Cool Takes On Hot Drinks

Even the slightest shift in temperatures makes trading in our chilled cocktail glasses for a cup of the hot and soothing a decadent affair. Fire up your bar carts, and cozy up with these three winter warmers.

Winter Blues

If you’ve ever skied the French Alps, there’s a good chance you’ve warmed up with an apres-ski mug of Verte Chaud. The regional hot chocolate, which translates to “hot green,” is spiked with green Chartreuse, the herbal liqueur made by the Carthusian monks. With heady notes of pine and lavender, the liqueur is as invigorating as the Alpine air. A new year calls for a new take on the classic, and this one replaces dark chocolate with white chocolate and bright botanicals for a blissfully blue drink.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 ½ cups full-fat coconut milk

4 oz. white chocolate,
finely chopped

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (seeds scraped)

2 oz. floral syrup (recipe below)

Pinch of salt

1 ½ oz. green Chartreuse

 1 ½ oz. Mezcal Verde Amarás

Roasted marshmallows
to garnish

Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Whisk in the white chocolate and vanilla bean until completely melted. Bring the mixture to a simmer, being careful not to let it boil over. Let simmer, whisking for 3-4 minutes, until slightly thicker. Remove from heat and add floral syrup and salt. Whisk once more to combine. Divide the Chartreuse and mezcal evenly between 2 mugs, and top with hot chocolate. Garnish with roasted marshmallows.

Floral Syrup Ingredients
(makes 1 cup)

¼ cup dried lavender, food-grade

¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers
or powder, food-grade

1 cup sugar (or coconut sugar)

1 cup water

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Winter Sleigh

A straightforward and balanced sour, the original Sidecar dates to around World War I. This seasonal take on the classic infuses the cognac with chai flavors for an unexpected warm interpretation, featuring a golden pear garnish.

Ingredients (serves 1)

1 ½ oz. cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand 1840

¾ oz. orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

¾ oz. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

3 oz. chai tea

An orange twist, gold-dusted pear slices, and gold-dusted sugar rim to garnish (optional)

Coat the rim of a heat-resistant glass with sugar sprinkled with edible gold flakes, if desired, and set aside. Temper the heat-resistant glass with hot water, then add the cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Top with chai tea and garnish with an orange twist and pear slices.

Fuyu Hot Toddy

Among the most universal of the hot alcoholic drinks, the Hot Toddy originated around 1862 and featured a simple recipe of brandy, white sugar, and hot water—a mixture that has been reimagined time and time again through the decades. Below is an Asian-inspired iteration using an unfiltered sake, with a creamy white finish and a burst of citrus flavor from the yuzu and kumquat.

Ingredients (serves 1)

2 oz. nigori sake, such as Kikusui Perfect Snow

1 oz. yuzu juice

1 barspoon yuzu marmalade

3 oz. hot chamomile tea

Black and white sesame sugar and fresh kumquats to garnish

Coat the rim of a heat-resistant glass with sugar sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and set aside. Temper the heat-resistant glass with hot water, then add the sake, yuzu juice, and marmalade. Top with tea and stir well. Garnish with fresh kumquats.