Hot Drinks Page

Chilly days and frosty nights are made for snuggling in front of a roaring fire, hands wrapped around a hot drink that warms you down to your toes.

Even if you don't have a fireplace, you can enjoy the very special warmth of the hot drinks following, from the classic Irish Coffee to the spectacular Capriccio and the deliciously different Hot Gold.

Hot toddies, simple mixtures of hot water, sugar, and a single spirit such as whiskey, rum, brandy, and even gin, are remembered by many as old-fashioned cold remedies. While it was the heat, not the spirit, that seemed to make you feel better, toddies are one of those classic comforts we are loath to abandon even today.

Many hot drinks use coffee as their base, laced with either whiskey, rum, brandy, or liqueurs, or a combination of several of these. However, virtually any heated beverage can make a delightful drink, and in this section you will find recipes made with hot chocolate, tea, cider, steamed milk, and even orange juice.

Whichever you choose, remember that the best hot drinks are made with high quality ingredients: piping hot, freshly brewed coffee or tea, old-fashioned hot chocolate made with real cocoa and milk instead of a mix, cream you have whipped yourself, and fresh spices.

Most important of all, remember that a hot drink can be a tantalizing experience. Don't rush it. Let the mug warm your hands. Savor the aroma before taking that first sip. Relish the comforting feeling. By the time you are done, you will have warmed not only your body, but your soul.

Amaretto Tea

Pour hot tea into parfait glass, putting a spoon in the glass to prevent cracking. Add amaretto but do not stir. Top with whipped cream.

American Grog

Pour ingredients into hot mug and fill with hot water. Stir.

Aprihot

Combine in coffee mug with a dash of cinnamon, and garnish with an orange or lemon slice.

Black Gold

Pour all ingredients except coffee and cinnamon schnapps into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee and schnapps and stir. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serve with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Blue Blazer

Use two large silver-plated mugs with handles. Put the whiskey into one mug and the boiling water into the other. Ignite the whiskey and, while it is blazing, mix both ingredients by pouring them 4 or 5 times from one mug to the other. If done well, this will have the appearance of a continuous stream of liquid fire. Sweeten with powdered sugar and serve with a twist of lemon peel. Serve in 4-oz punch cup.

Boston Caribbean Coffee

Dip rim of Irish coffee glass in lime juice, then in sugar. Pour liqueur and rum into glass. Fill with freshly brewed coffee. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Brandy Blazer

Combine ingredients in old-fashioned glass. Light the liquid with a match, stir with long spoon for a few seconds, and strain into hot punch cup.

Caffe di Amaretto

Add amaretto to a cup of hot black coffee. Serve in an Irish coffee glass. Add coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with finely chopped orange rind.

Cafe L'Orange

Pour cognac and liqueurs into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with finely chopped orange rind.

Capriccio

Put sugar in bottom of Irish coffee glass that has had its rim dipped in cinnamon sugar. Add brandy and liqueurs. Fill 3/4 full with coffee. Top with whipped cream, toasted almond slices, and a cherry.

Chocolate Coffee Kiss

Pour liqueurs and syrup into Irish coffee glass and fill with coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with shaved chocolate and a cherry.

Doublemint

Pour schnapps into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee and stir. Top with whipped cream. Add creme de menthe for color.

Eleni's Earl

Combine ingredients in preheated coffee mug and stir. Orange tea may be substituted for the Earl Grey.

Handicapper's Choice

Pour whiskey and amaretto into Irish coffee glass and fill with hot coffee. Top with whipped cream.

Hot Brandy Alexander

Pour ingredients into heated mug. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Hot Brandy Toddy

Put sugar in coffee mug and fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add brandy and stir. Decorate with a slice of lemon and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Hot Brick Toddy

Put all ingredients except whiskey into punch cup. Dissolve thoroughly. Add whiskey and fill with boiling water and stir.

Hot Buttered Rum

Put sugar into punch cup and fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add butter and rum. Stir and sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Hot Buttered Wine

Heat wine and water just to simmering; do not boil. Preheat Irish coffee glass with boiling water. Pour heated wine mixture into glass and add butter and maple syrup. Stir and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve at once.

Hot Cinnamon Roll

Pour hot cider into Irish coffee glass. Add schnapps. Top with whipped cream and add a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Hot Gin Toddy

Put sugar into punch cup and fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add gin. Stir and decorate with a slice of lemon. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Hot Gold

Pour orange juice into red-wine glass or mug. Add amaretto and garnish with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Hot Kiss

Pour liqueurs and whiskey into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee and stir. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a chocolate covered mint.

Hot Rum Toddy

Put sugar into punch cup and fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add rum. Stir and decorate with a slice of lemon. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Hot Whiskey Toddy

Put sugar into punch cup and fill 2/3 full with boiling water. Add whiskey. Stir and decorate with a slice of lemon. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Indian Summer

Wet rim of sour glass and dip in cinnamon. Add schnapps and top off with cider. Add a cinnamon stick.

Irish Coffee

Pour whiskey into Irish coffee glass rimmed with sugar. Fill to within 1/2" of top with coffee. Cover surface to brim with whipped cream.

Italian Coffee

Pour amaretto into Irish coffee glass. Fill with hot coffee. Top with coffee ice cream and sprinkle with ground coriander.

Jamaica Coffee

Pour brandy and rum into coffee mug. Fill with hot coffee. Sweeten to taste. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Mexican Coffee

Stir coffee liqueur and tequila in coffee cup, add coffee, and top with whipped cream.

Mexitaly Coffee

Dip rim of Irish coffee glass in cherry juice, then in cinnamon sugar. Pour liqueurs into glass and add coffee. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Mulled Claret

Combine all ingredients into metal mug. Heat poker red hot and hold in liquid until boiling and serve; or warm on stove.

Razzmatazz

Pour liqueurs into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with berries in season.

Ruedesheim Kaffe

Place sugar cubes in heat-proof coffee cup. Add brandy and set aflame. Allow to burn for a good minute, then fill with coffee. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Russian Coffee

Pour liqueurs and vodka into Irish coffee glass. Add coffee. Top with whipped cream.

Snow Bunny

Pour triple sec into heavy mug. Fill with hot chocolate. Garnish with a stick of cinnamon for flavoring and to use as a stirrer.

Spanish Coffee

Add coffee to brandy in mug and top with whipped cream.

Steaming Peach

Pour Schnapps into snifter. Add hot water and stir. Float an orange slice as a garnish.

Last modified: Wed Apr 20 1995