When the weather is chilly and freezing gusts are blowing on your face, what could be more pleasant than a soul-warming drink? All right, the Las Vegas Valley is not Fargo, North Dakota, where you have to turn on the heat inside the car 15 minutes before you drive, but there is nothing like a classic winter drink to bring a true sense of festivity to the season, with the scents of ground nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and cinnamon creating a potpourri. What follows are not the standard eggnogs and hot toddies, but rather unique concotions.
Enjoy these winter recipes either at home curled in front of the fireplace or after an intense hike up Mount Charleston. These drinks may require some commitment in creation, but the flavors are outstanding.
There are two main methods of crafting a hot drink. The first is a traditional way of warming all the ingredients together by steam, such as from an espresso machine, or direct heat, like Sterno or a stove. It's important to avoid boiling the mixture and evaporating the alcohol, so keep the temperature at or below 160 F.
The second method is called compounding, and means adding the alcohol to the already-hot beverage. This will make the drink get colder faster, so I suggest the first option.
Honey, maple syrup or molasses should be used as sweeteners rather than sugar. If you are using steam, sugar syrup dissolves faster then granulated sugar, but also increases the drink's volume. If sweeteners are not used, rim the glass with cinnamon-sugar, brown sugar or white sugar. To wet the glass' edge, use sweet syrup or orange wedges.
Fill empty tea bags with the spices of your choice. You can even use citrus peels or flavored jelly beans to make your potpourris that will infuse your drinks. And if you're using spices such as cloves, cinnamon or cardamom pods, wedge them into citrus peels so they don't end up on your tongue when drinking.
If you want to use cream, whip it gently to get it to float, and make sure you have enough sugar in your drink. For extra flavor, add some liqueur when whipping, like Baileys, creme de noya, green creme de menthe or Grand Manrier.
If you don't have tempered glasses, stick a metal spoon in the glass when pouring in your hot beverage. This stops the glass from cracking.
CARIBBEAN SOUL-WARMER
1 oz. Myers's Dark Jamaican Rum
1 oz. Cointreau
5 oz. hot chocolate
Pour Myers's and Cointreau into a warmed, 8-ounce mug, then pour the hot chocolate and stir. Add a float of whipped cream flavored with Marie Brizard Crème de Banana. Garnish with dried banana or pineapple chunks.
HOT TANGERINE MOJITO
2 oz Mount Gay Rum
4 oz hot mint tea
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
2 slices of tangerine
1/2 oz rock candy syrup*
Pour the rum into a heated, 6-ounce, tempered glass, then add sugar, lime juice, hot mint tea and tangerine slices. Stir and serve. Garnish with fresh mint
*3 parts baker's sugar and 1 part water, bring to boil and let cool.
WINTER MEISTER
1 1/2 oz. Jägermeister
4 oz. camomille tea
1/2 oz. elderberry syrup (available at International Marketplace, 5000 S. Decatur Blvd.)
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Star anise
Heat all ingredients together except the Jägermeister. Pour the liqueur into a heated, tempered, 8-ounce mug and fill with hot camomille and remaining ingredients. Garnish with orange twist and star anise.
TIBETAN WINTER STORM
2 oz Hennessy V.S.-ginger infusion*
5 oz apple cider
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Float of Grand Marnier
Heat the Hennessy, cider and juce, but do not boil. Pour into an 8-ounce, tempered glass. Garnish with lemon peel and crystalized or candied ginger.
*Pour 750 ml. of Hennessy into an infusion jar, add 6-ounces crystalized ginger. Let sit for at least 36 hours.
SPEYSIDE AFTERNOON TEA
2 oz Cragganmore 12-year Single Malt Scotch
4 oz Earl Grey tea
1/2 oz maple syrup
Lemon peel
Heat all ingredients together but do not boil. Serve into 8-ounce, tempered cup. Add 1 ounce of lightly whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of allspice.
Francesco Lafranconi, a master mixologist, is a beverage specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits and the director of the Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.