The snowflakes have already started to drop and if the troubled economy isn't giving you a hankering for something warm, comforting and delicious, the weather soon will.
You've likely already had the hot toddy and spiked your coffee with whiskey, but here are a few new drink ideas for Thanksgiving ... or any other night you might want a warm pick-me-up. Just be sure to stock up on cinnamon sticks.
Hot Apple Pie: Just like mom used to make!
2 oz. Tuaca
Hot apple cider
Whipped cream
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Pour the Tuaca, which is an Italian liqueur with deep roots and hints of citrus and vanilla, into a glass. Fill with hot apple cider, top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Pumpkin martini: 'Tis the season.
1/2 oz. Sylk Cream Liqueur
2 oz. vanilla vodka
1/2 oz. pumpkin liqueur or pumpkin spice syrup
1 tsp. whipped cream
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Pour the Sylk Liqueur and vodka into a shaker filled with ice and shake well. Add the pumpkin liqueur or syrup and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a teaspoon of whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
The Sneaky Pete: One hulluva Caucasian.
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. rye whiskey
4 oz. milk (or cream)
Think of the Sneaky Pete as the whiskey version of a White Russian. Pour the Kahlua into an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Add the milk and rye whiskey and stir well.
Hot Buttered Rum: Melts in your mouth.
1 small slice soft butter
1 tsp. brown sugar
Optional spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
Vanilla extract
2 oz. dark rum
Boiling water
Place the butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of an Irish coffee glass or mug. Mix well or muddle. Pour in the rum and boiling water and stir.
Indian Summer: Great on an autumn day.
2 oz. apple brandy
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Hot apple cider
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Pour the apple brandy, cinnamon and sugar into an Irish coffee glass. Fill with hot apple cider and stir well. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. For a big group, warm a gallon of apple cider in a large pot, add a bottle of apple brandy, some sugar and cinnamon and keep it warm on the stove for the entire day. Set out some coffee cups and a ladle and allow your guests to pour their own drinks whenever they want.
Ginger Smash: A smashing good time.
12 whole cranberries
2 thin slices ginger root
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 oz. gin
1 1/2 oz. Berentzen apple liqueur
Muddle cranberries, ginger and sugar together. Add the remaining ingredients. Shake with ice. Pour into an old-fashioned glass.
Spiced Peach Cobber: Dessert in a glass.
3 oz. Stoli Peach Vodka
2 spoonfulls honey
2 splashes of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk
2 dashes ground cinnamon
Pour the ingredients over ice into a shaker cup. Shake until frothy. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon on top of the foam.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
