. Demarco has been making them for friends since he first arrived in the United States, and says that they are always crowd pleasers. Here is how you can warm your winter up with some tropical flavors:
1 part condensed milk
1 part fruit concentrate (try something such as passion fruit)
1 part cachaça (vodka can be a substitute)
Add some ice and mix it all in a blender.
IRISH COFFEE
One of the classic winter drinks would have to be the Irish coffee, says Chris Brown, bartender at Alvamar Country Club. It's simple to make and perfect for waking up and warming up during the cold winters. Here are the steps to make one.
1 ounce of Irish whiskey (Jameson's is a good option)
1 ounce of Baileys Irish Dream
Mix it with some freshly brewed coffee
"Dress it up with whipped cream and then dust with cocoa powder and you're money," Brown says.
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