Hot Drinks to Warm Up the Coldest Nights

Maybe it's a picture print by Currier and Ives, or that picture on the front of a box of Celestial Seasonings herbal tea. You know the one where the sleepy bear is sitting in the overstuffed chair by the fireplace, wearing his sleeping cap and nodding off. It's cold outside, the sky is gray, and there's a patch of snow on the ground. What better way to ward off the chill than to sit in front of the fire with a nice warm drink. It's the best part of winter.

When you think of warm beverages, hot tea and coffee may come to mind first, but on a cold winter evening in front of the fireplace, nothing is better than mulled wine, holiday cider, and hot buttered rum.

You can find several good recipes for mulled wine on the Internet. Most of them call for full-bodied red wines with berry flavors. And you don't have to break the bank either. Some inexpensive wines in the $5-$10 range will do nicely. Malbec is a black, mellow grape variety originally grown in France. Recently it has been used to make a good Argentine variental wine. It is perfect for making mulled wine. First slice some oranges and lemons and add them to the Malbec in a saucepan on the stove. Warm over low heat until the fruits turn red and small bits begin to float in the mixture. Be careful not to overheat, as the boiling point of the alcohol is 173 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a good idea to use a thermometer. If you want to kick it up a notch, add a little bit of brandy to the drink.

There are a lot of different variations of the hot buttered rum recipe, but the basic ingredients are sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla or vanilla ice cream, rum, water and nutmeg. Heat the sugar, brown sugar, and butter on the stove. When it's hot combine the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with the rum, and vanilla ice cream. Add boiling water and top with nutmeg. Be sure to drink it while it's still hot, or you'll see just how much butter you're consuming if it cools off!

Holiday cider is made with spicy apple cider and brandy mixed with brown sugar, vanilla extract and lemon. Just mix and heat, again being careful not to exceed 173 degrees. You can serve the cider in a large brandy snifter garnished with a stick of cinnamon.