Beer Nog Flip Beer Nog Flip made with a hot poker. Photo by Ezra Johnson-Greenough.
Feeling lethargic, uninspired, in a funk? To fight off seasonal affective disorder, try adding some spice to your life with a hot cocktail. For the same reason that ice cream is most popular during summer and soup is a cold-temperature staple, a warm mixed drink should be your go-to treatment for the winter blues as prescribed by your primary care mixologist. And don’t limit yourself to the same old pool of toddies and Spanish coffees. Here we’ve recommended four different drinks—though some with familiar, comforting flavors—that you should add to your home bar arsenal. On top of that, each is made with a different heating element, allowing you to enhance your creativity in the kitchen and impress friends with your bartending skills. Heater Element
Heating apparatus: Home espresso machine
A winterized take on the classic Italian coffee-based dessert affogato can be made at home by simply using the primary elements on an espresso machine. This version is boozy—fortified with flavored vodka and Hungarian-made Zwack herbal liqueur, which gives it the sweet and spicy notes of sarsaparilla as well as hints of bitter cacao, sweet licorice, anise and citrus. Instead of adding a traditional scoop of gelato or vanilla ice cream, create a creamy, festive latte by steam melting egg nog ice cream over espresso.
1 1/2 ounces of caramel or peppermint vodka (Have fun with it! You could even use vanilla or marshmallow.)
2 big spoonfuls of egg nog ice cream
Add the vodka and Zwack to a 12-ounce mug. Put 2 big spoonfuls of egg nog ice cream into a milk frothing pitcher. Pull a double shot of espresso from the machine and add that to the pitcher. Use the espresso machine steamer attachment to melt the ice cream until it turns into hot cream, then pour it over the liquor. Top with a dash of chocolate bitters or Underberg.
Optional: Add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or chili powder.
Mulled wine, known as glühwein in Germany, is a Deutschland Christmas staple. Traditionally made with red wine and signature spice blends, it is also enjoyed “mit schuss” (translation: with a shot)—typically brandy or rum. If you really want to kick things up a notch, try making feuerzangenbowle (fire tongs punch), a variant of the drink that is served with a rum-soaked, flaming sugarloaf. There is even a non-alcoholic kinderpunsch version. Locally, Portland’s best German bars, Prost! and Stammtisch, serve glühwein during the holidays and have been gracious enough to share their recipe (we added raisins to our version).
Fill a pot or soup kettle with 6 liters of red wine. Add whole fruit and spices to the pot in a food-safe cheesecloth, or have a strainer ready. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove spices. Ladle mixture into an 8-to-12-ounce mug with 1 ounce of brandy or rum. Garnish with an orange twist (or slice), a couple of cloves and a cinnamon stick. Keep warm at low heat on the stovetop, or transfer the liquid to an airpot or slow cooker.
Heating apparatus: Immersion water heater
Make the most cliché cozy season flavor hot again by using showmanship to serve a wassail cider cocktail with comforting pumpkin spice. A warm, spiced cider is delicious even without the alcohol—there’s something about apples, cinnamon and the scent of fresh-from-the-oven pumpkin pie that immediately makes you feel warm and snug. Preparation can be as simple as warming the ingredients in a saucepan on the stove, but go ahead and add some flair to the process by using an immersion water heater instead of a burner and then finish by swapping out the punch bowl for a hollowed-out pumpkin.
1 six-pack of 12-ounce cans of semi-dry cider (Use Portland Cider Company’s Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon Roll ciders if you’re looking to go the extra spiced-up mile.)
1 orange, sliced into wheels with the rind
2 whole apples, sliced into wedges for garnish
1 half-liter bottle of Straightaway Cocktails Maple Old Fashioned (or alternative maple whiskey)
Keg spout or spigot ($12-$16)
Portable immersion water heater ($11-$21)
Optional: Kitchen blow torch ($15-$40) or wand lighter
Clean out the pumpkin as if you were going to carve a jack-o’-lantern, then pat the inside walls dry with a paper towel or clean bar towel. Optional but recommended: Brush or pack the inside walls of the pumpkin with a dark sugar or syrup, such as honey, brown sugar, demerara, or light molasses. Then use a kitchen blow torch to caramelize the sugar. This will not only insulate the liquid but also help prevent any unpleasant raw squash flavor from seeping into the liquid while adding notes of baked pie.
Make a 2-to-3-inch hole above the bottom of the pumpkin for the spout and push the spigot through the hole. If it’s not tight enough, use food-grade wax to seal. Empty the six-pack of cider into a stove-safe pot, add the spices by placing them in a muslin sack or cheesecloth, or use a strainer to separate the spices from the liquid after simmering for 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add cider to the pumpkin, leaving enough room for the liquor. Then add 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of Straightaway Maple Old Fashioned spiced bourbon or an alternative maple whiskey for every 12 ounces of cider.
Carve an opening in the pumpkin’s lid for a cord, and drop an electric immersion water heater, set on low, into the cavity. Serve in 12-to-16-ounce mugs with a slice of apple on the rim and a cinnamon stick as garnish.
These days, so-called flip cocktails are spirit-based drinks that feature shaken egg whites for a creamy texture, but the original flips made in Europe were beer-based and heated with a hot poker. The method inverts the grain sugars, resulting in toasty, nutty caramel flavors and a velvety meringuelike head—which is possible with or without an egg! Re-creating the historical beer flip is relatively easy and results in a fun, visually appealing drink in the right setting.
16 ounces of light or malty beer (cream ale, blond ale, Oktoberfest, bock or dunkel)*
2 ounces spiced rum or peated scotch
Optional: Egg, brown sugar or nutmeg
1-liter (or larger) thick-walled stein
Hot fire poker (preferably a ball-tipped poker like The Beer Caramelizer)
Hold the end of a clean poker in the base of the fire for 10 minutes or more. Fill a stein with your chosen beer and 2 ounces of spiced rum or peated scotch. Drop the end of the fire poker into the glass and watch as it whips the drink into a frenzy. Slowly remove the poker as the glass fills with thick cream, and enjoy! Optional: Whisk an egg into the beer, add a teaspoon of brown sugar or nutmeg, and garnish with a wedge of citrus.
*Strong or hoppy beer is not recommended since the heat tends to concentrate the bitterness and add caramelization.
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