Beat the Winter Chill
Lucky for us, Spirited Gifts is home based out of Miami, Florida, the land of forever summer. While we do enjoy a nice warm spirited drink occasionally, when temperatures dip into the *gasp* low 60’s and high 50’s, we’re lucky enough to sip on a margarita in the sunshine, even in the dead of winter.
Even though we’re not fighting the chill down south, we know that it’s February, and most people are still bunkered down in hibernation for the winter. So, we thought this might be the perfect time to share some of our favorite snow-day drinks…even if snow is just a pipedream for us down here.
Hot Toddy
A classic winter warm-up drink for adults, the Hot Toddy is not only delicious but also known for warding off colds.
What you’ll need:
Boiling Water (2 cups per serving)
4 Cloves
1 Lemon Peel / Wheel
2 tsp Brown Sugar
¼ oz (one good squeeze) Lemon Juice
2 oz Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, Irish Whiskey or Scotch
Spirit suggestions:
WhistlePig 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey
Conor McGregor’s Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey
Macallan 12 Year Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Mix it up:
You’ll want to warm your mug up before getting started. Fill the mug with boiling water and let it stand for a minute or two. While your mug is heating, push the cloves into the lemon peel (or wheel). Once the mug is nice and toasty, replace the water with about half a cup of fresh boiling water and add the sugar. Give it a quick stir to help it dissolve. Add the prepped lemon peel as a garnish, and then mix in the lemon juice and whiskey. Once last stir and you’re ready to enjoy!
Spiked Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is a staple for cold winter days, but this isn’t one to share with the kids. Adding a little kick to a childhood favorite really takes it up a notch!
What you’ll need:
2 oz Chopped Semisweet Chocolate
6 oz Hot Milk
1 ½ oz Spirit of Choice (see our faves below)
Spirit suggestions:
Kahlúa Salted Caramel Coffee Liqueur
Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur
Chartreuse Verte Green Liqueur
Mix it up:
Drop the chocolate into your favorite mug (an Irish Coffee mug makes it more official, but we know everyone has their go-to!) Pour the heated milk over the chocolate and let it stand for a couple minutes, and give it a stir to combine. Once your milk and chocolate are nice and smooth, add in your spirit of choice and stir one more time. Add a couple marshmallows or whipped cream to the top to really give your drink some flare.
Irish Coffee
Nothing says warmth and comfort like an Irish Coffee. Whether you take it straight, or a little sweet, you can’t go wrong with this one!
What you’ll need:
1 ½ oz Irish Whiskey
¾ oz Irish Cream
6 oz Freshly Brewed Coffee (make it strong!)
1 tsp Brown Sugar (optional)
Whipped Cream
Spirit Suggestions:
Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve Irish Whiskey
Mix it up:
Start your coffee off by adding your whiskey and cream. If you prefer it sweet, we recommend using brown sugar. Pour in your hot coffee, and stir. Top it off with whipped cream, and you’re ready to enjoy!
Classic Margarita
What can we say, we’re Floridians and it’s warm here? Let’s be honest though, a good Margarita is perfect any time of the year.
What you’ll need:
1 ½ oz Tequila
1 ½ oz Trip Sec
1 ½ oz Lime Juice
1 Lime Wedge
Sugar / Salt
Ice
Spirit suggestions:
Mix it up:
It’s not a Classic Marg if you don’t rim the glass. Run your lime wedge around the edge of the glass, and dip in sugar or salt – we’ll leave that up to you! Fill up your glass with a generous amount of ice, and set aside. Mix together ice, tequila, triple sec and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, and give it a few good shakes to combine. Pour over ice in your prepped glass, garnish with your lime wedge and enjoy!
Whether you’re wrapped up in a warm blanket watching the snow fall, or sitting on your porch in the mild winter air, there is no better time to enjoy a spirited drink! Have a favorite winter go-to? We’d love to try out your recipe, please share it with us!