Warm and Cozy Winter Drinks
The holidays may be in our rear view mirror, but it’s still cold outside and an ideal time of year to make warm winter drinks – especially if you were so caught up in this season that you forgot to make yourself a cuppa cozy! It’s National Hot Tea month and while the steeped brew may not have the right kind of kick for everybody, it’s a place to start when making a warm and wonderful specialty drink this winter!
Boozy Tea and Sympathy
Tealovers.com lists eight different teas for Hot Tea Month and describes the taste and benefits derived from each when a cup of hot water meets herbs and tea leaves like Earl Grey, Dandelion, Ashwagandha (AKA Indian ginseng) and Sage.
Let’s Drink Tea offers up a variety of tea and alcohol combinations, and the rationale for the suggested blends. For example, blogger Daniel advises that Spiced Rum and Black Tea go together well, especially a Lapsang Souchong — a smoky black tea with a strong campfire flavor. When combined with the natural sweetness of rum (which is made from sugarcane molasses or sugar cane juice), the combination is one you’ll either LOVE or HATE.
Whiskey and Green tea is another creative combo suggestion of Daniel’s, who likes taking his favorite brand of green tea, and adding it to a good Japanese whisky giving the drink a grassy, savory taste. Other recommended mishmashes from Let’s Drink Tea are Rye Whiskey and Chai, Bourbon and Earl Grey and Gin and Chamomile.
Another easy, boozy hot tea option is Bran’s Dram – a cup of herbal berry tea, white rum, lemon juice and honey, from Bon Appetit. Or, simmered ginger root and honey, to which you add blended Scotch, malt Scotch, and lemon juice. Bon Appetit calls this one Hot Penicillin (wait, what?!) and adds a garnish of candied ginger.
Hot Chocolate and Mulled Wine
If your tastes run more to thicker and creamier, consider Peanut Butter and Hot Chocolate. (Now why didn’t we think of that?) Wendy at Daisies and Pie blended smooth peanut butter, half-and-half or cream, hot chocolate powder (like Cadbury’s), milk and shredded dark chocolate for serving. Wendy says you can add marshmallows if you like, or for a buzz, a shot of rum! Snuggled next to the fireplace, this one sounds a little like sipping on peanut butter cups melted over ice cream!
Blogger Tracey at The Kitchen is My Playground, mingled a little caramel ice cream topping and milk chocolate chips in her slow cooker, then added half-and-half, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Whipped cream tops this decadent cuppa cozy, drizzled with extra caramel sauce. 
Chila ‘Orchata White Hot Chocolate from Cooking in Stilettos uses the Chila ‘Orchata Cinnamon Cream Rum, melted white chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk plus cream. Adding cinnamon sticks to serve makes the cinnamon-spiced hot toddy a sipping sensation.
Okay, this admittedly is NOT hot chocolate, but we couldn’t resist blogger Claire’s inspiration posted at Nutrition for Us. Light Nutella and Egg Nog go together like, well, hazelnut and vanilla with a little spiced rum for a little zip. It’s a throwback to the holidays (like Christmas in a mug) and every mouthful is thick and creamy yumminess.
Dinner Was Delicious at Food 52 concocted a Honey Pomegranate Mulled Wine recipe that works with merlot, zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon, combined with pomegranate juice, honey, clove and cinnamon.
And finally, Nora Maynard at The Kitchn wanted something warm to drink that was still a little “bracing” as she calls it. Knowing how well ginger complements apples, she improvised a Hot Ginger-Apple Toddy using ginger tea (from fresh ginger root), hot apple cider and bourbon or dark rum. For spices, she added cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and a garnish of apple slices.
Toddy on!
Grab a Cuppa Cozy in Colliers Hill
Just down the road from this family-friendly master-planned community of Colliers Hill, is a coffee and warm beverage hot spot: Cristos. If you’re feeling like a cuppa joe or something extra special, you can grab it there. Tell Erich we said hi, and then drive around our development and take in the amenities and the model homes. Built by Colorado’s top builders: Meritage Homes, Richmond American Homes, and Century Communities, the floor plans include ranch-style or two-story designs — priced from the high $300s.
